Mondi, a leader in sustainable packaging and paper, is hiring a Breeder to advance our subtropical hybrid eucalypt tree improvement program. You will be responsible for maintaining elite genetic resources and developing high-performance commercial clones through controlled breeding and rigorous testing.

What You'll Do

Select and introduce parent trees to the elite potted orchard (EPO).
Manage tree health and flower monitoring in the EPO.
Lead the controlled pollination team and design mating strategies.
Design and implement hybrid seedling and initial clonal selection trials.
Analyze data from controlled pollination, seedling, and clonal trials to assess heritability, performance, and wood properties.
Nominate selections for advanced phenotypic analysis and final competition trials.
Design final competition trials, monitor them, and nominate candidate commercial clones based on growth, survival, and wood quality data.
Verify the genetic identity of selections in collaboration with the biotechnology team.
Communicate annual operational plans for seed germination, propagation, and trial establishment with field operations teams.
Participate in annual clone deployment workshops with R&D, Forests Technical, and Forests Operations teams.
Contribute to long-term breeding program planning, including advanced-generation hybrid development.

What We're Looking For

An MSc or PhD in Forestry, Plant Breeding, Genetics, or a related field.
3 to 5+ years of hands-on experience in tree breeding, preferably with Eucalyptus or other fast-growing hardwoods.
Proficiency in statistical genetics, trial design, and data analysis (e.g., ASReml, R).
Familiarity with data capture tools (e.g., Excel, GIS, mobile apps) and basic statistical analysis.
A demonstrated ability to maintain detailed records of breeding lines, trial outcomes, and genetic evaluations.
Familiarity with clonal propagation, nursery management, and silvicultural practices.
Strong observational skills and attention to detail.
A valid South African driver's license.

Technical Stack

Statistical Genetics: ASReml, R
Data Capture: Excel, GIS, mobile apps

Team & Environment

You will liaise closely with tree improvement field operations, data engineering, biotechnology, forest health, wood science, and forest operations teams.