Irrigation & Nutrition Research Supervisor

At Syngenta, we believe every employee has a role to play in safely feeding the world and taking care of our planet. To support that challenge, the research team is currently seeking a Irrigation and Nutrition Research Supervisor located in Salinas, Puerto Rico.

Responsibilities

The purpose of the role is to help the Continuous nursery operations for Corn, Soybean and Sunflower by deployment the Irrigation and Crop Nutrition program, record keeping, and reporting, always in compliance with company, local and federal regulations. In the Irrigation and Nutrition role, you will spend a large majority of your time with the irrigation team working within the associates and 3rd parties’ employees to diagnose, identify and act on a cycle basis (weekly and monthly) to identify nutrient deficiencies, irrigation situation, soil problems and other issues that may jeopardize the viability of the crops. You will oversee the growth, continual development, supervision, and training of a rapidly expanding team within a team of up to 20-30 seasonal employees on the irrigation and nutrition area.

Accountabilities

• Demonstrate innovation by staying aware of emerging trends and recommending new processes, products, training opportunities or techniques that will increase plant health, efficiencies or improve skills.
• Develop the annual irrigation and nutrition site strategy.
• With the Site stakeholders, coordinate all activities of your team including personnel, equipment, materials, training, monitoring, and problem solving to achieve the goal of each activity.
• Ensure field operations for irrigation and nutrition are supervised and effectively conducted.
• Budget and expenses monitor, ensure inventory is accurate, orders are prompted, Purchase Orders match and costing is correct. Establish an annual budget for supplies. Ensure that costs are track and operations stay within established financial parameters.
• Ensure that Equipment Maintenance Team provide on-time preventive and corrective services to equipment and that they are operating properly prior to each use.
• Compliance with all EPA, USDA and local regulations as well as all site HSE and Quality protocols.
• Collaborate with Agronomy team in other tasks or cross training activities such as but not limit to land preparation, planting and IPM when necessary.
• Be able to assist in Crops and Site activities according with company needs.

• B. S in Agriculture, Crop science or Biology related to field.
• M.S. or Ph.D. in soil science, crop production, or related field (Preferentially).
• Excellent understanding of all relevant agronomic/cultural practices in a tropical environment (irrigation, planting, IPM, pesticide applications).
• Knowledge of seed crop research, production and quality assurance practices.
• Knowledge and experience in Corn, Soybean and Sunflower seed production.
• Knowledge of and ability to use computer software for data management, e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, GIS mapping software and other relevant software required to operate efficiently
• English proficient: written and speaking

Critical experience

• +5 years of experience on agronomy role leading teams and preferably seed production operations experience
• Demonstrated experience leading and influencing activities of cross-functional teams on agriculture related field
• Ability to lead and influence key stakeholders through challenges and opportunities; facilitates solutions
• Analytical, ability to demonstrate critical thinking across complex situations
• Results orientation with demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects/priorities simultaneously
• Excellent oral, written and communication skills to onboard, motivate and engage others at all levels of the organization.

Critical success factors & key challenges

• Ensure appropriate staffing and training levels for future growth.
• Conduct operations within budget.
• Ensure compliance with highest HSE, Quality, Regulatory and Stewardships standards.
• Successfully establish and maintain an effective network with other departments.
• Results-Oriented:
• Puerto Rico operations are critical to the success of Product Development and supply chain projects for Syngenta as a whole. Crop Care practices must therefore be effective, reliable and consistent to achieve the delivery of target seed quantities.
• Team-Oriented: Team orientation is critical as this role lead different activities and Continues nurseries trough all year and requires frequent interaction with stakeholders and local teams.
• Innovative: This position requires a commitment to seeking, evaluating, and successfully implementing alternatives that will allow greater productivity and efficiency

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, plus paid holidays.
• Maternity/Paternity Leave, Education Assistance, Wellness Programs and Corporate Discounts among other benefits.
• A culture that celebrates diversity & inclusion, promotes professional development and strives for a work-life balance that supports the team members.

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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.