Quillaja Plant Coordinator Alt Meat Lab

Quillaja Plant Coordinator (9612C) - Alt Meat Lab

Brought to the University of California, Berkeley’s Alt Meat Lab, this Full‑Time position will oversee the plant cultivation and research support for the Quillaja plant projects.

The Pantas and Ting Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SCET) Alt Meat Lab at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) is seeking applications for a Quillaja Plant Coordinator to manage indoor plant cultivation at the Oxford Tract and establishment of plants in other fields (Gillman Tract, UC Davis, vertical farming unit).

The First Review Date for this job is November 10, 2025 – Open Until Filled.

• 25% Indoor plant cultivation at Oxford Tract:
  Keeping inventory of about 6,500 plants – 240 plants > 2 years old, 550 plants > 1 year old, 5,500 plants > 5 months (recapped to 1 gallon). Diagnostics of pests and treatment, plant growth monitoring, repotting and pruning, supervision of biomass and saponin sampling, facilitation of UC team experiments.
• 25% Establishment of plants in the field:
  • Gillman Tract – 500 plants from Oxford tract planted April/May 2023; candidate organizes inventory and decides pruning and sampling.
  • UC Davis – 1,000–1,500 plants planted outdoors; candidate coordinates plot selection, costs, inventory, pruning and sampling, pest diagnosis.
• 25% Establishment of 40‑ft vertical farming unit and hydroponic system in a 40‑ft container; understanding and supervision of unit operation; supervision of student assistants.
• 25% Work with student support team – sampling and determining saponin content with RP–HPLC, statistical analysis of saponin content, coordination of students for repotting, pruning, watering, nutrients, pesticide applications, and modeling of vertical farming.

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent related work experience.
• Expertise in research and horticulture.
• Greenhouse production management (all facets).
• Hands‑on experience with indoor Controlled Environment Agriculture; expertise with indoor plant production under LED lamps.
• Propagation of woody plants (clonal and from seed).
• Soilless culture; irrigation systems design and setup; recirculation of nutrient solutions.
• Knowledge of fertilization and plant nutrient management – specific to fertiligation strategy calculations.
• Integrated pest management – diagnosis of pests and diseases.
• Experience with horticultural research to identify methods for fastest accumulation of biomass.

• Master’s degree and/or equivalent related work experience.

Compensation range: $63,257.82 to $ yearly. This 100% FTE career position is eligible for full benefits and is FLSA exempt.

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years that determine that they committed any misconduct, received notice of any allegations or are currently subject to any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Please visit the University of California job portal to submit your application.