Business Operations Lead (M/W)

Reporting to Business Operations Manager, you support the assignments that will help Global Seeds Development activities in strengthening the connection between Seeds Development and its Business Partners (BP) - Human Resources, Finance, Quality, Productivity, Business Continuity, Risk Management, and others as relevant. This role will be focused on Productivity, Business Cases management and Sustainability program. 

The main purpose of this role is to define, support and implement robust business operations practices to drive operational excellence, enable data-driven decision making and delivery of Seeds Development Business Operations strategies and plans.

The position is offered on a permanent contract, based in France/Saint Sauveur (31), or USA (Slater or Durham), Brazil (Sao Paulo or Uberlandia).

International business travel required, depending on the projects.

Starting date: October 2024

Accountabilities

Program and Project Leadership: Lead cross-functional programs, initiatives, and projects to support Business Operations objectives. Develop and execute comprehensive strategies, roadmaps, and action plans, ensuring successful delivery within scope, schedule, and budget constraints. Coordinate and manage program/project teams, fostering collaboration and alignment with organizational goals and priorities. Prepare and maintain dashboards and reports, providing visibility into status, metrics, risks, and dependencies.

Collaborative Leadership and Stakeholder Management: Foster a culture of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement within teams. Influence and collaborate with stakeholders at various levels, leveraging strong communication and interpersonal skills to align objectives, priorities, and gain buy-in. Lead teams and drive project success through influence, effective collaboration, and by building consensus rather than relying on direct authority.

Continuous Improvement and Change Management: Promote a mindset of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and effective change leadership across all areas of responsibility. Foster the sharing of best practices and knowledge transfer across teams and initiatives. Identify areas for improvement, implement data-driven solutions, and drive ongoing optimization and performance enhancement through effective change management strategies.

Projects and programs may include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

Operational Excellence and Productivity: Identify and implement process improvements, streamline workflows, and optimize resource utilization to enhance operational efficiency and productivity. Drive the execution of productivity policies, standards, and best practices across Global Functions and Regions, while collaborating with Finance Business partners to understand and quantify financial impact.

Sustainability Integration: Collaborate in defining the Seeds R&D Sustainability strategy, aligning it with Syngenta Group priorities and reflecting it in the Portfolio. Identify priorities, develop plans and roadmaps to meet Global Syngenta Sustainability targets. Represent Seeds R&D in the Sustainability Syngenta network, supporting regional teams, functions in achieving sustainability goals, and facility management on energy projects.

Business Case Development and Evaluation: Lead the definition of global templates and guidelines for developing and documenting robust business cases for projects, initiatives, and investments. Evaluate business cases against predefined criteria, considering financial, strategic, operational factors, and potential risks and opportunities to support informed decision-making. Provide guidance, support the implementation of approved business cases, and drive continuous improvement in business case management processes.

Syngenta Seeds is one of the world’s largest developers and producers of seed for farmers, commercial growers, retailers, and small seed companies. Syngenta seeds improve the quality and yields of crops. High-quality seeds ensure better and more productive crops, which is why farmers invest in them. Advanced seeds help mitigate risks such as disease and drought and allow farmers to grow food using less land, less water, and fewer inputs.
Syngenta Seeds brings farmers more vigorous, stronger, resistant plants, including innovative hybrid varieties and biotech crops that can thrive even in challenging growing conditions.
Syngenta Seeds is headquartered in the United States.

Bachelor/Master's/Engineer’s degree in in business administration, project management, or related field, 10 years’ experience minimum, in international companies. Experience in Seeds Industry is appreciated.

Proven experience in program management, leading cross-functional projects, and managing diverse project teams.

Strong leadership, interpersonal, and influencing skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.

Proficiency in Portfolio/Project/Process management tools, methodologies, and best practices.

Green/Black belt, Lean Six Sigma certification.

Financial and budgetary exposure and basic experience.

Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation abilities.

Experience in preparing and analyzing project dashboards and reports - using office tools such as Pack Office, and other software/data bases.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and mitigate project risks and dependencies.

You are a real team player, good communicant, organised and proactive.

Professional English required to work in our multicultural organisation - additional languages beneficial.

Syngenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, or any other employment practices for reasons of race, colour, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

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