Technical Lead - Crop Science

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As a senior technical leader, you are a recognized technical leader in areas of critical importance to organization. You set the technical vision and strategy in your area of expertise and communicate it at the most senior levels for organizational alignment and action.

Specifically in this role you will be the Technical Lead for the Cocoa Crop Science agenda, where you will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of innovative and sustainable farming practices using molecular biology and genomic tools for marker-assisted breeding of cocoa to improve yield, quality, and resistance to diseases.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement research projects focused on the application of molecular biology and genomic tools for marker-assisted breeding of cocoa, including but not limited to genetic mapping, QTL analysis, marker-assisted selection, and genomic selection.
• Lead the development of new and improved cocoa varieties that are resilient to climate change, diseases, and pests, and that meet the quality and yield expectations of our customers.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to conduct research and development projects aimed at improving cocoa productivity, quality, and sustainability using marker-assisted breeding.
• Analyze data and prepare reports to communicate research findings to internal and external stakeholders, including senior management, customers, and the scientific community.
• Represent the company at industry conferences and events and engage in collaborative research and development activities with other organizations.
• Stay up to date with the latest research, trends, and developments in marker-assisted breeding and related fields and help apply this knowledge to improve our farming practices and products.

How you will contribute

You will use your considerable technical knowledge and expertise to identify, develop and create new business opportunities and to identify, define and solve complex business problems. As a leader on complex projects and/or scientific activities, you will organize, execute, and interpret assignments to yield outstanding results and impact business goals, and form multidisciplinary project teams to solve complex technical problems or to explore the use of technology to meet business goals. As a technical leader in your field, you will maintain your knowledge of developments inside and outside the company that are pertinent to the job through continuous education and training and take new research ideas and findings and communicate and “sell” them to the organization for growth, quality or margin improvement. As a technical leader, you will mentor and guide the work of junior team members and ensure the technical execution and quality of their work, and sponsor and champion external and internal research and fundamental knowledge building to influence future business development strategies.

What you will bring

A desire to drive your future and accelerate your career and the following experience and knowledge:

• Technical and courageous leadership
• Ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness through discovery of highly advanced technologies to deliver transformative, integrated technologies for a competitive advantage
• Exceptional communication and influencing
• Ph.D. degree in molecular biology, genetics, plant breeding, or a related field.
• Significant experience in crop cultivation research and development, including experience in marker-assisted breeding, genetic mapping, QTL analysis, marker-assisted selection, and genomic selection.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience in statistical analysis, data management, and experimental design.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex scientific information to a range of audiences.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to lead research projects from conception to completion, within budget and timeline constraints.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with a collaborative and solution-oriented approach.
• Willingness to travel internationally to work with farmers, agronomists, and research partners in cocoa-producing countries.

Reading Scientific Services, Ltd. (RSSL) is a cutting-edge contract research organization (CRO), providing research, analysis and consultancy to the food and pharmaceutical sectors. Whether we are creating new products, validating medicines or solving investigations, we take pride in being a leader in our field, serving clients from across 60 countries.

We were recognized in 2019 as an Enlightened Employer, Women in Business and Thames Valley Tech finalists and in 2018, one of our family members earned the Food & Drink Federation’s Scientist of the Year. Enriched by our parent company, Mondelēz International, our diverse team of 300 includes 23 nationalities, creating a family feel as we strive toward our mission of “Science Enhancing Lives.”

Mondelēz International is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.