Wheat Pre-Breeding Technician

Our KWS UK Ltd. Wheat Breeding Team is currently seeking at the earliest opportunity a Breeding Technician for the Wheat Pre-breeding and Research programme. This is a full-time, permanent position based in Thriplow near Cambridge. We offer a hands-on working environment and the opportunity to work with highly motivated and qualified colleagues, and to contribute to the development of new and successful wheat varieties for the UK, USA, and EU markets.
What you can expect in this role:
The Breeding Technician will be responsible for a wide range of seasonal tasks within our team: You will assist with field, glasshouse and warehouse operations that are essential for the successful development of wheat lines with novel genetic diversity and also to facilitate effective research collaborations between industry and academia.

• Practical breeding work that includes scoring of early generation breeding material as well as drilling/sowing, pest control, maintenance, rogueing and harvesting.


• Work in KWS glasshouse facilities including sowing, harvesting, transplanting, and crossing; candidate will play a key role in a bi-annual crossing programme within KWS UK Ltd. glasshouse facilities, focusing on incorporating characterized genetics into elite wheat breeding material.


• Work indoors including seed cleaning and processing, seed sampling and seed preparation.


• The role has space for growth and the successful candidate will be supported in their professional development according to their aptitude and interests.
  
  A bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences is a bonus; candidates having A levels with a science focus and some practical experiences are encouraged to apply.


• An interest in applied plant science.


• Practical experience in the field of cereal breeding and agronomy would be a plus but is not a requirement.


• Good computer literacy skills with basic competency in using the Microsoft 365 software suite.


• Good English skills (oral and written).


• You are known to be a detail-oriented and organized person.


• This position requires a flexible approach and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.


• You hold a Full Driving license; you will be expected to drive teams during harvest.


• Willingness to work longer hours during harvest, drilling/sowing, and other peak periods, sometimes on short notice.
  
  KWS is one of the world's leading plant breeding companies. Over 5,000 employees in more than 70 countries generated net sales of around €1.8 billion in the fiscal year 2022/2023. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for 165 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for corn, sugar beet, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflower. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants' resistance to diseases, pests, and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested more than €300 million last fiscal year in research and development.


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• Key focus on professional and personal development. "Make yourself grow".


• 35 working hours weekly - additional working hours will be expected based on seasonal demands (especially in July - Sep).


• 30 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.


• Highly competitive Pension Scheme with 16% Company contribution and 1.2% minimum employee contribution.


• Life Assurance, of three times annual salary.


• Income Protection Plan at 75% of salary for long-term illness and disability for a period of three years.


• Private Health Care Plan.


• Profit Related Bonus Scheme, targeted at 10% of annual salary.


• Membership of Lifestyles discount scheme.


• Reduced diesel prices from the company's fuel pump.


Due to the salary for this role being below the minimum salary necessary to qualify for a skilled worker visa, KWS will not be able to sponsor applicants for this role.