Director Of Plant Science

About FYTO

Do you strive to improve the world through sustainable agriculture? Do you want to develop technological solutions to grow more food while using fewer resources? FYTO grows unique aquatic plants through innovative automated processes to generate high quality feed, food, and fertilizer products with a dramatically lower carbon footprint. The company’s patent-pending technology produces nutrient-dense ingredients using much less energy, water, land, labor, and fertilizer than conventional choices. Our company launched out of MIT in 2019 and is backed by leading technology investors including GV / Google Ventures.

About The Role

We’re seeking an exceptional individual to lead FYTO’s cutting edge aquatic plant science team and research activities. You should be a creative problem solver and an effective and empathetic people manager. This is an exciting opportunity to improve the food system with novel crops, reduce carbon emissions through more sustainable farming systems, and collaborate with a diverse, mission-driven team to develop state of the art technologies to solve real problems within agriculture. This position is based in our Petaluma, CA headquarters with modest travel required to our commercial growing operations in CA. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and are subject to a background check.

What You’ll Do

• Lead research in optimizing yield, nutritional composition, and quality of our leading aquatic plant crops.
• Build and manage proactive research and development plans to ensure long-term success of our crops and company.
• Manage a team of multiple research scientists and expert consultants
• Work with our engineering, operations, and commercial teams to optimize aquatic crop farming.

Requirements

Your required qualifications

• Have a valid driver’s license and good driving record
• Ability to synthesize large and diverse datasets into actionable information
• Owner mindset – willing to pitch in on everything to help the company succeed
• Proven management skills in a fast-paced environment
• Ph.D. in plant science, biology, botany, or related field
• Ability to work with minimal supervision in remote locations as well as with a team
• Expert command of the scientific method AND readiness to put scientific knowhow into practical action
• 6+ years of professional experience growing plants or alternative crops such as algae
• Strong computer skills, including experience with MS Office (Excel, Powerpoint, and Word)
• Curious learner who is flexible, self-motivated, able to solve problems from lab bench to farm-scale
• Ability to thrive in the occasional ambiguity and roller-coaster ride of a startup environment

Other Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the cultivation of aquatic plants or in hydroponic systems
• Knowledge and experience with farming in California
• Experience in an early-stage startup environment

Fyto is committed to equal opportunity and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. Fyto does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its recruitment processes and employment practices.