QC Associate Scientist, Seed Health en 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. 

Purpose

• Provide leadership for HSE compliance and continuous improvement for all QC testing activities.
• Serve as the link between method development and routine operational QC labs to validate and implement new protocols and method improvements.
• Provide data analysis and reports of laboratory and testing activities to support new test implementation and improvements and provide peer review of new and existing protocols.
• Maintain expertise in the testing processes to ensure that it is conducted in accordance with the Syngenta protocols and the accrediting body for lab tests.
• Validate and monitor third party lab testing locations and ensure compliance and performance of methods and results.
• Provide technical support and analysis in making quality decisions related to inventory disposition that is compliance with Syngenta’s risk management policies, standards, and KPIs. 
• Support staff training programs to support staff cross training across lab methods and ensure HSE compliance within each process and collaborate with regional counterparts to maintain global harmonization of methods.
• Conduct the testing on seeds in the laboratory to meet demand levels and ensure optimum capacity is met.
• Support complaint and claims investigations as determined by method demands for samples. 
• Communicate sample test results and maintain accurate records.
• Participate in comparative testing activities as part of Syngenta, and accreditating organization activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Accountabilities

• Responsible for upscaling and embedding new methods in the hand-off from QC Development into QC Operations labs
• Coordinate with other regional QC Associate Scientists to share best practices and ensure method harmozation across the globe.
• Ensure routine protocol performance and results reliability with method monitoring and troubleshooting and partner with QC Development when support is required.
• Manage third party lab performance, validation and monitoring of third party lab methods and results.
• Develop and maintain technical expertise in testing methods and techniques and the associated routine processes in the lab by participating in the workflow and conducting the test methods as appropriate.
• Communicate sample test results and maintain accurate records.
• Provides training and technical advice to other lab personnel.
• Develop a network of contacts beyond own team, including stakeholders, relevant scientists, research institutes, universities, expert groups
• Analyze complex data and prepare detailed reports and presentations and ensure follow up
• Represents QC Operations department on project teams or may lead projects within function with support.
• Continuously improve operational processes. Engage in cross-regional networks to identify best practices and drive continuous improvements across the Syngenta QC labs.
• Ensures full compliance on HSE, quality and security standards. Secure a safe and healthy work environment and process execution at all places according to ARBO and HSE standards
• Provide inputs with achievements, deliverables, quality issues etc. for monthly reporting to the manager
• Translate agreed project targets into appropriate experimental work programmes with minimal supervisory inputs across both QC Development and QC Operations.
• Develop, deliver and document local protocols based on the globally harmonized protocols provided by QC Development.
• Deliver high level scientific reports in English
• Participate in collaborative work programmes with Quality Assurance, QC Operations and QC Development ensuring that own work contributions are delivered to agreed timelines and to agreed quality.
• Proactively seek and share knowledge and ensure that know-how in this domain is captured effectively for use by the broader organisation.
• Other duties as assigned

Experience required for the job:

• Understands Syngenta values and policies, in particular HSE.
• Has a network of contacts, beyond own team, to develop the jobholder's technical expertise.
• Has demonstrated passion and energy for their projects and the ability to innovate, identify gaps, seek solutions and constructively challenge current working practices.
• Able to use personal judgement to confidently make timely decisions with the available data and make recommendations on the next steps, as necessary judging whether further expert inputs are required.
• Is able to communicate technical facts, ideas and opinions to a general, technical audience in an assertive way and influence others using rational persuasion.

Minimum education and critical knowledge required for the job

•  MSc in biology, molecular biology/plant pathology with 7-8 years of relevant experience.