Based at Tozer Seeds Ltd. in Surrey, you will lead a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between Tozer Seeds and the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products in the Department of Biology, University of York.

The aim of the KTP is to deploy two ground-breaking innovative breeding technologies to substantially increase the speed, scale and efficiency of vegetable breeding. This will involve the optimisation and development of footprint-free gene-editing technologies, as well as the development of “speed breeding” protocols for key vegetable crops (reduced generation time through manipulating day length and temperature) to accelerate the launch of new and improved vegetable varieties. The project offers an exciting opportunity to combine world-class research with innovation and commercial impact. Tozer Seeds Ltd has bred innovative vegetable varieties for ~80 years and is the largest independent UK vegetable breeding company. They are recognised by seed companies and growers worldwide for innovation and creativity and have offices in Spain, the USA and Australia.

Role
Your role will be to develop gene editing, transformation and speed breeding methodologies for vegetable crops, and optimise these techniques for different crop species. You will work with Tozer Seeds staff to ensure knowledge is embedded and exploited at Tozer Seeds for maximal efficiency gain and commercial benefit. In addition, your role will include the development of collaborative working relationships, analysis and interpretation of research data, writing up of research results and dissemination through publications, seminar and conference presentations, and sector engagement.

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed
You will be an enthusiastic, motivated researcher with a PhD in Plant Science or a similar subject, and experience of carrying out both independent and collaborative research.
You will have a proven ability to write up work for publication and knowledge of a range of plant, genetic, advanced molecular and tissue culture techniques.
You will be an effective communicator able to engage effectively with diverse audiences.