Plant Breeder - Irrigated Region - Pongola Zululand

📌 OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW:-Ntice Search is actively recruiting for a Plant Breeder - Irrigated Region - Pongola position in Zululand. This is an excellent opportunity for professionals in the Agriculture / Agro / Allied sector looking to advance their careers.

🎯 IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE:-We are seeking talented individuals with the following profile:• Experience Level: Not Specified • Educational Background: PhD or equivalent• Industry Focus: Agriculture / Agro / Allied• Location Preference: in Zululand

💼 WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS:-The Plant Breeder - Irrigated Region - Pongola position is an important role within the Agriculture / Agro / Allied sector, offering meaningful career development and professional growth opportunities.

📈 CAREER DEVELOPMENT INSIGHTS:-This role in Agriculture / Agro / Allied offers valuable career progression opportunities aligned with your experience level and professional aspirations.

📋 APPLICATION GUIDANCE:-When applying for this Plant Breeder - Irrigated Region - Pongola position, ensure your CV highlights:• Relevant experience matching the Not Specified requirement• Educational qualifications in line with PhD• Specific achievements in the Agriculture / Agro / Allied field• Any certifications or specialized training

🌍 SOUTH AFRICA JOB MARKET CONTEXT:-The Agriculture / Agro / Allied sector in South Africa continues to show strong demand for skilled professionals. This position represents a valuable opportunity in the current job market.

**Job Title:** Plant Breeder – Irrigated Region (Pongola) **Company:** Ntice Search

**Salary:** Market‑related **Job Type:** Permanent **Sector:** Agriculture **Reference:** 73116

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### Vacancy Details **Employer:** Ntice Search

The South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI), a branch of the South African Sugar Association (SASA), is currently seeking a Plant Breeder for its Irrigated Region programme. The role will be based at the SASRI Pongola Research Station in Pongola.

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### Why This Position Matters Irrigated sugarcane growers in Pongola, Komatipoort, Malelane, and surrounding areas depend on varieties that are specifically adapted to their local conditions. As the lead for SASRI’s irrigated breeding initiative, you will be responsible for developing the “N” series of varieties that are cultivated throughout South Africa’s irrigated zones and licensed to sugarcane estates across sub‑Saharan Africa. Your work will have a lasting impact on what growers plant for years to come, making this a highly hands‑on, field‑based role with significant influence.

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### About SASRI The South African Sugarcane Research Institute serves as the research arm of SASA. Its Breeding and Field Resource Unit is dedicated to creating high‑yielding, pest‑ and disease‑resistant sugarcane varieties tailored to each region of the industry. This is achieved through a combination of field selection and complementary research activities.

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### Key Responsibilities

• **Lead the Irrigated Breeding Programme** - Oversee selection activities and variety trials at Pongola, Komatipoort, and across grower sites within the irrigated region, including new trials on Eswatini sugar estates. - Plan, position, and evaluate selection trials, ensuring robust design and reliable data generation. - Analyse trial outcomes, document genotype performance, and provide informed recommendations for variety advancement and release. - Manage seedcane production and bulking for the programme.


• **Develop the Pongola Team** - Supervise, mentor, and support the Selection Officer and other selection staff based at Pongola. - Establish clear standards for trial planning, execution, and data quality.


• **Collaborate with Growers and Colleagues** - Coordinate the trial network with Research Station Managers. - Engage regularly with Extension specialists and growers to align breeding objectives with on‑farm needs. - Work closely with the breeding team at Mount Edgecombe and contribute to SASRI’s broader breeding agenda. - Explore new technologies and methods to enhance programme efficiency.


• **Manage, Report, and Share** - Administer project budgets and allocate resources to achieve programme objectives. - Disseminate findings through reports, peer‑reviewed publications, conferences, and by connecting with the international sugarcane breeding community.

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### Essential Qualifications

• PhD in Plant Breeding, Genetics, Quantitative Genetics, or a closely related discipline. - Demonstrated practical experience within a plant breeding programme, including field trial management. - Strong foundation in field breeding techniques, experimental design, and statistical analysis of trial data. - Proficiency with databases, spreadsheets, and statistical software. - Proven experience supervising or leading staff. - Successful history of managing projects and meeting milestones. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of engaging both scientists and growers. - Valid driver’s licence and willingness to travel regularly throughout the irrigated region and to Eswatini.

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### Desirable Attributes

• Specific knowledge of sugarcane, particularly breeding or irrigated production. - Experience in a commercial breeding environment. - Familiarity with multi‑environment trials and genotype‑by‑environment analysis. - Understanding of quantitative and statistical genetics, selection theory, and evaluation of families, parents, and breeding values. - Exposure to molecular markers, genomic tools, or introgression breeding.

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### Who We’re Looking For You are self‑motivated, highly organised, and meticulous. Fieldwork and practical problem‑solving excite you, and you thrive while working independently at a regional station yet remain closely connected to a larger team. You naturally build strong relationships with staff, colleagues at head office, and growers in the field.

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### Why Join SASRI

• Lead a programme whose outcomes are visible directly in growers’ fields. - Build and guide your own team at Pongola. - Join a research institute with a long legacy in sugarcane breeding and colleagues who generously share their expertise. - SASRI offers a market‑related remuneration package and relocation support for the successful candidate.

The recruitment process includes formal assessments of cognitive ability and behavioural style, administered by an internationally recognised assessment provider.