Director, Tissue Culture & Transformation Facility

DONALD DANFORTH PLANT SCIENCE CENTER•Olivette, MO

About The Position

The Director of Tissue Culture and Transformation advances transformation methodology and provides operational oversight for a centralized tissue culture and transformation facility supporting plant research to the Danforth Center community and external users. This role partners closely with Principal Investigators and research teams to deliver high-quality, reproducible transformation and regeneration services, ensure efficient facility operations, and to advance new plant transformation technologies.

Requirements

Strong leadership, collaboration, and communication skills
Experience managing a shared research facility and interfacing with clientele
Broad experience across plant species or systems
Protocol development and technology implementation experience
Goal oriented individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment
Able to organize, multitask time efficiently and work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary and interactive research environment
Effective communication skills and ability to produce high-quality oral and written research products
Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills
Live the Danforth Center values: Collaboration, Diversity & Inclusion, Innovation, Integrity & Respect, Environmental Sustainability, and Stewardship
Experience with hands-on expertise in plant tissue culture and transformation
Demonstrated experience with transformation systems and plant regeneration
Ability to work collaboratively with diverse clientele to deliver transformed plant materials

Nice To Haves

PhD preferred; an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience will also be considered

Responsibilities

Leads tissue culture, transformation, and regeneration platforms, providing scientific and operational oversight for the facility, including day-to-day operations, workflows, quality standards, biosafety, and regulatory compliance.
Proactively seeks out, acquires and maintains professional relationships with internal and external clients.
Advises Principal Investigators on experimental design, protocol selection, optimization, and troubleshooting, partnering closely with Danforth Center community member users to ensure high-quality, reproducible outcomes.
Develops, evaluates, and implements new technologies, methods, and protocols to enhance facility capabilities and align services with evolving institutional research priorities.
Communicates regularly and clearly with clients, offering project updates, details of approaches, and transparency in facility operations.
Manages facility scheduling, capacity, and resource utilization to support efficient and equitable access for internal and external users, while balancing project timelines, technical feasibility, and facility workload.
Leads, mentors, and develops facility team members, providing in-person technical training, performance guidance, and fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.
Serves as a scientific partner to Danforth Center community members, acting as a key point of contact for facility capabilities, expectations, timelines, and technical consultation.
Contributes to grant proposal planning and feasibility assessments, including providing technical input, experimental scope, cost estimates, and timelines related to tissue culture and transformation activities.
Manages facility budget, supplies, vendor relationships, and external usership, ensuring responsible stewardship of resources and supporting sustainable facility operations.
Performs duties as assigned