Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization based in Decorah, Iowa focused on conserving and promoting America’s culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations.
 

Do you love to organize, garden, and share?  Help Seed Savers Exchange and the Preservation Department fulfill our mission to share and preserve open-pollinated and heirloom seeds!
 

Seed Savers Exchange is seeking a Seed Bank Inventory Technician to join our team. This position will be responsible for packaging, distributing, and preparing seed samples from our collection for yearly grow outs. The ideal candidate should have a background in horticulture, biology, or museum studies and experience working in a professional environment such as museums, botanic gardens, or seed industry.
 

Applications accepted through December 2, 2020.
 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Inventory

• Package, inventory, and store regenerated and recently acquired plant material in a timely manner
• Implement seed storage protocols and maintain accurate inventory records
• Prepare seed samples for yearly grow outs and other distributions
• Prepare all necessary tags and reports for yearly grow outs
• Coordinate, prepare, and package annual deposits to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the USDA back-up sites
• Perform data management tasks as assigned, including data scrubbing, copying/filing old documents, and updating records
• Complete additional inventory-related tasks as assigned such as creating inventory records, inventory reorganization projects, and repackaging older inventory

Yearbook/Seed Exchange

Fulfill Exchange (Yearbook) requests including but not limited to:

• Entering orders received into NetSuite and Microsoft access database
• Preparing samples including seeds and non-seed material such as scion wood and potato tubers
• Shipping packages

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Supervise and train inventory-area assistants including interns, seasonal employees, work study students, and volunteers

Inter-Department Responsibilities: 

• Assist with field work regularly during peak times from May through September
• Assist corn hand pollination team from June through August
• Assist with germination lab testing when possible
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Seed Bank Manager

External-Department Responsibilities:

• Participate in relevant educational and outreach programs including developing and presenting workshops, lectures, tours, and demonstrations
• Communicate with members and the general public about the seed and plant collection

Skills:

• Exceptional organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, while meeting deadlines
• Excellent attention to detail
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Creative approach to problem solving

Physical Requirements: 

• Able to sit and stand for long periods
• Able to perform repetitive tactical tasks for long periods such as counting seeds
• Work in temperature extremes including cold storage rooms and high heat and humidity during the fieldwork season
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds while working in seed storage areas

Qualifications:

• Interest in fulfilling SSE’s mission to share and preserve heirloom garden varieties
• Demonstrated record of working independently and as part of a team
• Seed storage background preferred but not required
• Knowledge of seed biology preferred but not required
• 1 year experience in horticulture, biology, museum studies, or seed industry preferred but not required

Benefits:

• Employee/family health insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• 401(k) with employer match
• Employee wellness program and merchandise discounts

Seed Savers Exchange is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences to apply. Seed Savers Exchange does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, mental or physical disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other basis prohibited by law.