Senior Variety Development Manager – Gordonvale

Make a valuable contribution to the safety of our employees working to improve the Australian sugarcane industry.

·        Lead SRA’s breeding program in the North

·        Significant career opportunity in plant breeding

·        Gordonvale location (Cairns region)

About Sugar Research Australia (SRA)

Sugar Research Australia invests in and manages a portfolio of research, development and adoption projects that drive productivity, profitability and sustainability for the Australian sugarcane industry.

We have highly dedicated and passionate people working on industry-critical projects to deliver tangible value outcomes and impact for our industry stakeholders.

About the role

The Senior Variety Development Manager is based at the Meringa site and oversees breeding activities that lead directly to variety release in sugarcane regions in North Queensland. A major focus will be on variety delivery aspects of the breeding system with major focus on multi-region final assessment trials, pure seed productions of potential variety releases and a strong communication role targeting industry participants.

They contribute to the validation and implementation of new breeding technologies, inception and conception of new germplasm including incorporation of new traits, evaluation of experimental clones to assess commercial potential, prioritising pre-breeding investment opportunities and co-design of research projects, and strategic management of clean seed production for retail distribution.

Achievement of these objectives requires leadership of significant technical operations and staff management.

The position will also contribute to the development and execution of strategies to increase SRA commercialisation income through international variety release, deployment of novel and licensed traits, and the application of new technology such as synthetic seed and bioreactor tissue culture.

Key Responsibilities:

·         Co-ordinate breeding activities across the Northern regions that lead directly to variety releases, including planning and execution of end-of-pipeline trials across multiple sites and propagations of clean seed for commercial distribution, quality testing and sampling for off-site testing.

·         Manage the production and dissemination of performance information of new varieties taking a leadership role in product marketing and enhancement of support tools for customer adoption.

·         Leverage data from third-parties such as productivity boards and mills to enhance breeding outcomes and development of informative variety guides that outline sub-regional adaptation.

·         Create, build and maintain trusted and engaging relationships with growers, advisors and millers on new & existing varieties at the regional level.

·         Contribute to selection of parents for crossing, seedlings for field evaluation, and selection and promotion decisions.

·         Create and manage relationships with the research community to support adoption of new techniques and technology into plant breeding.

·         Contribute to the development of strategy, new initiatives and performance metrics for the business unit including international commercialisation objectives.

·         Responsible for workforce planning and execution of regional technical, operational and engagement activities.

·         Participate as an effective leader to deliver on SRA’s safety, strategic and financial objectives whilst building strong alignment, across SRA and within the business unit.

·         Any other duties as required from time to time.

About you

You will bring with you the following qualifications, capabilities and experience:

·         Degree in Science, Agricultural Science or equivalent.

·         PhD in Quantitative Genetics, Molecular Genetics, Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology, Phenotyping or allied field.

·         At least ten years’ experience in applied crop improvement preferably sugarcane.

·         Proven leadership experience in plant breeding or closely allied field.

·         Demonstrated ability in the application of diverse scientific disciplines to plant breeding.

·         Recognised scientific expertise in at least one discipline relevant to plant breeding.

·         Demonstrated experience managing complex logistics in a research environment.

·         Experience in building strong and trusted industry relationships.

·         Evidence of a strong and effective professional network in crop improvement.

·         Strong collaborator across the organisation and external partners.

·         Outstanding stakeholder relationships skills – customers, peers, staff, influencers, and Board.

To apply

For further information, please refer to the Position Description by copying and pasting the following link into your browser: https://sugarresearch.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Senior-Variety-Development-Manager-Position-Description.pdf

If your capabilities and experience meet the requirements of the role and you would like to be part of our dedicated team, please click ‘Apply’ to submit your application no later than 8.00 am Friday 19 September 2025. Your application should include your resume and cover letter addressing the requirements of the position.

The successful applicant will also be required to undertake a medical screening and a police check.