POSITION FUNCTION & SCOPE:

The Gilroy Seed Farm Agronomist is the primary individual responsible for production of advanced experimental vegetable selections and foundation stockseed of established and new vegetable cultivars. The Agronomist will work closely with Seed Operations management, plant breeders and personnel to plan production of experimental, stock and commercial vegetable seed. The production plan will be executed using Gilroy farm land, greenhouses and other locations as required. Daily and seasonal operations are to be carried out using Good Agricultural Practices, with focus on safety, profitability, production efficiency, environmental stewardship and application of science in all production phases.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage the Gilroy Seed Farm facility to maximize its efficiency including regular and seasonal employees, annual operating budget, physical plant (farmland, buildings, equipment), safety, regulatory and environmental programs.
• Responsible for joint planning, planting, production, evaluation and harvest of Gilroy vegetable breeding nurseries.
• Prepare and execute an annual crop plan and manage Gilroy employees and resources to assure adequate production of quality stockseed and commercial seed as decided by Seed and Vegetable Operations personnel.
• Analyze and report seed production results with strong bias for problem solving and process improvement.
• Leverage scientific training and farming experience to conduct seed production in a smart business manner.
• Maintain a broad and current understanding of agronomic and agricultural research of interest to DMFI.
• Liaise with commercial vegetable seed companies, university researchers and industry personnel as appropriate.
• Develop strong relationships with grower neighbors and local producers for off-site farmland crop rotation.
• Support seed production operations in various locations as needed.
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• BS in Horticulture, Agronomy or similar major required. 1-3 years working in field research preferred
• Effective verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills for working with a range of backgrounds and interests.
• Farming experience including machinery operation and repair, irrigation, greenhouse management, basic pest management and agricultural Best Management Practices.
• Knowledge of basic statistics and experimental design applied to field plot research.
• Willingness to travel to production areas during production seasons.
• Conversational Spanish will be helpful working with seasonal labor.

WE OFFER:

• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) and Pension Plan

Del Monte Foods, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, medical condition, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

ALL RESUMES NEED TO BE SUBMITTED THROUGH WWW.DELMONTEFOODS.COM TO BE CONSIDERED. (https://www.delmontefoods.com/careers/)

Please be advised that your application is not complete until you fill out, sign, and submit an Application for Employment for a specific position for which Del Monte Foods, Inc. is actively recruiting. Your application must reflect that you possess the required qualifications for the position.

No sponsorship is available for this position.

No agencies or 3rd party vendors.