Research Laboratory Supervisor

Corteva Agriscience • Johnston, RI

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The PCR and Marker Technologies (PMT) laboratory is a centralized analytical lab that provides molecular diagnostics support to Research and Development (R&D), Regulatory and Stewardship (RAS), and Global Seed Operations (GSO). The team supports assay design, validation, and deployment for production genotyping and partners with Corteva researchers working to improve crops through both conventional breeding and genetic engineering. PMT brings deep expertise in DNA/RNA detection and quantitation and applies advanced technologies to deliver rapid, cost-effective solutions for internal and external collaborators. In partnership with colleagues across the organization, the lab delivers agile, flexible analytical solutions and high-quality data that directly support experimental objectives. We are seeking candidates with expertise in molecular assay design, optimization, and data analysis. This role will coordinate analytically required activities across assay design, optimization, and validation in support of crop transgenic characterization. The primary focus of the position is the initial design, performance evaluation, and optimization of nucleic acid assays for prioritized projects across the organization, ensuring they meet strong global performance standards. Primary responsibilities include managing assay design requests from research collaborators, determining the assay design and downstream processing steps needed to detect the desired result, and coordinating with team members inside and outside the PMT lab to ensure appropriate statistical analyses are used to validate assay delivery. The successful candidate will be able to adapt quickly to changing group priorities and support delivery within strict timelines. An additional key responsibility is conducting experiments to evaluate new detection technologies and laboratory equipment under consideration.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Plant Science, Plant Genetics, or a related discipline, with at least 3 years of relevant industry experience in molecular biology or a diagnostics setting.
• Candidates with a bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of substantial relevant industry experience will also be considered
• Hands-on molecular biology laboratory experience is required, along with an interest in statistics, data science, and data analysis tools that can be applied effectively to this role
• Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills are essential, along with the ability to develop and train junior laboratory personnel
• Demonstrated proficiency in troubleshooting molecular biology processes, with a strong understanding of potential challenges and the ability to implement effective solutions
• Expertise in designing robust scientific experiments, including a thorough understanding of variables, controls, and methodologies required to generate high-quality, reliable data
• Ability to interpret experimental results and communicate findings clearly and concisely to peers, collaborators, and leadership
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills are required
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment is required
• Strong computer skills and familiarity with statistical methods are advantageous, along with a solid understanding of BLAST analysis, Geneious IGV tools, and Primer Express

Nice To Haves

• Working knowledge of Python and R is highly desirable
• Strong interest in, or demonstrated experience with, applying data science techniques to support data-driven decision-making, including the use of analytical tools and methods to extract meaningful insights from scientific data

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate enthusiasm for collaborating in a team environment where evolving agricultural technologies are advancing product development
• Manage all phases of the assay design-to-validation process, including organizing and coordinating the assay pipeline and procuring samples and tissue types across collaborator groups
• Support all aspects of assay development and incorporate qualitative and quantitative metrics to deliver high-quality assays to internal partners
• Support the organization’s methods development needs by providing flexible, customized solutions for experiments that do not fit a high-throughput production environment
• Implement data analysis metrics to monitor and predict assay performance across the nucleic acid assay design and validation pipeline, including regular check-ins with collaborators and group leadership
• Troubleshoot performance issues in validated assays across the group’s assay development activities.
• Maintain strong working knowledge of Geneious, BLAST, Clustal alignments, and other bioinformatics tools to ensure new variant assays perform reliably in the appropriate genetic background and apply these tools to support custom assay requests across multiple crops
• Conduct molecular biology experiments to evaluate new detection strategies needed to resolve assay challenges and assess the resulting data to recommend appropriate actions
• Evaluate modern technologies for laboratory process improvement and apply working knowledge of real-time PCR and digital PCR (ddPCR) to support assay troubleshooting.
• Summarize findings for laboratory management
• Manage data flow and data quality within proprietary Corteva IT database systems
• Conduct experiments to monitor and evaluate the performance of real-time assays within the laboratory’s high-throughput workflow.
• Understand validation requirements to confirm that new assays meet performance specifications, and transition the pipeline into the broader production environment, including integration into LIMS processes and adherence to required timelines
• Assist with routine laboratory operations when temporary resource constraints arise
• Determine the most appropriate experimental approach for each type of request received by the PMT lab
• Investigate the causes of underperforming assays or methods and propose timely solutions, at times with limited direct input
• Troubleshoot laboratory instrumentation and either perform repairs or recommend corrective actions when equipment is operating outside specifications
• Make day-to-day decisions based on experimental results to guide the direction of ongoing work
• Summarize and interpret gene expression and genotyping data to address key questions from research collaborators, then present clear conclusions and recommend next steps after critical review
• Determine whether a newly developed assay is ready for production and identify any process changes required before implementation in the production laboratory
• Regularly perform and verify compliance with CAMS (Quality Management Systems) and EHS&S (Environment, Health, Safety & Security) standards, identify operational risks, and promote safety procedures and Core Values
• Demonstrated ability to meet established timelines is required
• Ability to foster a collaborative and motivating work environment through effective communication, teamwork, leadership, operational safety, labor supervision, and time management
• Ability to build strong working relationships with team members through excellent communication and interpersonal skills across a diverse range of individuals
• Must be able to work for extended periods in varied ergonomic and environmental conditions

Benefits

• Numerous development opportunities offered to build your skills
• Be part of a company with a higher purpose and contribute to making the world a better place
• Health benefits for you and your family on your first day of employment
• Four weeks of paid time off and two weeks of well-being pay per year, plus paid holidays
• Excellent parental leave which includes a minimum of 16 weeks for mother and father
• Future planning with our competitive retirement savings plan and tuition reimbursement program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level