True Seed Technical Development Lead

Position Title: True Seed Technical Development Lead

Location: San Francisco, CA with frequent travel (~30%)

Type: Full-time

 

Ohalo is hiring a Technical Seed Development Lead to spearhead the transformation of cutting-edge seed research into field-ready product systems. This role focuses on the development of our Boosted™ hybrid true potato seed platform by optimizing seed formulation, treatment, and ensuring consistent field performance across diverse environments and customer use cases.

This position serves as the technical bridge between farm agronomy, breeding, seed production, and commercial teams—translating upstream innovations into consistent downstream outcomes. You’ll be accountable for refining complex seed research into practical systems that maximize emergence, early vigor, and yield performance at scale.

 

Responsibilities:

Seed Treatment Laboratory Establishment and Management

• Design, set up, and operate a seed treatment laboratory equipped to handle various priming and coating processes.

• Develop and implement protocols for seed priming techniques such as hydropriming, osmopriming, and biopriming to enhance germination and seedling vigor.

• Ensure the laboratory adheres to quality standards and safety regulations.

Seed Priming Research and Development

• Conduct research to optimize seed priming methods, focusing on factors like moisture content, temperature, and duration to improve germination rates and uniformity.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate priming techniques with seed coating and pelleting processes.

• Evaluate the effects of priming on seed shelf life and storability, implementing strategies to mitigate any negative impacts.

Process Optimization and Scale-Up

• Develop scalable seed treatment processes suitable for commercial production, ensuring consistency and efficiency.

• Work with engineering teams to design equipment and systems that support large-scale seed priming operations.

• Implement quality control measures to monitor and maintain the integrity of seed treatments during scale-up.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with agronomy and field systems teams to translate laboratory findings into practical field applications.

• Engage with breeding and seed production teams to align seed treatment protocols with genetic and production requirements.

• Collaborate with commercial teams to communicate the benefits and applications of seed treatments to stakeholders and customers.

 

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Seed Science, Plant Physiology, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field.

• 5+ years of experience in seed treatment research and development, with a focus on priming techniques.

• Proven track record of establishing and managing seed treatment laboratories.

• Strong understanding of seed biology, germination processes, and factors affecting seed vigor.

• Experience in scaling laboratory processes to commercial production levels.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

 

The anticipated pay range that we reasonably expect to pay for this role is $120,000 - $175,000 for San Francisco, CA. Individual compensation is based on various factors including experience, education, skillset, and other relevant qualifications. 

 

About Ohalo Genetics: 

Ohalo™ aims to accelerate evolution to unlock nature's potential. Founded in 2019, Ohalo develops novel breeding systems and improved plant varieties that help farmers grow more food with fewer natural resources, increasing the yield, resiliency, and genetic diversity of crops to sustainably feed our population. Ohalo's breakthrough technology, Boosted Breeding™, will usher in a new era of improved productivity to radically transform global agriculture. For more information, visit www.ohalo.com.

Notes: If you previously applied for a job at Ohalo Genetics, we encourage you to restate your interest in the position by submitting your application.

No visa sponsorship is available for this position at this time. 

No recruiters, please.