Senior Plant Pathologist

What our Senior Plant Pathologist will do:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a multi-year scientific strategy to extend the fresh fruit season across priority commodities.
• Lead disease management and postharvest preservation initiatives aligned with commercial and operational goals.
• Identify emerging risks (pathogens resistance climate-related stressors) and proactively develop mitigation plans.
• Serve as the technical authority on plant pathology and postharvest disease management.

Research & Innovation

• Design and oversee experimental programs focused on:
  • Pre-harvest disease control strategies
  • Postharvest decay prevention
  • Storage optimization (CA MAP cold chain integrity)
  • Shelf-life extension technologies
• Evaluate biological chemical and physical interventions to improve fruit quality retention.
• Analyze complex datasets and translate findings into actionable business recommendations.
• Drive innovation through new technologies predictive modeling and applied research.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations Quality Supply Chain Regulatory and Commercial teams to implement scalable solutions.
• Support Planning decisions based on disease risk and storage performance.
• Provide technical guidance to growers such as special pick techniques to improve storage life and production partners.
• Collaborate with external research institutions and industry organizations.
• Evaluate and advise third-party onsite partners and Outside Storage sites on the best practices for disease prevention

Operational Impact

• Reduce postharvest losses and shrinkage.
• Improve storage performance and distribution resilience.
• Extend commercial availability windows.
• Enhance product quality consistency across regions and seasons.

Regulatory & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with relevant agricultural environmental and food safety regulations.
• Support registration and validation of disease control technologies where applicable.
• Maintain documentation and scientific rigor aligned with industry standards.

Qualifications :

Skills & experience that are necessary as our Senior Plant Pathologist will include but not limited to:

• Ph.D. in Plant Pathology Postharvest Biology Horticulture or related field (preferred)
• 8 years of progressive experience in plant pathology postharvest science or fresh produce R&D
• Proven track record of applied research impacting commercial outcomes
• Experience working with fresh fruit commodities and storage systems
• Demonstrated leadership in cross-functional environments
• Plant disease epidemiology and diagnostics
• Postharvest pathology and decay management
• Controlled atmosphere storage and cold chain systems
• Experimental design and statistical analysis
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks affecting crop protection and postharvest treatments

Additional Information :

• Thriving Wellness Community: Access to top-notch medical coverage comprehensive vision and dental plans and a 401k with match eligibility to secure your financial future and including: 
  • 24/7 online physician consultations 
  • virtual mental health resources 
  • life coaching 
  • engaging employee community groups 
  • cash rewards for healthy habits and fitness reimbursements 
  • library of on-demand fitness videos 
• Career Advancement Opportunities: Unlock your potential with clear paths for career progression and internal mobility across our diverse family of brands and business units. 
• Focused Learning and Development: Grow as a leader with our dedicated Learning and Organizational Development department offering extensive resources like People Manager and leadership training webinars and eLearning courses. 
• Empowering Mentorship Program: Connect with colleagues through our company-wide mentorship program to share goals overcome challenges and drive your career forward. 
• Continuous Improvement Training: Participate in training that empowers all employees to learn and implement concepts that drive significant positive change in the workplace. 
• Building a Healthy Society: To date our co-Founders Lynda and Stewart Resnick through their foundations and The Wonderful Company have invested more than $2.5 billion in education health and wellness community development and sustainability initiatives across Californias Central Valley Fiji and the 2025 Wonderful ranked as #1 in PEOPLEs 100 Companies That Care list and was named one of Fortune magazines 100 Best Companies to Work For. To learn more about our corporate social responsibility efforts visit .
• Giving Back to the Community: Make a difference with Wonderful Giving allowing you to allocate company-provided funds to up to three charities of your choice and join Wonderful Neighbor to contribute to group service projects within our local communities. 

POM Wonderful is the largest grower and producer of fresh pomegranates and pomegranate juice in the United States as well as the worldwide leader in fresh California pomegranates and pomegranate-based products including our 100% pomegranate juices healthy juice blends and teas. With nearly two million pomegranate trees in Central California we grow handpick and juice our own pomegranates to ensure the highest quality. Sold throughout the world and in the vast majority of North American retailers our selection of products includes pomegranate-based juices and teas fresh fruit when in season and fresh arils.

POM Wonderful is part of The Wonderful Company a successful fast-growing privately held $6 billion company with 10000 employees worldwide. The Wonderful Companys connection to consumers has health at its heart and giving back in its DNA. The company has a long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibility including more than $1 billion invested in environmental sustainability; $65 million in charitable giving education initiatives and innovative health and wellness programs each year; and $143 million toward the construction of two charter school campuses in Californias Central Valley. To view the current Corporate Social Responsibility report visit . 

Weve made Wonderful Pistachios Americas fastest-growing snack brand. Weve turned pomegranates and POM Wonderful into a worldwide phenomenon. Wonderful Halos is the No. 1 mandarin orange in America. FIJI Water is the No. 1 premium imported bottled water in America. JUSTIN Wine produces Californias top-selling high-end Cabernet Sauvignon. And Teleflora is the worlds leading floral delivery service. To learn more about The Wonderful Company its products and its core values visit or follow us on Facebook Twitter and Instagram. 

The Wonderful Company is an Equality Opportunity Employer that provides opportunities for advancement. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce that embodies a deep culture of acceptance equity and inclusion. 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 categories.

EEO is the law - click here for more information

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time