Senior Research Associate, Nursery Operations

About Inari...

Inari is the SEEDesign™ company. We embrace the diversity and complexity of nature in every aspect of our business to drive innovation – to push the boundaries of what is possible. Through our unrivaled technology platform, Inari uses predictive design and advanced multiplex gene editing to develop step-change products. We are taking a nature positive approach to unlock the full potential of seed that will transform the food system. The results will lead to more productive acres delivering value creation for farmers and a more sustainable future for our planet.

Our success is dependent on great minds, collaborating to generate bright ideas and deliver exceptional outcomes.

We have over 300 employees, with research sites in Cambridge, MA (USA) and Ghent (Belgium), as well as a product development site in West Lafayette, IN (USA). We’ve deliberately built a team that brings diversity of thought to all aspects of our business, to generate new ideas, approaches, and ways of operating. And we've intentionally combined experience with potential, bringing agriculture industry experts with the desire to innovate together with bright minds from academia, human therapeutics, software, and consulting. If you want to be part of a diverse and inclusive team developing unique solutions to feed the world while protecting our planet’s natural resources, we’d love to hear from you!

About the role.... 

This is a great opportunity for a Senior Research Associate to join our growing Farm Operations team and help us expand our breeding and field-testing capabilities.  The primary function of this position is to assist the day-to-day farm operations of all aspects of breeding and research efforts for soybeans and corn including seed preparation, planting, pollinations, inventory, harvesting field trials, and maintenance of research fields and small equipment.  The ideal candidate will have expertise in industry that will enable optimized processes and maximize the capabilities of the farm operations team.  The candidate can expect a rapid paced atmosphere and will be flexible, show initiative, demonstrate leadership and good judgement to achieve established goals and deliverables.  The position is based at our Wolcott, Indiana site. 

As a Sr. Research Associate, Nursery Operations, you will… 

• Lead or assist with all aspects of field research including seed packaging, planting, plot maintenance, inventory, pollinations, data collection, experimental design, and harvesting 

• Execute and manage associated activities with team members to exceed established deliverables. 

• Collaborate with project requestors to develop an effective strategy to execute and deliver the projects successfully 

• Lead process improvement and optimization experimentation and troubleshooting 

• Assist the team to develop and introduce best practices into all farm operations  

• Work closely with team members to maintain a completely functioning facility 

• Maintain an inventory of supplies used in research program, project future needs  

• Supervisory responsibilities including the training and development of contract employees along with ensuring a safe working environment 

• Operate research equipment as needed. Operation includes both field equipment and lab equipment.   

• Learn and apply all regulatory, stewardship, quality management systems, and environmental health and safety requirements.  

 You Bring… 

• BS degree in plant breeding, crop science, agronomy, horticulture, or related field with 5 years of experience or MS degree with 2 years of experience.  

• Understanding of experimental design and execution of small plot field trials 

• Experience in crop production, field research, or plant phenotyping 

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and perform multiple tasks simultaneously to achieve team goals 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills 

• Excellent organizational and record keeping skills 

• Ability to work extended hours during the peak planting, pollination, and harve