Breeding Program Manager

Shape the future of aquaculture through genetics.

At Xelect, we're helping some of the world's leading aquaculture businesses unlock the full potential of their breeding programs.

As a Breeding Program Manager, you'll combine cutting-edge genetics, data-driven decision making, and trusted customer partnerships to deliver measurable genetic improvement and commercial success across finfish and shellfish species.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of selective breeding, influencing global aquaculture production while collaborating with industry experts, scientists, and customers around the world. If you're passionate about genetics, innovation, and making a tangible impact on sustainable food production, we'd love to hear from you.

This role is a hybrid role based in St Andrews Scotland with regular travel to customers and as such relocation may be required for this role

You will report to Head of Breeding Programs.

• You will lead the genetics programs for our customers working directly with customers to design, implement and develop their brood stock program.

• You will promote the Xelect value proposition, identify new commercial opportunities, driving business growth, revenue and delivering the profitability in the assigned accounts and breeding programs, developing trusted advisor relationships. Align with the strategic direction and route to market of Xelect.

• Supports the Head of Breeding in the development of the strategic initiatives to deliver revenue targets and customer goals.
• Develop selective breeding programs for new and established species, using the latest technologies.

• Interprets internal or external business issues and recommends best practices .
• Design, co-ordinate and implement new genetics programs that deliver significant commercial returns for our customers' businesses. Solves complex problems; takes a broad perspective to identify innovative solutions .
• Develop strong relationships and to obtain understanding of customer’s production conditions and commercial goals.

• Manage the day-to-day running of our programs, co-ordinating the necessary resources and acting as a member of our customers' teams and provide consultancy and support at key times in their breeding program.

• Handle large datasets and work with our in-house customer databases. Perform and deliver the necessary phenotyping and selective breeding analyses using our in-house selection and simulation software.

• Communicates the value proposition to key industry contacts.
• Works independently, with guidance in only the most complex situations
• Works with key customers to influence, develop and implement improved ways of realising the full genetic improvement.

• Will use specialized knowledge to projects with moderate resource requirements, risk, and complexity .

• Develops strong relationships with teams of biologists, geneticists, laboratory staff and bioinformaticians to lead the genetic program and ensure that projects are delivered budget and genetic tools are optimized.
• Communicates difficult concepts and negotiates with others to adopt a different point of view.

• A minimum of a MSc relating to aquaculture, quantitative genetics, finfish/shellfish reproduction or animal breeding. A PhD relating to aquaculture, fish reproduction or animal breeding is desirable.

• Knowledge and experience of hatchery and brood stock management, including aquaculture operations more widely for finfish and / or shellfish species.
• A practical understanding of the application of genetics within selective breeding.
• Excellent data management and computer literacy skills
• Strong negotiation, communication and influencing skills.

• Innovative, highly self-motivated and collaborative with the ability to respond to…