In the years 1954-1973, the Department in Poznań was headed by Professor Stefan Barbacki, and then, until 1979, the Department of Plant Genetics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and from 1979 the Institute of Plant Genetics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, was headed by professors: Ignacy Wiatroszak (1973-1985 and 1990-1993), Stanisław Sulinowski (1985-1990), Jerzy Chełkowski (1993-2003) and Wojciech Święcicki (2004-2011).

At that time, the functions of deputy directors were performed by: prof. dr hab. Stanisław Sulinowski (1973-1982), prof. dr hab. Tadeusz Kazimierski (1984-1988), doc. dr hab. Irena Frencel (1988-1991), Dr. Henryk Patyna (1984-1988), prof. dr hab. Janina Przybylska (1990-1993), prof. dr hab. Wojciech Święcicki (1991-2003), prof. dr hab. Zygmunt Kaczmarek (1993-2007), prof. dr hab. Maria Surma (2003-2011), and prof. dr hab. Bogdan Wolko (2007-2011).

In the years 2012-2019, the director of the Institute was prof. dr hab. Bogdan Wolko, and his deputies were: prof. dr hab. Piotr Kachlicki, prof. dr hab. Zbigniew Zwierzykowski and prof. dr hab. Malgorzata Jedryczka.

Since 2020, the director is prof. dr hab. Paweł Krajewski, the deputy director for scientific affairs - prof. dr hab. Barbara Naganowska (until the end of January 2024) and prof. dr hab. Arkadiusz Kosmala, and the deputy director for administrative affairs - mgr Joanna Dutkiewicz (until 2023) and mgr Piotr Woźniak.