Variety Development Lead, EMEA

About the Opportunity

The Variety Development Lead for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) will lead the R&D and Variety Development efforts for all berry crops in United Kingdom, Europe, and Africa. In this role, you will ensure efficient and effective trialing and deployment of new varieties that achieve the strategic and operational objectives of the target regions across EMEA. Through proven people leadership and technical expertise, you will provide programmatic guidance to a strawberry breeder managing two UK-based strawberry breeding programs and a small team of variety development managers overseeing global variety development pipelines for all four berries across the EMEA region. Strong collaboration with colleagues in the breeding nursery and EMEA test plots will be key to your team’s success. Through your leadership, you will develop and maintain coordinated relationships with the global breeding directors and business-facing product leaders across all four berry crops. Careful coordination with applied research colleagues and trials is necessary to build upon breeding knowledge for effective commercial deployment of new varieties that are differentiated in consumer delight and grower profitability.

 Responsibilities

•  Provide day-to-day management and local leadership to the breeding and variety development managers and staff in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Morocco. Mentor and onboard staff to foster collaboration among all team members, making regular visits to EMEA test plot and production locations
•  Operational and capital budgeting for all breeding and variety development activities, in collaboration with the global breeding directors for each berry crop
•  Maintain an active and productive role with EMEA’s business-facing product leadership team, contributing to the success of business strategy, initiatives, and marketplace results through the development and deployment of new varieties
•  Participate in the development and implementation of strategic business plans in EMEA. Communicate opportunities to Global R&D leadership for the development of programs and projects to create solutions
•  Continuously monitor and communicate with the variety development managers, global breeding directors, and other cross-functional team members regarding alignment between business strategy, global breeding pipelines, and trialing of varieties in EMEA. Work with the appropriate groups to propose and implement changes to improve alignment, including: 
  o  Cross trialing and test plot strategies, including but not limited to new geographies and production systems
  o  Long-range breeding targets and mid-range thresholds for the release of commercial varieties
•  Build awareness throughout the EMEA enterprise of Global R&D solutions. Work with EMEA business leadership to incorporate these solutions into future strategic planning
•  Foster strong teamwork with colleagues in EMEA, particularly with product leadership, applied research, and operations teams 
•  Foster strong teamwork and technical execution between the breeding, breeding nursery, and test plot farming teams
•  Guide breeding and variety development teams to develop compelling representations of their breeding pipelines, including competitive positioning, program velocities, commercial impact forecasts, and strategic prioritizations
•  Provide progress reports and annual reports as requested
•  Promote optimal handoffs to the business units and their respective production regions, including pre-commercial trial success, for highly-effective commercial deployment
•  Assist with the development, standardization and optimization of breeding protocols
•  Partner with global breeding directors and Global R&D leadership to manage financial allocations effectively across various projects to align R&D efforts with business objectives
•  Coordinate with nursery and clean-stock programs to ensure material is available for cross-trialing plans in cooperation with the global breeding directors
•  Assist in the assessment of commercial deployment efforts through the development and tracking of key metrics 
•  Collaborate with molecular breeding staff, plant physiologists, plant pathologists, entomologist, post-harvest physiologists, and food chemists to further the objectives of the breeding program
•  Follow Company policies and practices while representing Driscoll’s in an ethical and business-like manner in all interactions with employees, Growers, Retailers, Suppliers, governmental agencies, etc.
•  Ensure the security of Driscoll’s confidential and proprietary information and materials
•  Total work time required for domestic and international travel, approximately 30%

    Candidate Profile

•  Master’s degree in plant breeding or related field with five years of experience in produce and agriculture
•  Proven people management skills and experience
•  Successful track record of planning, coordinating, and proactively directing broad, complex programs and multiple projects, simultaneously
•  Solid experience in effective change management, including deployment of new products, processes, or systems
•  Capability to manage a large and highly complex R&D program structure within a global operational setting
•  Strategic thinker who can understand and link R&D initiatives with long-term business objectives
•  Able to work independently and as part of a team while collaborating with colleagues in achieving team goals
•  Broad industry knowledge including awareness and understanding of competitors, technologies, and cultural systems
•  Solid understanding of grower economic drivers and farming economics
•  Must be disciplined, a self-starter, and have excellent verbal and written communication skills
•  Able to lift 50 pounds on an intermittent basis
•  Able to travel to other Driscoll’s facilities with a valid driver’s license
•  A valid passport and the ability to travel internationally without restrictions are also required