Assistant Breeding Project Lead

Company Description

At Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, we’re passionate about helping people in the vegetable industry succeed and putting growers at the heart of all that we do. Our energies are focused on creating solutions that help them get more out of their crops, now and in the future. A commitment in every seed. We do this by protecting seed, bulbs, or small plant quality from the start to enable growers to achieve the highest yield potentials in their operations; continually investing in R&D to bring cutting-edge innovations to the market; and striving to make a real-world difference through more sustainable practices on farms, in shipping, and at the grocery store.

Job Description

Through leading innovations, we help farmers around the world meet the challenge of feeding a growing population and taking care of our planet. To support that challenge, Syngenta’s Germplasm Development team is currently seeking an Assistant Breeding Project Lead in Woodland, CA.

The Assistant Breeding Project Lead (APL) for Cucurbits will collaborate closely with the Lead Breeders to manage the breeding activities in Cucurbits crops spanning from the initiation of breeding to advanced stage trialing. This role is pivotal in delivering a robust product pipeline for key market segments. The key responsibilities encompass nursery management, conducting hybrid trials, and providing high quality data to facilitate data-driven product advancement. Additionally, the individual will assist the Lead Breeders in integrating the latest tools and technologies into the breeding program.

Accountabilities:

• Efficiently conducting trials, including nurseries and hybrid trials, from sowing through to harvest.
• Manage breeding activities with lead breeder which includes pollination, material, plot and trial management. Secure successful melon and squash crop from sowing to harvest for both nursries and field trials.
• Manage Syngenta proprietary breeding databases, which involves the prompt collection, curation, and storage of data. The Assistant Breeder is also tasked with data analysis.
• Oversee the management of hybrids and parental lines to ensure their stability and purity as well as preparing data for IP protection.
• Assist with marker-assisted inbred conversion projects to incorporate key traits.
• Collaborate closely with Biological Operations (BO), Breeding Trial Specialists (BTS), and genotyping labs for meticulous trial/project planning, forecasting, and completion. The individual will serve as a point of contact and coordinator for key team members.
• Support the Lead Breeder for melon and squash in adopting the latest tools and technologies within the breeding program, which includes the utilization of high-throughput phenotyping, the application of predictive breeding approaches, and the adoption of innovative data visualization and analysis tools.
• Management of genotyping activities which inlcudes: tissue sampling, proper labelling, communication with labs and plant selection.
• High quality data collection and analysis for data driven decision making.
• Organize prototype testing with operations and breeding trial specialists.

Qualifications

Required:

• Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience in Genetics/Plant Breeding and/or related disciplines. A Master’s degree is highly preferable.
• Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship support from Syngenta.

Preferred:

• Knowledge on experiment designs, data management and statistical analysis.
• Understanding of R&D processes to identify the critical issues as well as ability to engage with team members to solve problems.
• Knowledge of agronomy, physiology, pathology, plant nutrition and digital tools.
• Knowledge of automation and high throughput phenotyping tools.
• Experience in database management and analysis.

Additional Information

Salary for this role is $73,600 - $110,400 per year. 

What We Offer: 

• A culture that celebrates diversity & inclusion, promotes professional development, and strives for a work-life balance that supports the team members. Offers flexible work options to support your work and personal needs. 
• Full Benefit Package (Medical, Dental & Vision) that starts your first day.  
• 401k plan with company match, Profit Sharing & Retirement Savings Contribution. 
• Paid Vacation, Paid Holidays, Maternity and Paternity Leave, Education Assistance, Wellness Programs, Corporate Discounts, among other benefits. 

Syngenta has been ranked as a top employer by Science Journal. 
Learn more about our team and our mission here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVCN_51GbNI 

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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