Senior Plant Health Scientist

Bayer•Chesterfield, MO

16h•Onsite

About The Position

The primary purpose of this position is to lead and execute the scientific, technical, and strategic direction of Plant Health research-particularly for wheat diseases-by generating high quality phenotyping data, advancing Precision Breeding innovations, and integrating disease risk insights into breeding and product development decisions. The role strengthens global Crop Science capabilities by driving cross-regional collaboration, harmonizing best practices, and building networks with internal and external experts. Through leadership in high throughput phenotyping, analytics, genomics, and academic partnerships, the position ensures robust germplasm improvement, accelerates trait discovery, informs product deployment strategies, and enhances Bayer’s scientific leadership in plant pathology. It also upholds company standards in safety, compliance, and responsible business conduct.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Plant Pathology or a closely related field
Demonstrated experience developing and executing field and confined-environment protocols for major row crops such as wheat, corn, soy, cotton, or canola
Strong understanding of plant pathogens, plant disease assays, experimental design, and the planning, coordination, and execution of plant disease experiments
Solid background in disease and pathogen biology, disease epidemiology, and integrated disease management
Demonstrated skills in data analytics and applied statistics for plant disease data, with the ability to translate complex analyses into actionable insights
Proven results orientation, agility, and willingness to take calculated risks to drive innovation
Excellent problem-solving, organizational and communication skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts to diverse audiences
Ability to work effectively in highly dynamic, global, and cross-functional teams focused on delivering products and operational efficiencies.

Nice To Haves

Ph.D. in Plant Pathology with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience; OR Master’s degree in Plant Pathology or a closely related field with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience
Hands-on experience in wheat plant pathology
Demonstrated experience working with field wheat and wheat disease phenotyping
Demonstrated knowledge of advanced breeding methodologies, including their application to disease resistance
Experience with breeding for resistance in hybrid crops, ideally within large-scale commercial breeding programs.

Responsibilities

Design, develop and execute plant health trials focused on germplasm improvement and characterization of key disease traits in field and controlled environment conditions
Lead key projects implementing Precision Breeding technical innovations within North America and with global partners, in close collaboration with breeding and commercial teams to optimize germplasm improvement and characterization
Prepare, analyze, and present plant health data to breeding and commercial teams to support data-driven decisions for product advancement and deployment
Apply disease risk methodologies to inform breeding strategies and clearly communicate implications for product deployment to commercial stakeholders
Build and manage collaborations with universities and other external experts on pipeline screening, including oversight of material transfer agreements and related compliance
Work across crops on high-throughput, analytical and genomic plant health projects to improve strategies for pipeline screening and discovery initiatives
Collaborate with interdisciplinary R&D and Crop Science teams to integrate plant health findings into broader agricultural research and product development strategies
Communicate research outcomes through publications, presentations, and internal reports to contribute to scientific knowledge and guide strategic decision making
Demonstrate creativity in problem solving by applying advanced analytics and technologies to address complex plant health challenges
Support and role-model Bayer’s standards for health, safety, compliance, and responsible business conduct.