Joe Produce is exclusively representing the California Walnut Board (CWB) and California Walnut Commission (CWC) in the search for a Director of Research & Technical Affairs. Together, the Boards represent 3,700 growers and 71 processors and steward research for an industry responsible for 99% of U.S. walnut production and nearly half of global supply. Funded by grower assessments and USDA export programs, the Boards invest in science that must be rigorous, defensible, and—most importantly—used.
This role is built for a scientist who wants their work to live beyond journals and reports. As Director of Research & Technical Affairs, you will lead a multimillion-dollar applied research portfolio that directly influences on-farm practices, post-harvest handling, food safety, sustainability, and international market access. The research decisions made in this role translate into real outcomes for growers, processors, and global customers.
Reporting to the Vice President of Industry & Government Affairs, you will serve as the technical authority and scientific translator across the walnut value chain—setting priorities, evaluating rigor, guiding investment, and ensuring research outcomes are practical, credible, and adoptable.
- Set the research agenda, not just compete for funding
- Lead applied science at commercial and global scale
- Work at the intersection of research, regulation, and real-world adoption
- Influence outcomes across farms, processing facilities, and export markets
- Build a legacy of science measured by impact and uptake, not citations alone
Just as important, this role is for someone who enjoys working with many different personalities and perspectives—from growers and processors, to academic researchers, regulators, marketers, and highly technical specialists. Success here requires intellectual confidence, humility, and the ability to communicate complex science clearly to both deeply technical audiences and non-scientific stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and manage the full annual research cycle, including priority setting, RFPs, proposal review, project awards, progress reporting, and deliverables
- Develop and oversee an annual research portfolio, spanning production and post-harvest priorities
- Guide research in crop health, yield, food safety, quality, shelf life, regulatory compliance, and sustainability
- Maintain close relationships with funded researchers to ensure milestones are met, and outputs are industry-ready
- Organize and participate in research committee meetings, study sessions, and the annual Walnut Research Conference
- Identify and pursue state, federal, and external grant opportunities, lead proposal development, reporting, and compliance
- Develop and report KPIs related to timelines, outcomes, grant leverage, and ROI for leadership and committees
- Stay connected to emerging science through conferences, field events, and industry engagement
- Lead scientific peer-review processes, including reviewer selection, scoring criteria, and conflict-of-interest protocols
- Engage advisors such as farm advisors, commodity board peers, PCAs, and regulatory experts
- Translate research findings for diverse audiences including growers, handlers, staff, scientists, and consultants
- Partner with communications teams to share methodologies, results, and best practices
- Support the application of research outcomes in both field and processing environments
- Provide technical guidance on domestic and international regulatory and compliance matters
- Support monitoring of international MRLs, food standards, and phytosanitary requirements
- Assist with food safety, quality data analysis, and documentation
- Contribute to sustainability and compliance initiatives
- Support technical communications, including website and newsletter content
- Collaborate on government and non-government research and policy initiatives
- Ph.D. (or equivalent) in agriculture, food science, or a related scientific discipline strongly preferred
- 8–10+ years of experience leading applied research or technical programs
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex research portfolios and external partners
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience managing budgets, timelines, and performance metrics
- Working knowledge of regulatory, food safety, and compliance frameworks
- Strong relationship-building skills across diverse stakeholder groups
- Make this even more “capstone role” for senior USDA or land-grant candidates
- Create a short outreach version for direct recruitment
- Tune language further depending on whether you’re targeting extension leaders vs. research administrators
Our company is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state or federal law.
This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits and termination.
