Crop Genebank Head of Service

Location: John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a crop genebank Head of Service to join the Crop Genetics Department at the John Innes Centre. 

About the John Innes Centre: 

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences. We nurture a creative, curiosity-led approach to answering fundamental questions in bioscience, and translate that knowledge into societal benefits. Our strategic vision, Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, sets out our ambitious long-term goals for the game changing impact of our science globally.  

Our employees enjoy access to state-of-the-art technology and a diverse range of specialist training opportunities, including support for leadership and management. Click here to find out more about working at the John Innes Centre. 

About the GRU Team 

The Germplasm Resources National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (GR-NBRI, also known as the Germplasm Resources Unit, GRU) at the John Innes Centre houses biological seed collections. The GR-NBRI conserves the UK’s major crop and crop wild relative diversity to support plant science and breeding. It focuses on wheat, pea, barley, and oat germplasm, including wild relatives, landraces, cultivars, derived lines, mapping populations, and mutagenized panels. Seeds are stored in a cool, dry facility with 20–30-year regeneration cycles, and associated data are managed through the SeedStor public database. You can read more about the research here. 

The role: 

The Head of Service is the main contact for seed collection users, managing and triaging requests via the public database and advising on optimal germplasm use. They oversee seed import/export and phytosanitary compliance, manage cost recovery, service records, and germplasm data curation, and support international users. The role leads service quality and innovation, improving conservation, distribution, data use, and user training, while promoting the service and contributing to applied research. 

The ideal candidate: 

The candidate should hold a PhD in crop sciences (or related field) or have senior-level experience in crop genebanking or seed production. Training will be provided, but experience in areas such as seed production and longevity, plant pathology, crop genetics/genomics, field phenotyping, and biosciences data or database use is advantageous. 

Additional information: 

For further information and details of how to apply, please visit our website via the 'Apply' button above or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450814 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1005017. 

This role meets the criteria for a visa application, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Please contact the Human Resources Team if you have any questions regarding your application or visa options. 

We are an equal opportunities employer, actively supporting inclusivity and diversity.  As a Disability Confident organisation, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy. We are proud to hold a prestigious Gold Athena SWAN award in recognition of our inclusive culture, commitment and good practices towards advancing of gender equality. We offer an exciting, stimulating, diverse research environment and actively promote a family friendly workplace. The Institute is also a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme. 

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

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