Nursery Operations Site Manager at Syngenta Group

Syngenta Seeds is one of the world’s largest developers and producers of seed for farmers, commercial growers, retailers and small seed companies. Syngenta seeds improve the quality and yields of crops. High-quality seeds ensure better and more productive crops, which is why farmers invest in them. Advanced seeds help mitigate risks such as disease and drought and allow farmers to grow food using less land, less water and fewer inputs. 

Syngenta Seeds brings farmers more vigorous, stronger, resistant plants, including innovative hybrid varieties and biotech crops that can thrive even in challenging growing conditions.  

Syngenta Seeds is headquartered in the United States.

The Puerto Rico Operations Manager provides comprehensive leadership and strategic oversight of all seed development and production operations in Puerto Rico, encompassing nursery operations, farming systems, seed logistics, and regulatory compliance. This role drives integrated operational excellence across breeding nurseries, field production, seed processing, and distribution while ensuring the highest quality standards, regulatory compliance, and sustainable practices to support corn and soybean seed development for North American markets.

Accountabilities: 

• Lead and direct the Regulatory and Risk Manager, Seed Logistics Manager, Farming Systems Manager, and Nursery Design Manager to achieve end-to-end operational excellence across all Puerto Rico seed development and production activities to deliver high-quality while meeting timelines
• Establish strategic direction and operational priorities for the Puerto Rico site, ensuring alignment with North America Seeds Development objectives and business goals through coordinated planning with all direct reports
• Provide leadership development and strategic guidance to all direct reports while ensuring technical training delivery across operational areas on regulatory, quality, safety, and operational procedures through appropriate team managers
• Drive cross-functional collaboration and integration across all managed teams to optimize workflow efficiency, eliminate operational silos, and ensure seamless execution from breeding through customer delivery
• Develop, manage, and monitor the overall Puerto Rico site budget, including capital expenditures, operational costs, and resource investments across all functional areas while ensuring cost optimization and financial accountability through collaboration with all direct reports
• Monitor overall site performance metrics and KPIs, identifying improvement opportunities and implementing corrective actions through appropriate team managers to achieve operational targets
• Represent the Puerto Rico operations in senior leadership meetings, providing strategic input on operational capabilities, resource needs, and business development opportunities
• Lead organizational change management initiatives across the site, ensuring effective communication, stakeholder buy-in, and successful implementation of new processes or technologies
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with key external stakeholders including government agencies, industry partners, and service providers to support operational objectives
• Oversee talent management and succession planning for all direct reports and key personnel, ensuring leadership development and organizational capability building
• Ensure site-wide compliance with corporate policies, safety standards, and operational procedures while maintaining accountability for overall risk management across all functional areas
• Coordinate with other regional operations and corporate functions to share best practices, standardize processes, and leverage organizational synergies for operational improvement
• Lead crisis management and business continuity planning for the site, ensuring coordinated response capabilities across all operational functions during emergencies or disruptions

Required:

• The role requires a bachelor's degree in agronomy, plant science, or related field, with 5-8 years of experience in agricultural operations, preferably in seed production or plant breeding environments.

Desired:

• Strong leadership capabilities in overseeing, motivating, and developing employees while effectively resolving conflicts, delegating responsibilities, and fostering collaborative relationships across nursery teams and other site functions.
• Excellent collaboration abilities when working with diverse teams, including breeders, regulatory bodies, HSE teams, and quality assurance groups, to achieve organizational objectives and maintain operational excellence across multiple site locations.
• Requires advanced project management capabilities to handle complex, overlapping activities with tight timelines while ensuring adherence to multiple operational, regulatory, and compliance protocols simultaneously.
• Strong analytical skills to leverage metrics, KPIs, and analytics for monitoring performance, identifying operational trends, and making informed strategic decisions that translate insights into actionable improvements and system optimizations

What We Offer:

• A culture that celebrates diversity & inclusion, promotes professional development, and strives for a work-life balance that supports the team members. Offers flexible work options to support your work and personal needs.
• Full Benefit Package (Medical, Dental & Vision) that starts your first day.
• 401k plan with company match, Profit Sharing & Retirement Savings Contribution.
• Paid Vacation, Paid Holidays, Maternity and Paternity Leave, Education Assistance, Wellness Programs, Corporate Discounts, among other benefits.

Syngenta has been ranked as a top employer by Science Journal. Learn more about our team and our mission here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVCN_51GbNI

Syngenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

WL: 5A

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