The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, an agency whose work is invaluable to the tree fruit industry, is hiring a Special Projects Coordinator.

The coordinator will work on projects that are central to the organization’s mission.

The successful candidate will be expected to work closely with colleagues, board members, growers, faculty and staff of Washington State University, and industry partners on a number of projects, including:

  • Creation of a revised Technology Roadmap for orchard automation research and development.
  • Development of a pilot, external peer-review process to assist volunteers and board members in identifying high-quality research proposals, particularly in the areas of orchard automation and genetics/genomics.
  • Development of an industry research priority needs assessment process, across multiple commodities, to ensure that the WTFRC successfully identifies and communicates the most important technical and scientific challenges facing tree fruit growers and packers.
  • Development of a comprehensive web and social media strategy.
  • Determination and implementation of a long-term management strategy for WTFRC-owned orchard property in Washington’s Yakima Valley.

The position is a one-year appointment, with the potential for annual extensions depending on progress, performance and/or available funding. For more on the position, visit treefruitresearch.com.

The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission was established by the Washington Legislature to advance knowledge, improve practices and address problems facing the Washington tree fruit industry. The organization awarded more than $3 million in the form of competitive grants to scientists in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

Here are the details.