Senior Plant Pathologist

Company Description

Syngenta Seeds is one of the world’s largest developers and producers of seed for farmers, commercial growers, retailers and small seed companies. Syngenta seeds improve the quality and yield of crops. High-quality seeds ensure better and more productive crops, which is why farmers invest in them. Advanced seeds help mitigate risks such as disease and drought and allow farmers to grow food using less land, less water and fewer inputs.

Syngenta Seeds brings farmers more vigorous, stronger, resistant plants, including innovative hybrid varieties and biotech crops that can thrive even in challenging growing conditions.

Job Description

Role purpose

The Senior Scientist will be responsible to establish pathology systems in lab/GH and field across corn, sunflower and rice. Lead and support trait discovery and validation projects by conducting hands-on experiments, collaborating with key experts and functions both within and outside of Syngenta. The selected individual will provide scientific leadership in plant pathology in the context of lab, Greenhouse and field environments with a mindset that pathology is an integral part of multi-disciplinary approach to develop viable disease resistance traits for the growers to protect yield loss.

Accountabilities

• Hold the highest standards on science quality and integrity
• Possess deep knowledge and extensive experience through training and working in conducting crop pathology experiments from collecting inoculum, culture inoculum at appropriate scales, inoculation and disease susceptible/tolerance/resistance ratings in lab, GH and field environments.
• Develop correlations of disease susceptible/tolerance/resistance ratings in different environments as required by project.
• Perform wet-lab experiments to test hypothesis using surrogate assays and crop/disease specific assays to gather evidence for lead prioritization
• Be the focal point of creating, internalizing and implementing plant pathology techniques and knowledge that enable the organization to meet the needs of the growers
• Seek out, identify, communicate and encourage examples of best practice from internal and external sources of information
• Communicate effectively in Chinese and English

Critical success factors & key challenges

• Focus on delivering key business targets and impactful in the organization
• Critical insights of patho systems and trait discoveries
• Disciplined and rigorous approach to hypothesis-driven research, process improvement and change management
• Innovative and critical mind-sets with solid knowledge in plant pathology and skills to improve and challenge established ways of working
• Well-connected and updated with leading academics by reviewing their publications and professionally socializing with top scientists in conferences or workshops
• Pioneering new research directions matching business opportunities and priorities
• Willing to accept and embrace priority shifts and adjust to focus on the most critical tasks set by the business and managers.
• Comply with global and local health, safety and environment requirements
• Effective communication skills in English.
• Ability to communicate and influence key stakeholders
• Be able to flex working hours in global setting or field visits

Qualifications

Knowledge, experience & capabilities

Critical knowledge

• Ph.D. or equivalent in plant pathology, Agronomy or related field, and 4+ years professional experience working in improving plant resistance
• Excellent knowledge of molecular pathology and crop genetics, particularly maize and soy
• Strong scientific acumen, self-motivated and striving for continuous improvement
• Strong sense of ownership in a team environment

Critical experience

• At least 10+ years of hands-on working experience on China main crop diseases, especially in field settings
• Demonstrated deliveries in various forms on time
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems through innovative pathology approaches
• Advanced expertise of principles and activities in genetic and biochemical experimental setup

Critical technical, professional and personal capabilities

• Strong interest in plant biotechnology and agricultural research
• Strong desire in delivering solutions to meet the unmet needs faced by farmers both locally and globally
• Ability to solve complex and diverse problems based on available data to create working hypothesis, design and execute scientific experiments leading to conclusions, solutions or new hypothesis.
• Effective communications to convey the appropriate level of detail to the right audience verbally, in writing, or by presentation and the ability to judge when and who to communicate key information
• Willing and able to work at a high level with or without immediate supervision
• Willing and able to lead others and take responsibility as appropriate
• Wiling to manage projects and conduct relevant laboratory / greenhouse / field scientific activities
• A strong team player

Critical leadership capabilities

• Lead by influencing others with solid science and strong sense of ownership
• Focus on delivering impactful results and data to the team and organization
• Collaborate and work effectively with others within and outside of the organization to achieve goals.
• Clear understanding of personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and limits
• Seek feedbacks on ways of working, personal and professional development

Additional Information

Note: 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, gender identity, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

To learn more visit: www.syngenta.com