Sunflower Germplasm Dev Lead

ROLE PURPOSE 
Planning, managing, supporting the Sunflower Testing program in South Africa and the delivery of R&D projects in the related countries aimed at improving the performance of Syngenta’s germplasm and seed product.  Effective management and delivery of these projects results in the development of competitive inbreds and/or varieties that give rise to superior performing hybrids/varieties at the seed production and customer levels (as defined in the product concept of the project).

ACCOUNTABILITIES
Working in a team environment, manage and deliver breeding projects in service of identified product targets
1.Manage breeding pipeline from product concept through genetic entity development by leading a portion or all the following activities:
•Plan and allocate allotted nursery, crossing and replicated trial resources in mainland and off season and continuous nurseries – Global NSPP support function.
•Make selections and advancement decisions through to product handoff to Product Evaluation.
2.Measure and monitor key performance factors relative to pipeline performance and program efficiency.  Leverage performance metrics and benchmarking work towards maximum efficiency of germplasm improvement (genetic gain and cost).
3.Ensure appropriate technology integration in germplasm improvement projects and product development processes.
•Plan, evaluate and implement where appropriate genomic selection (GS), DH and other breeding tools.
•Plan and ensure that appropriate trialing (site selection and data quality), phenotyping and analysis methods are used to enable program success.  
•Participate in global sharing of information on breeding protocol improvement.

Actively participate in product advancement and positioning
1.Maintain a thorough understanding of available germplasm, performance and needs of similar maturities with Syngenta’s global program.
a.Participate in all appropriate plot tours and advancement meetings.
b.Attend International plot tours and advancement meetings as appropriate.
c.Coordinate exchange of germplasm within Syngenta’s global sunflower program.
2.Assist Product Placement Scientist’s and Product Managers with data capturing, decisions on conversions 

Coordinate and deploy native traits R&D projects
1.Conduct validation and implementation of abiotic stress projects: water optimization, early planting, herbicide efficiency, and COGS 
2.Contribute to deliver integrated solutions to targets markers

As a world market leader in crop protection, we help farmers to counter these threats and ensure enough safe, nutritious, affordable food for all – while minimizing the use of land and other agricultural inputs. Syngenta Crop Protection keeps plants safe from planting to harvesting.  From the moment a seed is planted through to harvest, crops need to be protected from weeds, insects and diseases as well as droughts and floods, heat and cold. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Switzerland

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Critical Knowledge
•Knowledge of breeding methods, preferably in Sunflower or other hybrid crops. 
•Knowledge of logistics and timeframe involved in a breeding/testing program.
•Agronomist. Understanding and knowledge of agricultural crop production.  

Critical Skills
•Excellent organization, communication and computer skills (Virtual meetings and planning sessions).
•Excellent interpersonal skills, especially those required to successfully function as part of / lead cross-functional, cross-cultural, multi-location teams.
•Communicate effectively. Ability to understand and communicate complex instructions.
•Capacity to innovate in a focused and product-oriented manner.
•Organizational / Planning / Logistics skills
•Strong negotiating skills, commercial and business awareness 
•English Language 
•Able and willing to travel extensively 
•Able and willing to deal with cultural differences
•Natural & strong leadership
•Self-command, initiative and high-quality standards driven
•Service oriented
•Authority with proven communication skills (internally as well as externally)

Critical Experience
•Bachelors (Honours) degree in plant breeding or genetics with 5 years’ experience within a plant breeding team 
•Demonstrated project leadership / project management experience (including resource and timeline management) 
•Proven success in management
 
Essential Syngenta Competencies

Set Direction
•Know the business: market oriented, way of thinking
•Encourage innovation: ability to step back and analyse new scenarios
•Communicate effectively: listen and inform regularly, timely and in appropriate way

Drive results
•Achieve goals: meet goals, follow-up systematically
•Be decisive: record and issue, analyse and propose corrective actions

Create edge
•Build trust: committed, open, respect deadline
•Motivate teamwork: ability to convince and to motivate people

Liberate potential
•Develop others
•Promote teamwork
•Develop yourself    

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS AND KEY CHALLENGES 
Motivates and coordinates a geographically dispersed team
Respects the financial limits
Excellent internal and external relationships
Overall view of the sunflower research program
Follow-up of the evolution of plant technologies
Checking of the liability of the information collected and distributed
Adaptation of the competencies to the realisation of the research program
Create motivated team and good working environment
Trusty internal relations and fair externals ones

Advert closing 25 February 2025

Internal applications only