Trialing and Product Placement Scientist

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 Market Segment Team within Vegetable Seeds Development is currently seeking a Trialing and Product Placement Scientist, to be accountable for trialing in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California.

Role Purpose

• Manage, and drive excellence in R&D trialing for a diverse portfolio of vegetable crops, with a focus on Tomato, Pepper, and Large Seed Vegetables in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California and desert southwest.  
• Be a high impact team member with Market Segment Leads (MSL), Germplasm Development Scientists (GDS), Product Development Specialists (PDS), and Regional Portfolio Managers (RPM).
• Develop deep knowledge of vegetable crops and regional markets, build an industry best network of customer-focused collaborations, and translate customer needs into recommended technical solutions for crop production and consumer satisfaction.
• Apply your knowledge of customer needs and product performance to be a strategic thought partner for Germplasm Development and Product Development teams.     
• Successful delivery of the role will result in high quality data and analysis on crop phenotypes, trial environments, and crop x environment interactions to optimize selection, placement, and success of new crop varieties, and ongoing optimization of trialing strategies and methods.

Accountabilities

• Manage on/off site trialing and deliver quality data to support product advancement decisions.
• Key contributor to advancement decisions and launch strategy based on variety performance and other technical data at Market Segment levels in assigned crops.
• Work with the MSL and GDS in making a yearly plan for trials.
• Organize external (off-station) trials with growers in their crops.
• Organize internal (on-station) trials with station managers as needed to support crop evaluations and pipeline.
• Prepare and negotiate contracts with growers for trials based on a standard Syngenta agreement.
• Select grower fields and/or greenhouses for trials in line with targeted customer segment and general trialing needs.
• Executes trials according to trialing plan by manage sowing, planting, harvest to prevent mixture and provide correct material labelling and visits the trials at critical points of growing season.
• Collect data in the field during planting, growing and harvest, including yield evaluation, according to trial protocol and GDS team’s needs.
• Provide data, analysis, recommendations on the performance and placement of materials from all trials.
• Use proprietary and commercial databases and systems to plan trials, collect, manage, analyze, and visualize data.
• Organize and lead Product Advancement Tours (PAT) with PDS to present trials and new product candidates.
• Enhance knowledge of performance and placement of Syngenta Vegetable Seeds products and new crop varieties.
• Build and maintain positive contacts and collaborations with seed dealers, growers, and processors to understand customer needs & practices.
• In collaboration with the commercial organization, establish On-Farm collaborations with key customers to enhance a customer centric culture, and to deliver solutions to our customers faster by exchanging data and information.
• Follow Biosafety, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), compliance and ethics, and the quality system requirements according to Syngenta internal standards

• MSc in Horticulture, Agriculture, Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, or a related field, plus 3 years of experience with relevant crop and field work.
• Relevant knowledge about plant genetics and breeding.
• Knowledge of and experience in field trialing design and theory, principles of statistical analysis of phenotype and environment data.
• Proficient in English (verbally and in writing)
• Knowledge of agronomy and growing techniques
• Travel between 25- 50%
• Proficient in MS office Suite
• Analytical skills and mindset.
• Effective communication with internal and external stakeholders
• Summarizing experimental results, synthesizing analyzed data into product and market knowledge, and clearly communicate conclusions and recommendations.
• Deep technical knowledge about vegetable crops.

Preferred Requirements

• Ph.D. in Horticulture, Agriculture, Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, or a related field.

• Experience in plant variety trialing, preferably in vegetable crops.
• Experience in capturing and analyzing environmental data as part of field trialing and product placement recommendations.
• Experience in agricultural technologies and applications for crop production.
• Experience in working with growers and related companies or functions in the vegetable production or value chain.
• Understanding the vegetable market and crop specifications.
• Basic understanding of plant breeding principles.
• Basic understanding of modeling.
• Experience working in international environment.
• Experience in making public presentations.
• Experience in statistical analysis software, e.g., SAS, JMP, R, Python.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS and WORKING CONDITIONS OF THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 

• Capable of working in high or low temperature conditions in field or greenhouse.  Capable of lifting up to 50 pounds.  Capable of working long hours during time-critical periods of the growing season

•     Field, greenhouse, laboratory, office.  Domestic and international travel required with occasional overnight stays. Stays at off-season production/nursery locations may extend to two to three weeks.  Potential allergens pollen, fungal spores, chemical pesticides in the field or greenhouse.

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
• Paid Vacation, 9 Paid Holidays, Maternity and Paternity Leave, Education Assistance, Wellness Programs, Corporate Discounts among others
• Salary: $66,000-83,000
• A culture that promotes work/life balance, celebrates diversity and offers numerous family-oriented events throughout the year

WL3A

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.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

(http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/fmla.htm)

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC)

(http://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/firststep/poster_direct.htm)

Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)

(http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/eppa.htm)

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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.