Research Associate

Syngenta Group•Clinton, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Research Associate supports Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) activities for Trait Evaluation Operations and Syngenta’s Clinton, Illinois site. Working with site leaders and employees, the role helps maintain HSE compliance, supports safety training and routine inspections, assists with identifying and addressing workplace risks, and contributes to a proactive safety culture. The position also provides hands-on support for seed lab operations, including seed preparation, treatment, packaging, inventory management, and shipping. The successful candidate is detail-oriented, safety-conscious, and comfortable balancing administrative and practical work in a fast-paced agricultural research environment. The role supports HSE policies, standards, and regulatory requirements in partnership with site leadership and the Regional HSE team. It coordinates safety orientation and training records, assists with inspections and incident follow-up, supports chemical and hazardous-material safety and environmental stewardship, and helps maintain emergency preparedness and audit-ready documentation. It also provides seasonal operational support, including equipment readiness and peak-period field activities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences, Agronomy, Occupational Safety and Health, Environmental Sciences, or a related field; equivalent practical experience may be considered.
Foundational knowledge of HSE practices, including OSHA requirements, hazard identification, risk assessment, SDS/GHS systems, chemical handling, waste management, and corrective-action tracking.
Experience supporting safety programs through inspections, audits, safety meetings/toolbox talks, job safety analyses (JSA), task risk assessments (TRA), incident documentation, training coordination, or compliance recordkeeping.
Strong organization, attention to detail, integrity, and accountability, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, work collaboratively, learn proprietary systems, and perform hands-on work in seed lab, greenhouse, warehouse, and field environments.
Able to lift up to 50 lbs.
Valid driver’s license required.
Must reside in and be permanently authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship. OPT, CPT, and H-1B visa holders are included among those not eligible for sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with agricultural research operations, seed production workflows, and trait stewardship or regulatory-compliance practices.
Hands-on seed lab, seed-processing, or agricultural-research experience.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and comfort using inventory, data-logging, operational, or HSE tracking systems.
Smartsheet and Power BI experience.

Responsibilities

Support implementation of company HSE policies, standards, and regulatory requirements across the Clinton site and Trait Evaluation Operations in partnership with site leadership and the Regional HSE team.
Coordinate HSE orientation for employees, contractors, and vendors; maintain training records and monitor compliance.
Assist with workplace inspections, risk assessments, incident reporting and investigations, and tracking corrective actions.
Support chemical safety, hazardous-material handling, environmental stewardship activities, and maintenance of audit-ready HSE procedures and documentation.
Help maintain emergency-preparedness processes and promote a proactive, open safety culture across site teams.
Provide hands-on seed lab and seasonal operational support, including seed preparation, treatment, packaging, inventory tracking, shipping, equipment readiness, and peak-period field activities.

Benefits

Flexible work options to support work and personal needs.
Full benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage starting on the first day.
401k plan with company match.
Profit sharing and retirement savings contribution.
Paid vacation.
Paid holidays.
Maternity and paternity leave.
Education assistance.
Wellness programs.
Corporate discounts.
Professional development and a culture that supports work-life balance.