Assistant Professor - Small Grains Breeder in Crop and Soil Sciences

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC

Job posting number: #7134632

Posted: March 17, 2023

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Job Description

About the Department
The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences encompasses diverse disciplines in research extension and teaching. The department’s mission is to develop future leaders in crop, soil, and environmental sciences, improve crop plants and products, devise effective and sustainable crop production systems, devise effective and sustainable soil management techniques in both agriculture and urban settings; and disseminate crop, soil, and environmental science knowledge for the benefit of users and producers of food, feed turf, biofuels and fiber in North Carolina, the nation and the world.

The Crop and Soil Sciences Department has had a widely recognized erosion and sediment control program for more than 20 years. Applied research and extension have been highly integrated to provide the construction industry the most cost-effective practices to deal with erosion, sediment, and turbidity. These are an important part of international, state and local training programs, including a required certification program for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). A field site has been developed near campus for both research and hands-on training with simulated rainfall and storm flows available. The erosion and sediment control program has long been supported by NCDOT to continually improve their construction site stormwater practices. A soil scientist from NC State University is also required to be a member of the North Carolina Sediment Control Commission, which was enacted by the NC Legislature in 1973.

The Crop and Soil Sciences Department has had a robust agricultural non-point source program for over 40 years; some of the earliest national research was conducted at NC State. We have also had a very robust program around the effectiveness of agricultural water quality practices. Like the sediment program, there is a requirement for an extension faculty to serve on several boards and committees, some of them under state statute. State-level nutrient impaired river basin or lake rules (Neuse, Tar-Pam, Jordan, and Falls) require a NC State University agricultural extension scientist to sit on four river basin committees and provide research-based information. Additionally, USDA-NRCS and Soil and Water Conservation depend on faculty from Crop and Soil Sciences to serve on boards that evaluate agricultural conservation practices that protect water quality.
Essential Job Duties
The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University is pleased to announce recruitment for a 9-month tenure-track Assistant Professor in Small Grains Breeding, with formal appointments in Research (80%) and Academic (20%). This position reports to the Department Head of Crop and Soil Science.

The incumbent is expected to develop and lead an externally funded, nationally recognized research program focused on the breeding and cultivar development of small grains that are important to the state of North Carolina and beyond. Wheat will be the crop of primary responsibility, but may also include additional species (e.g. oats, triticale, malting barley, rye) depending on the needs of the NC grower community. The incumbent is expected to integrate traditional breeding tools with advanced molecular breeding technologies to ensure the continued development of successful commercial varieties of small grains with enhanced quality, yield, disease and insect resistance and resilience to the changing climate. Other expectations include the coordination of the genomic selection-based wheat cultivar development efforts of the seven-university SunGrains Breeding Cooperative.

The successful candidate will contribute to NC State’s academic programs in plant breeding and genetics by developing and teaching a 3-credit course determined by the needs of the department and the candidate’s area of expertise. They will also be expected to publish their research findings in refereed journals, mentor graduate students and postdocs, and provide service to professional societies and organizations outside of the University as appropriate to their disciplinary area. The incumbent will be expected to work independently, as well as in multi-disciplinary teams with other faculty from the College and Agriculture and Life Sciences, as well as personnel from cooperating universities, institutions, agencies, and organizations.
Other Responsibilities
Other duties as assigned and determined by the department head.
Qualifications
Minimum Education and Experience
PhD in plant breeding, genetics or related field
Expertise in conventional plant breeding methods
Strong background in advanced genomic and phenotypic selection technologies
Other Required Qualifications
Demonstrated publication record as either first or corresponding author
Demonstrated potential in procuring external funding
Mentoring and training of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars
Commitment to service on departmental and/or college committees, and professional societies and other organizations relevant to their discipline
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Strong interpersonal skills and the demonstrated ability to engage in collaborative research
Preferred Qualifications
Two years or more of postdoctoral experience
Required License(s) or Certification(s)
A valid driver’s license is required for travel and must be maintained. Valid Driver’s License and the ability to obtain an NC Driver’s License within 60 days of hire.
The incumbent will need to operate a 1/2 ton truck and drive a personal or state/departmental vehicle to attend extension events.



Apply Now

Please mention to the employer that you saw this ad on BiomedJobs.com

More Info

Job posting number:#7134632
Application Deadline:Open Until Filled
Employer Location:Online Job Advertising
JAX,Florida
United States
More jobs from this employer