Main Purpose of the Job

The Crop Genebank Head of Service is the first point of contact for both external and internal users of the seed collections. They triage seed requests submitted through the team’s bespoke public database and direct each request to the appropriate team member. They also provide guidance on the most suitable germplasm choices to maximise efficient use of the public collections, enhance output delivery, and ensure cost-effectiveness.

The Head of Service facilitates seed import and export to support the genebank's smooth operations and the needs of JIC scientists for seed exchanges with international collaborators. This involves liaising with users to obtain the correct import and export documentation and coordinating with the Animal and Plant Health Agency to issue phytosanitary seed certificates, plant passports, and other required documentation for an international and diverse user community. (The GRU has served users from 52 countries and primarily supports plant scientists, crop breeders, educators, and farmers).

They oversee GRU cost-recovery charges and ensure best practices for maintaining service documentation and track records using the team’s internal management system. They also supervise the curation of germplasm-associated data, including legacy datasets and newly generated information.

The new Head of Service is expected to bring an innovative approach to both the role and the team. They are expected not only to deliver high-quality service but also to lead a positive change and drive continuous improvement in how seeds are conserved, distributed and utilised.

Anticipated improvements include (but are not limited to): establishing molecular barcoding routines for QC in seed generation and QA in seed distribution; improving user training (e.g., by producing short explanatory texts and videos); increasing service efficiency (e.g., through template emails and automated or semi-automated communication tools); standardising activities by enhancing existing or developing new SOPs; and improving the use of data (phenotypic and genetic/genomics) to support informed germplasm choice in science and pre-breeding.

Like all GRU team members, the Head of Service will be encouraged to plan, conduct, execute, and publish applied science that addresses questions relevant to improving their role and the team's overall delivery. They may carry out experiments themselves or, if they prefer, supervise MSc projects or BSc (Year in Industry) placements when opportunities arise.

They will promote the service at local, regional, and national meetings, and through JIC field demonstrations and GRU visits by diverse user communities.

Key Relationships

Internal:
Line manager, GR-NBRI group members, and, as necessary, other researchers, research support staff, and students across the Institute.
External:
Collaborators and germplasm users from around the world, including academic researchers, educators, and breeders. Germplasm depositors, e.g., NIAB and the British Association of Plant Breeders. 
UK and international authorities for seed certification, export and import, primarily the Animal and Plant Health Agency (DEFRA).
NBI Contract and Finance teams. 


  

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

Liaise with the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency to certify GRU conserved seeds and support JIC community needs for phytosanitary certification and plant passporting.

15

Ensures track records of GRU operations (through internal database) and improve related SOPs

10

Thrive to improve the service outputs, internal operations and cost effectiveness.

10

First point of contact for seed users: Triage seed requests submitted through SeedStor public database, and direct each request to the appropriate team member.

10

Oversees germplasm and data deposition in GRU (e.g., from UK cereal breeders, academic partners and collaborators on legume and cereal germplasm development).

10

Provide advice and support to SeedStor external users (germplasm selection) and to new team members (GRU SOPs).

5

Enhance collection utilisation and establish a reputation by participating in national conferences and exhibitions and hosting on-site visits.

5

Support the profile and reputation of the Institute by participating in relevant engagement activities (eg, external visits and open days) 

5

Continually strive for excellence, seeking out and acting on feedback and relevant learning and development opportunities

5

As agreed with the line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the post, for example, contributing to the work of Institute committees

5

 Oversee GRU cost recovery mechanism (supported by the institute Finance team)

5

Undertakes routine administrative tasks, such as maintenance of consumable supplies and stocks

5

Contribute to the smooth running of the group, including through the effective use of resources, supervision of visitors to the genebank and assisting with training others, encouraging professionalism in conservation and scientific excellence.

5

Design and supervise small R&D projects aiming to improve GRU outputs.

5

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

BSc or equivalent in biological sciences, preferably plant sciences

Essential

PhD or equivalent in crop sciences or related field (alternatively more than 5-years experience in crop gene-banking))g,

Essential

Qualification relating to seed conservation and their global use

Desirable

MSc in crop sciences, or plant breeding, genetics, genomics or or seed biology

Desirable

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Understanding of crop germplasm utilisation

Essential

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Experience in generation or understanding the use of crop genomics

Essential

Experience in plant breeding or seed production environment

Essential

Experience in or good understanding of seed biology

Essential

Experience in using or good understanding of usage of molecular markers

Essential

Experience or good understanding of plant pathology

Essential

Supervision of students and visiting workers

Essential

Working in database environment

Desirable

Working in research environment

Desirable

Experience of oral research/ technical presentations

Desirable

Proven record in scientific writing

Desirable

Preparing data / information for scientific or technical reports or for grant proposals

Desirable

Provided technical training

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to work as part of a team

Essential

Demonstrated ability to work independently, using initiative and applying problem solving skills

Essential

Excellent time management and organisational skills

Essential

Ability to prioritise to meet the demands of the group

Essential

Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, including the ability to present complex information with clarity

Essential

Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders

Essential

Ability to follow instructions/Standard Operating Procedures

Essential

Promotes and strives for continuous improvement

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of all staff at the Institute, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Ability to undertake occasional travel (national and international) related to collaborations and/or seminars

Essential

Attention to detail

Essential

John Innes Centre

The John Innes Centre is an independent, international centre of excellence in plant and microbial genetics, carrying out fundamental and strategic research, to train scientists and making our findings available to society.

Our research makes use of a wide range of disciplines in the biological and chemical sciences including; cell biology, biochemistry, chemistry, genetics and molecular biology.

For more information about working at the John Innes Centre, please click here.

We pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive working environment for all. We have a diverse and multicultural scientific community and thrive on our European and international links, appointing staff from across the world. Any candidate who would like further information on current or anticipated immigration requirements can contact the HR Team on +44 (0)1603 450888 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk.

We are proud to hold a prestigious Athena SWAN Gold award, recognising the impact of our work in promoting gender equality in science. We are also a proud member of the Stonewall Diversity Champion’s programme, a founding signatory of the Tecnician Commitment and, as a Disability Confident employer, guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

The John Innes Centre is a registered charity (No. 223852), limited by guarantee (registered in England No. 511709).

Department

Crop Genetics

The Department of Crop Genetics undertakes fundamental research on the biology of cereals, brassicas and legumes to understand the genetic and molecular basis of phenotypic variation. A major goal is to develop the technologies and knowledge base to provide a predictive framework that will underpin conventional and novel plant breeding strategies. This will enable high-yielding, stress and disease resistant varieties, with a particular end-use quality, suitable for an efficient but benign agriculture.

Group Details

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 aims to capture the broadest possible diversity of the gene pool of the UK’s major strategic crops and their crop wild relatives, thereby supporting plant science and crop improvement through breeding. We focus on wheat, pea, barley and oat germplasm. The collections include crop wild relatives, traditional landraces, adapted and elite cultivars, derived lines, mapping populations, and induced (mutagenized) diversity panels. The seeds are stored in a specialised cool-dry chamber to extend their shelf life and are regenerated according to a 20–30-year cycle plan. The germplasm-associated data is catalogued in an in-house-tailored management system and public database (SeedStor).
More about the team: https://www.jic.ac.uk/research-impact/germplasm-resource-unit/
More about the team's research interests: https://www.jic.ac.uk/people/noam-chayut/
 

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Crop Genebank Head of Service
Salary:            £37,500 - £45,350 per annum depending on qualifications and experience.
Contract:        Full-time, indefinite
Location:        John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.
Closing date: 1 February 2026
Reference:     1005017

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a crop genebank Head of Service to join the Crop Genetics Department at the John Innes Centre. Click here to read the full job description.

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 aims to capture the broadest possible diversity of the gene pool of the UK’s major strategic crops and their crop wild relatives, thereby supporting plant science and crop improvement through breeding. We focus on wheat, pea, barley and oat germplasm. The collections include crop wild relatives, traditional landraces, adapted and elite cultivars, derived lines, mapping populations, and induced (mutagenized) diversity panels. The seeds are stored in a specialised cool-dry chamber to extend their shelf life and are regenerated according to a 20–30-year cycle plan. The germplasm-associated data is catalogued in an in-house-tailored management system and public database (SeedStor). You can read more about the research here.

The role:

The Head of Service is the main contact for users of the seed collections, triaging requests, directing them to appropriate staff, and advising on germplasm selection to ensure efficient, cost-effective use. The role oversees seed import and export, coordinating documentation and phytosanitary requirements with the Animal and Plant Health Agency for users in over 50 countries, while managing cost-recovery charges, service records, and germplasm data curation.

As an innovative service leader, the Head of Service drives continuous improvement in seed conservation, distribution, and use, including quality assurance, user training, standardised processes, robust SOPs, and enhanced use of phenotypic and genomic data. They also contribute to applied research, supervise student projects, and promote the service through meetings, demonstrations, and visits.

The ideal candidate:

The candidate should have a PhD in crop sciences or in closely related fields or alternatively have significant experience in crop gene-banking/ seed production industry in a senior position. 

Genebanking requires a broad set of skills and expertise and it is not expected that the candidate will master all the necessary aspects of seed conservation and germplasm utilisation when they join the team. Training will be provided to close necessary gaps and for continuous personal development.

However, experience or profound understanding of some of the following will be advantageous: Crop seed production, seed longevity, plant pathology, crop genetics, genomics and field phenotyping. Experience in working with biosciences data and operating a database resource is also desired.

Additional information:

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.