Postdoctoral Scholar - Bioinformatics

About Us

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 Bioinformatics group is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar, located in Durham, North Carolina at our Research Triangle Park Innovation Center.

About You
As a Postdoctoral Scholar, you are an important member of a diverse team supporting Biologicals Research in agriculture. You are passionate about the idea of applying functional genomics and data science to both plant and microbial data to support research towards delivering biological solutions to growers.

Role Purpose:

• Lead generation and mining from microbial data to identify sources of insecticidal and fungicidal activity
• Contribute to analytical workflows that identify gene clusters of interest to Biologicals Research
• Co-develop comparative genomic workflows and data curation of a large microbial strain collection
• Contribute to research on plant-microbe interactions related to plant health

Accountabilities

• Analysis of microbial genomes for genes and patterns of biocontrol and biostimulant activities of interest
• Guidance on microbial species, habitats and activities for enhanced microbial acquisition and isolation
• Work across multiple teams (Seeds Research, Biologicals Research) to develop ideas and model synergies between traits and biologicals
• Work closely with biologicals technology teams to identify and leverage opportunities to advance lead generation
• Contribute to plant health and biostimulant research by leveraging knowledge of multiomic analytics in plant/microbe interactions to improve drought tolerance and nutrient use efficacy

• PhD experience in plant/microbe interactions, plant physiology, microbiology, computational biology, or bioinformatics
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a highly dynamic and collaborative environment
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States
• Full-time position based at Syngenta’s site in Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

Technical skills

• Proficiency in the use of UNIX/Linux and command-line environments
• Experience coding in Python
• Proficiency in grid computing (e.g. Univa, Slurm, etc.)
• Familiarity working with version control systems (e.g. Git, CVS, SVN,etc)
• Experience analyzing next-generation sequencing data (long and short reads) and various omics data types

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

Work Level:  4B
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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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.