Plant Production Scientist
Edenworks' mission is to radically elevate the world’s fresh food supply by setting new standards for safety, quality, and cost. We design and operate complete ecosystems of plants and fish in vertical farms, supplying these organic and local products to grocers. We operate an R&D aquaponic farm in East Williamsburg and will be growing to a large commercial facility, also in Brooklyn, later in 2020.
Description
We are seeking a plant production scientist to join our team of biologists, designers, farmers, and engineers to develop processes, specifications, and tools for the ecosystems in which we grow.
You are a talented plant scientist or research-oriented grower who provides vision and technical leadership on blank page questions, embraces the complexity of biological systems, has a hunger to understand the physical world at a fundamental level, and is driven to deliver solutions that have commercial value.
You are excited to set the direction for plant production research, provide boots-on-the-ground support for farm operations, design and operate research-scale growing systems, and pioneer our team’s work to harness the power of whole ecosystems and their microbiomes. There will be opportunities to contribute to Edenworks’ work in aquaculture as well as horticulture.
You are encouraged to build bridges, do what it takes to solve the right problems, and co-create our design and research culture. Together we will advance the field of plant production while changing how and where fresh produce and protein are grown.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development of Edenworks’ research on root development, water delivery, plant-microbe interactions, and growing substrates for young leafy greens
- Design, perform, and document experiments in plant production and processing
- Collaborate on the development of growing models, growing algorithms, and phenotyping systems
- Identify, diagnose, and recommend interventions for issues with yields, quality, and disease
- Obtain actionable insights on Edenworks’ day-to-day growing operations
- Work with farm operations team to develop growing recipes, setpoints, and strategies
- Contribute to the continual improvement of Edenworks’ cultivation, handling, and processing systems
- Propose and participate in research collaborations both inside and outside the company
- Define standards, frameworks, and tools for how research and development is done at Edenworks
- Contribute to crossover research in aquaculture
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the biological or physical sciences
- Deep understanding of plant physiology, nutrition, and pathology
- Basic or applied research experience
- Excellent communication skills, flexibility, and empathy
- Ability to “think like plants” — to look at plant production in a holistic manner and identify what plants want, using both data analysis and hands-on interaction
Preferred Skills + Experience
Any of the following
- Commercial plant production or bioproduction experience
- Practical knowledge of any of the following: plant propagation, production management, plant-microbe interactions, root biology, soilless culture, controlled environment agriculture, integrated pest management, phenotyping, post-harvest processing
- Practical knowledge of any of the following: data analysis, experimental design, statistics, plant modeling, plant imaging, scientific computing
- Project management experience
- Wet lab experience
Benefits
We offer our team members a dynamic work environment with benefits including medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, as well as additional perks like lots of fresh, free salad.
Working here
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We actively encourage applicants with widely diverse and non-traditional background to apply. Our needs and our opportunities are unique and varied so we value unique and varied contributions in our colleagues. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and/or protected veteran status.