Yulex. The Southwest's Guayule Clean Tech Industry
Yulex Corporation

Position Description: General Manager - Agriculture

The Company: Yulex is an advanced natural biopolymer company located in Chandler, Arizona. The company produces natural rubber emulsions and solids from Guayule for sale into a diversity of medical, consumer and industrial markets - as well as renewable energy from the post extraction biomass residue. Yulex latex and rubber products are free from allergy-causing proteins found in other natural rubber materials and provide a natural material with superior elastomeric properties to other natural rubber sources and synthetics. The company has developed water-conserving sustainable agricultural practices and environmentally sound processing technology. Continued advances in the core agronomic practices used to produce Guayule as well as further development of our proprietary breeding and genetics programs are fundamental to the continued growth and success of the company.

The Position: The successful candidate will direct the development and deployment of all agronomic practices and logistics associated with the growth and harvesting of Guayule. The objective of the programs managed will be to create a reliable crop supply chain; increase the yield and lower the cost-of-goods-produced associated with latex/rubber and the associated biomass used to produce energy; and to grow the corporate intellectual property base associated with these programs.

The successful candidate will have specific P&L and quality control accountability and full responsibility for insuring that all guayule grown for and by Yulex meets budget requirements (cost and volume); complies with required specifications; and is available for delivery to the manufacturing plant within specified timeframes necessary to support time-critical manufacturing and marketing campaigns. Additionally, the position will be responsible for managing a team of agronomists and plant breeders whose focus is developing new varieties of guayule; for implementing planting/supply programs in other parts of the US (and world); for protecting and developing an intellectual property portfolio for crop genetics and agronomic practices; as well as negotiating and managing contracts with agricultural partners.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

  1. Develop methods for improved and efficient agronomic practices such as Guayule planting, cultivation (tillage, weed and pest control, irrigation and nutrients) and harvest.
  2. Develop and manage a productive Guayule breeding and associated cultivar evaluation program that results in new proprietary cultivars with improved yield and agronomic performance parameters for the major geographical regions in which Yulex conducts business.
  3. Develop and emphasize sustainable agronomic practices that result in reduced agronomic inputs but that also minimize the petro-carbon footprint needed to produce and harvest Guayule as measured by industry standard life-cycle analysis methods.
  4. Manage the biomass supply chain and associated operating and capital budgets; as well as safety and quality control programs with full accountability for profit and loss statements associated with crop growth, harvest and inventory.
  5. Manage all third party collaborations focused on agriculture and breeding.
  6. Develop and manage federal government and other agency external funding programs to support the agricultural and breeding programs.
  7. Manage duties and career development of all staff working within the agricultural and breeding programs.
  8. Ensure that all agriculture and breeding programs are aligned with corporate goals and the objectives of other corporate departments.

Qualifications:

  1. A degree (B.Sc or higher) in an agricultural discipline with an emphasis or significant focus on plant breeding.
  2. At least 10 years of post-degree agronomic experience with a demonstrated ability in most or all of the following areas of expertise:
    1. P&L management
    2. contract negotiation
    3. managing 3rd party alliances
    4. supply chain development and management
    5. managing an integrated team of agronomists and breeders focused on developing time, cost and input efficient crop genetics and associated agronomic practices
  3. Demonstrated field experience to include crop trial development and harvesting/logistical operations
  4. Demonstrated experience and skills in data collection, management, statistical analysis and summary report writing
  5. External funding development and grant-management experience desired
  6. Fluency in English required (additional fluency in Spanish desired).
  7. Excellent and demonstrable people and presentation skills required.
  8. Self-motivated and the ability to work creatively and independently
  9. Demonstrated legal ability to work permanently in the United States

Work Environment: Yulex is a bio-based advanced materials and energy company offering competitive benefits with an informal and team-oriented work environment suited to a creative, self-motivated individual. The position will require office and field work as well as a moderate amount of travel.

Application: Please send resumes and a brief letter of introduction addressed to Jeff Martin (President and CEO) at jdavis@yulex.com