Assistant/Associate/Full Professor - Small Grains Breeding

Position Information Job Title: Assistant/Associate/Full Professor - Small Grains Breeding Agency Department: Texas A&M Agrilife Research Department Amarillo Job Location: Canyon, Texas Job Type: Faculty Proposed Minimum Salary: Commensurate About Texas A&M AgriLife: Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. As the nation’s largest and most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within the Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service. Responsibilities Assemble, characterize, curate and exchange hard red winter wheat (and, as appropriate, oat, triticale, and barley) germplasm. Introgress novel sources of biotic‑ and abiotic‑stress resistance and end‑use quality from domestic and international collections. Develop breeding populations and inbred lines adapted to target production environments and stakeholder priorities using appropriate approaches. Deploy appropriate traditional, genomic, and phenomic breeding methods with the AgriLife Research Small Grains Geneticist. Conduct small‑plot yield trials across irrigated and dryland environments throughout the High Plains, Rolling Plains, and adjacent target regions; participating in regional and national nurseries. Phenotype experimental lines for agronomic performance, disease and insect resistance, dual‑purpose grazing tolerance, and grain‑ and forage‑quality traits. Integrate remote sensing, digital twinning, and phenotyping platforms into the program. Coordinate end‑use grain‑quality evaluation with qualified laboratories. Coordinate forage‑ and silage‑quality evaluation in cooperation with livestock‑systems collaborators. Advance elite candidate lines through the AgriLife variety release process. Prepare variety releases and licenses through Texas A&M Innovation, including coordination with prospective seed‑industry licensees and post‑release stewardship. Publish cultivar registrations, germplasm releases, and research findings in refereed journals. Mentor and supervise graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and technical staff. Administrative Relationships The appointee will report to the Center Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research‑High Plains, with annual performance evaluations that include participation by the Head of the Soil and Crop Sciences Department at Texas A&M University, College Station. The Center Director administers budgets, facilities, and operations for the program and oversees promotion decisions with the Promotion Committee of the agency. The appointee will also pursue adjunct faculty status with the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at West Texas A&M University. Required Qualifications Earned Ph.D. in plant breeding or a closely related discipline. Experience in experimental design, biometry, and statistical analysis of multi‑environment trials (alpha‑lattice and augmented designs, mixed‑model and BLUP analyses, genotype‑by‑environment interaction modeling). Knowledge of quantitative‑genetic theory and its practical application to self‑pollinated small‑grain breeding programs. Proficiency with statistical and breeding‑informatics software such as R, SAS, and ASReml, and breeding‑management systems such as Field Book, AGROBASE, Genovix, or equivalents for pedigree, plot, and seed‑inventory tracking. Effective at planning and conducting field, greenhouse, and growth‑chamber testing for agronomic, disease, insect, abiotic‑stress, dual‑purpose grazing, and end‑use‑quality traits. Excellence in verbal and written communication, including relevant publication records. Team‑building skills, collaboration capacity, and project‑management abilities. Strong interpersonal communication, organizational skills, professional demeanor, and ability to multi‑task and establish effective working relationships. Knowledge and understanding of the mission and role of the Land Grant University System. Preferred Qualifications Experience with molecular and genomic breeding tools, including marker‑assisted selection, KASP, high‑density genotyping platforms, genotyping‑by‑sequencing, genomic prediction, and integration of genomic and phenotypic data into selection decisions. Experience operating or directing UAS platforms equipped with RGB, multispectral, and thermal sensors and processing imagery into orthomosaics, digital surface models, and vegetation indices for selection use; building, calibrating, and applying high‑throughput phenotyping pipelines and digital‑twin frameworks that integrate sensor, weather, soil, and genomic data to inform breeding decisions. Experience assessing end‑use grain quality (milling yield, dough rheology, baking performance) and forage quality (fiber, digestibility, crude protein, palatability) in collaboration with analytical laboratories. Experience managing personnel, budgets, and projects across multiple field locations and disciplines; preparing competitive grant proposals to federal, state, commodity board, and industry sponsors. Location and Facilities Headquarters: Texas A&M AgriLife High Plains Research and Extension Center (HPREC) on the campus of West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX. The program serves primarily the Texas High and Rolling Plains and adjacent regions in neighboring states, partnering with scientists at Texas A&M and other universities, agencies, and neighboring states as appropriate. Facilities include an office at HPREC, plant growth greenhouses and growth chambers in Bushland, TX, two walk‑in growth chambers at HPREC, three workstations in the Porter Seed Storage and Processing Building, 4,500ft² of greenhouse space, and small‑plot field research equipment and facilities. Collaborations with the USDA‑Agricultural Research Service Conservation & Production Research Laboratory at Bushland, TX, and with closely aligned faculty at Texas A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and West Texas A&M University’s Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences are expected. Application Procedure Applications will only be accepted online. Applicants must upload a cover letter (two‑page limit) indicating the rank they wish to apply for; a curriculum vitae including a list of three references and contact information within the CV; and vision statements of research and service (two‑page limit). Complete submissions must be received by June302026. The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is identified. Anticipated start date: September12026. Salary & Benefits Salary: Compensation is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications. Benefits include: Health, dental, vision, life and long‑term disability insurance (with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums); 12‑15 days of annual paid holidays; up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month; automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas; Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife. EEO & Security Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer. All positions are security‑sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation; employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and other required information, including completion of the criminal history check. #J-18808-Ljbffr