Postdoctoral researcher in fruit frost avoidance and tolerance
Research Focus: The USask Fruit Program invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position supervised by Assistant Professor Dr. Anže Švara. The successful candidate will conduct research on the chemical regulation of flowering and frost tolerance in fruit species such as grapes and haskap. The work will focus on phenotypic and metabolic characterization to better understand intrinsic and induced flowering processes, using advanced phenotyping and metabolomic analyses across field, greenhouse, and laboratory settings.
Nature of Work: A combination of field, greenhouse, laboratory, and computer-based activities.
Accountabilities: The postdoctoral researcher will play a central role in advancing the research and breeding efforts of the USask Fruit Program. They will join a collaborative team of plant breeders, horticultural scientists, and partner scientists focusing on fruit research to support breeding initiatives. Key responsibilities include establishing plant experiments, sampling, developing methodology that will enable accurate assessment of frost damage, implementing this methodology in the greenhouse and field settings, data processing, and implementing scalable analytical workflows for high-throughput data analysis. The researcher will collaborate closely with project partners, stakeholders, disseminate results through scientific publications and public channels, and communicate with growers, industry representatives, and other collaborators. Additional duties include occasional travel, manuscript preparation, grant writing, reporting, assisting with lab activities, supervising junior members, and coordinating team activities. We seek a motivated highly organized team player committed to fostering a supportive, diverse, equitable, inclusive, and collegial work environment.
Minimum qualifications and education: To meet the eligibility criteria and apply for this position consult the “Future postdocs” website of the University of Saskatchewan:
https://cgps.usask.ca/postdocs/appointment-info/future-postdocs.php
This is a two-year position (2026-2028) with a possibility of extension. The position requires a candidate who can begin work at the latest in the second half of 2026 and holds a PhD awarded no earlier than 2022, specializing in plant phenotyping or plant breeding. Candidates must demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills in English and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively while meeting tight deadlines.
Preferred qualifications: Background in horticulture, plant phenotyping, or large-scale data analysis is preferred. Demonstrated experience in stress tolerance and avoidance research using diverse phenotyping approaches to generate datasets, statistics, and programming in R, and work in field, greenhouse, laboratory, and computational settings would be considered an asset. Possession of a valid Class 5 driver’s license is also an asset.
To apply: All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. However, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. The University of Saskatchewan is committed to the principles of employment equity. Members of designated groups (women, people with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and Aboriginal Peoples) are encouraged to apply.
Interested candidates should apply by email containing a brief cover letter (maximum 1 page), a CV including a list of publications with the applicants’ contributions, contact information for two references, and academic transcripts:
Dr. Anže Svara
Email: anze.svara@usask.ca
Subject line: Postdoc USask Fruit Frost 2026
Interested in joining?
We’re always excited to connect with passionate individuals interested in fruit research and innovation. If you have your own funding and would like to collaborate or contribute to our work, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out anytime to explore opportunities with us.
Volunteers
Interested in experiencing hands-on activities at the USask Fruit Program? Contact us for information on how to become a volunteer and about the activities available.