Hybrid Wheat Breeding Project Lead

Accountabilities

• Develop hybrid wheat breeding strategy based on heterotic pool development, focused on increasing genetic gain, hybrid performance and decreasing Cost of Goods (COG).
• Establish, update and support clear target product profiles, working with Product Selection leads and territory marketing to build a breeding program to deliver on targets.
• Develop elite inbred lines and hybrid varieties of wheat that meet the target product profiles set by the regional breeding market segment teams.
• Support the design, development, implementation, and execution of technical projects and new breeding and analytics methodologies to accelerate genetic gain; execute and test these ideas in the field
• Design the strategy for identifying, introgression, and testing novel sources of value-added genetic diversity.
• Collect field notes, design nurseries and yield trial experiments, and contribute to product advancement via the analysis of inbred and hybrid agronomic data.
• Contribute to the development of customized training sets to enhance genomic predictions.
• Innovate and develop a breeding pipeline that focuses on decreased cycle times.    
• Build processes together with regional and global Syngenta R&D to ensure test-seed logistics, availability of high-quality test seed for all stages of testing.
• Identify new challenges and opportunities to inform novel projects by building strong partnerships with internal and external collaborators.
• Work in diverse, cross-collaborative teams with plant breeders, data scientists, computational biologists and IT

Requirements

• Ph.D. in plant or animal breeding, with two years’ experience in either a commercial or academic setting.
• Knowledge of product development / marketing with thorough knowledge of germplasm, trait value, data analysis, variety / hybrid positioning within the key markets
• Knowledge of agronomic and crop management practices, plant breeding, quantitative genetics, and field experimental design.
• Expertise with tools for data analysis, statistical computation, and visualization (such as Python or R), programing and pipeline development skills integrating large, complex datasets from structured and unstructured sources.
• Demonstrated experience working with molecular marker-based studies applied to plant breeding, such as marker-assisted selection, genome-wide phenotype-to-genotype association, and genomic selection.
• Demonstrated skills to use simple interfaces to build visualization capabilities of analysis outputs and results.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-functional, collaborative environment
• Must be willing to travel extensively during growing season (May-July) as this role covers the Pacific Northwest (WA, ID, OR, MT).

Preferred Requirements

• Knowledge of molecular biology and gene editing technology is a plus

What We Offer:

• Full Benefit Package (Medical, Dental & Vision) that starts the same day you do
• 401k plan with company match, Profit Sharing & Retirement Savings Contribution
• Open Vacation Policy with a minimum of 15 days of vacation and up to 30 days with manager approval, 9 Paid Holidays
• Maternity and Paternity Leave, Education Assistance, Wellness Programs, Corporate Discounts among others
• A culture that promotes work/life balance, celebrates diversity, and offers numerous family-oriented events throughout the year

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

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About Syngenta

Syngenta is a global leader in agriculture; rooted in science and dedicated to bringing plant potential to life. Each of our 30,000 employees in more than 90 countries work together to solve one of humanity’s most pressing challenges: growing more food with fewer resources. A diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace environment are enablers of our ambition to be the most collaborative and trusted team in agriculture. Our employees reflect the diversity of our customers, the markets where we operate and the communities which we serve. No matter what your position, you will have a vital role in safely feeding the world and taking care of our planet. Join us and help shape the future of agriculture.

About Us: Through leading innovations, we help farmers around the world meet the challenge of feeding a growing population and taking care of our planet. We are currently seeking a Hybrid Wheat Breeding Project Lead for our Seeds Field Crops team to be based out of our Junction City, Kansas site. 

In this role you will enhance the Syngenta hybrid winter wheat breeding program for the Pacific Northwest region (Soft White Winter Wheat) in accordance with the commercial strategy that has been defined.  The objective is to breed successful hybrid wheat cultivars utilizing new breeding technology and ideas to bring significant economic benefit to producers.  

Please note that Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.