Senior Scientist

Syngenta Group•Durham, NC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This role drives the discovery, development, and delivery of innovative biotech traits that provide disease resistance. It involves hands-on experimentation and close collaboration with experts and cross-functional teams within and outside Syngenta. The position establishes and optimizes high-throughput bioassays for multiple pathogens, including plant-parasitic nematodes, in laboratory and greenhouse environments. Working across Seeds and Crop Protection, the Senior Scientist integrates pathology insights into the product development pipeline to help ensure traits and products are durable, broad-spectrum, and effective. The role investigates host-pathogen interactions and translates scientific discoveries into research and development strategies, advancing durable disease-control solutions from early-stage research toward practical applications for farmers.

Requirements

Ph.D. or equivalent in plant pathology, nematology, genetics, genomics, or a related field.
At least 4 years of professional experience working to improve crop resistance against plant-parasitic nematodes.
Excellent knowledge of molecular immunity and crop genetics.
Strong scientific acumen, self-motivation, and commitment to continuous improvement.
Strong sense of ownership in a team environment.
Expertise in plant pathology and nematology demonstrated through peer-reviewed journals.
Solid hands-on experience working with diverse pathogens, including plant-parasitic nematodes.
Disciplined and rigorous approach to hypothesis-driven research, process improvement, and change management.
Innovative and critical mindset, with knowledge and skills to improve and challenge established ways of working.

Nice To Haves

At least 4 years of hands-on experience applying general and modern pathology skills to dissect genetic resistance or tolerance in crops.
Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems through innovative pathology approaches.
Advanced expertise in the principles and activities involved in genetic and biochemical experimental setup.
At least 5 years of laboratory work experience.
Experience working daily with plant nematodes, including expertise in large-scale nematode production, infection, rating, and reporting.
Proficiency in standard software and familiarity with databases.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a member of a dynamic, multidisciplinary team.
Flexibility to work on different assignments as needed.
Ability to implement and communicate results effectively and conduct plant studies independently or as part of a team.

Responsibilities

Design and implement experiments to evaluate lead performance against key diseases, including soybean cyst nematode, covering inoculum collection and culture, inoculation, and disease susceptibility, tolerance, and resistance ratings in laboratory and greenhouse environments.
Innovate in trait discovery and design to address business-critical disease targets.
Develop correlations between disease susceptibility, tolerance, and resistance ratings in different environments as required by projects.
Create and test hypotheses and make recommendations as a crop pathology expert.
Serve as a focal point for creating, internalizing, and implementing plant pathology techniques and knowledge that enable the organization to meet growers' needs.
Identify, communicate, and encourage examples of best practices from internal and external sources.