Germplasm Development Scientist

• The Germplasm Development Scientist (GDS) is expected to drive the development of inbred lines and hybrid varieties targeted for all global tropical fresh and processing sweet corn markets.  These products must meet the performance targets set by the market segment teams in these markets, with input from the Product Placement Scientist (PPS) and the Large Seeded Vegetables (LSV) R&D business unit. The GDS will lead nursery, hybrid testing, and other breeding program leadership activities, where the GDS has been asked to take a lead position. The GDS will focus on implementing strategies that aid in the development of commercially successful lines and hybrids as well as ensure that all activities act to drive genetic gain and the long-term success of the breeding program. The GDS is expected to implement breeding strategies, marker breeding techniques, and population and hybrid performance prediction methods to optimize the development program.

• Accountabilities

• Maintain and develop a product development portfolio in line with market segment requests and business planning, addressing short-, medium-, and long-term market segment needs.
• Perform all tasks in a manner compliant with and in support of all safety and stewardship related company policies and practices, including completing all required training courses.
• Communicate effectively and regularly with peers and supervisors regarding status of projects and work activities, raise awareness of issues that could affect meeting project objectives and business goals.
• Develop awareness of market needs for commercial products throughout all primary market areas and be able to translate those into breeding targets. Interactions with PPS and product Development Specialist colleagues to anticipate product performance gaps and contribute to a research plan to address these gaps. Continuous learning to understand changing market needs. Interaction with Sales/Commercial team to understand the nature of any product performance anomalies. Provide information to these groups to assist them with their decision-making processes.
• Develop expertise in crop biology, germplasm and critical trait priorities.
• Contribute to crop strategy and product profiles development in relation with market segment teams.
• Develop and deploy new breeding technologies and methods. Implement data driven decision in every part of the breeding program.
• Use analytic and data science tools, such as predictive models for product selection and genomic selection.
• Provide environmental and agronomic practice recommendations for New Product Introductions (NPI) using crop environmental modelling tools.
• Prepare nurseries and yield trial experiments: Design current and future resource plans with key stake holders. Responsible of nurseries and yield trial execution.
• Provide meaningful input on hybrid advancement decisions. Work with market segment teams to ensure appropriate selection criteria and target product profiles are being applied.
• Responsible for a quantitative assessment of pipeline performance in alignment with market needs: Generate reports/tables/charts to highlight to other functions and management how product performance is measured over time or in comparison to check hybrids in a current growing season. Determine rates of genetic gain for different product pipelines in Market segments through mining of phenotypic data.
• Collaborate with Trait Development Leads and Genetic scientists to identify and develop marker-trait associations, innovative traits, germplasm management. Participate actively in discovery projects.
• Collect field notes on agronomic traits on inbred and hybrid materials including pathology traits.
• Communicate project needs and issues with relevant Operations and trialling managers. Assist with nursery harvest and processing activities to improve quality of results.

• Knowledge and experience in conventional plant breeding techniques, germplasm management, diversity analysis, experimental design, quantitative genetics, and statistical analysis including prediction theory. Good understanding of the fundamentals of genome wide (GW) and marker assisted breeding approaches. Explore ways to implement these approaches to improve efficiency of breeding program.
• Ability to work in a team-oriented atmosphere with strong communication skills. Ability to generate reports for other scientists to use in decision making.
• Results oriented and driven to deliver commercially successful inbreds and hybrids to meet market segment targets.
• Adherence to all company, state and governmental stewardship and regulatory requirements to maintain our freedom to operate and an adherence to all safety regulations established by the company.

• Relentless focus on improving genetic gain. Implementation of new analytic approaches or field designs to assist with this improvement.
• Ability to work with colleagues in other functions to improve breeding efficiencies, meet deadlines for trial writing and to help set and achieve breeding targets.
• Integrate a team with different expertise areas to drive data driven decisions.
• Inclusive working approach within a team of culturally diverse colleagues.

Ability to support marketing teams on best growing practices and market positioning based on phenotyping, environmental data analysis, and modelling.

Critical knowledge

Required:

PhD. in Plant Breeding and/or MS with experience

In-depth knowledge of plant breeding, genetics, statistics and field design, plant biology and marker breeding techniques including genome wide selection (GWS), population genetics, quantitative genetics.

Preferred:

Basic coding skills (R, Phyton, Matlab, SAS...) and modelling knowledge.

Critical experience

Project management in a team-oriented atmosphere.

Background in three or more of the following areas: plant breeding, genetics, statistics, plant pathology, marker assisted breeding, and GWS.

Critical capabilities

Ability to generate reports/charts/summary tables to communicate results and progress.

Ability to lead and motivate others to high performance.

Excellent computer skills and proficiency with MS Office and corporate software.

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.