Group and Crop Resilience Lead, Global Agronomy Technology Transfer

About the Opportunity

Job location: Australia - Melbourne

The Global Agronomy Tech Transfer Crop Resilience Lead will implement Driscoll’s technical technology transfer programs relevant to their areas of scope, identifying, designing, and ensuring the delivery and adoption of the relevant technologies and knowledge transfer programs that respond to the business strategic priorities. This will be achieved through an informed vision of business needs, risks, opportunities, technologies, and robust knowledge about the available proprietary genetics and their commercial potential across regions, climates, and production systems. In addition to the responsibilities of implementing Global Tech Transfer programs, the Crop Resilience Lead will design and execute climate resilience solutions that mitigate the effects of climate change on Driscoll’s berry crops, identify core resiliency priorities based on Business strategic plans and scientific agronomic opportunities.

This senior technical position requires the ability to manage multiple initiatives, manage and lead other technical experts, facilitate positive and solution-oriented discussions with key stakeholders, a high-level understanding of plant science, plant physiology, horticultural production systems, as well as organizational and compliance requirements across multiple geographies. The implementation of strategy and multi-regional level impact programs is a key function.

 

Responsibilities

• Directly support the implementation of production projects within the Australian BU (infrastructure and production systems) when relevant and requested.
• Provides technical expertise, agronomic solutions and overall vision in developing relevant global knowledge transfer programs that respond to Driscoll’s global business priorities. These programs will better equip our regional technical teams to develop and implement the production strategies associated to commercial plans.
• Leads their Global R&D Technology Transfer group, providing mentorship, direction, motivation, and courage
• Develops talent, both through formal as well as through informal relationships and organizational structures across the Enterprise.
• Bridge the Gap between different BU’s when it’s come to collaboration, connection, and knowledge/Expertise sharing.
• Develops strategies to provide foundational Agronomical knowledge to the Australian Business Unit
• Designs and implements key strategic crop resilience solutions that can elevate Driscoll’s berry production’s ability to better prepare for extreme weather events and climate change. Survey’s growers and internal relevant teams to identify the core crop resilience priorities that growers can test and adopt.
• Networks across other agricultural industries, academia and other relevant institutions to scout for advances in crop resilience and climate change mitigation.
• Collaborates with all other R&D functional groups, with Applied Research, and regional Agronomy, Operational and Production teams ensure deployment of technologies and information to growers globally.
• Maintains a deep understanding of Driscoll’s breeding programs, production systems and production environments, identifying the knowledge packages that augment the genetic value of genetic cultivars.
• Mentors and provides technical stewardship to regional agronomy programs, applied research teams, developing training programs that advance their competences, their technical robustness and business-oriented plant science acumen.
• Designs and leads a global agronomy connectivity program that liaise all regional teams and maintains them updated, informed about regional and global advanced, external technology and genetic potential
• Ensures the security of Driscoll’s confidential and proprietary information and materials.

   

Candidate Profile

• Degree in Agronomy, Plant Sciences, Agriculture Science, Horticulture, or related field required.
• 10+ years of work experience, preferably with industry relevant background.
• 3+ years of experience leading teams and developing their talent potential
• Robust experience developing extension and agronomy programs across different regions, climates, and preferably different countries
• Robust understanding of GxExM and how to generate commercial business opportunities using these 3 critical horticultural components
• Robust leadership skills and a track record of successfully directing, managing and motivating employees, as well as project teams.
• Experience developing knowledge transfer programs that respond to different types of fruit growers, and that deliver tangible results both in short-term applications (training programs) as well as in long term applications (development programs for key knowledge areas).
• Ability to mentor, teach and communicate with excellence and clarity.
• Courageous, creative and conceptual thinker with practical planning skills.
• Entrepreneurial attributes, not risk-adverse, notably humble and absolutely passionate about plants
• Ability to work with key internal stakeholders, and manage multiple projects across the enterprise.
• Ability to develop process, manage multiple projects, and measure results.
• Ability to work with others at a high and collaborative level.
• Ability to turn plans into reality.
• A valid passport and the ability to travel internationally without restrictions are also required.

Salary:

Minimum salary for the position will be $80,000 per annum, commensurate with the successful applicant’s skills and experience

This job description is intended to describe the general nature of the work performed by employees in this job.  It is not an exhaustive list of all the job's responsibilities.  At Driscoll’s, all of our jobs include broad responsibilities for continually improving the processes we use to develop our products.