Senior Research Associate, Plant Traits

- Working closely with senior scientists, implement and optimize plant-based bioassays to generate high-quality data supporting RNA-driven trait discovery and product development across corn, soybean, and tomato - Design and execute efficacy studies evaluating biotic stress traits, including microbial (bacterial and fungal), viral, and insect challenges under lab and greenhouse conditions - Develop and validate screening workflows for abiotic stress traits, including drought, heat, salinity, and nutrient stress responses - Collaboratively establish SOPs and continuously improve assay robustness, reproducibility, and throughput - Lead and conduct proper rearing and maintenance of insect colonies, when applicable to trait programs - Collect, analyze, and interpret phenotypic and molecular data to inform experimental iteration and decision-making - Interface with project leads across functions (delivery, molecular biology, computational biology, regulatory) to communicate status, troubleshoot challenges, and clarify priorities - Present scientific findings in project team meetings and contribute to internal technical reviews - Write protocols, reports, and document results in laboratory notebooks in accordance with company standards - Develop scientific and technical expertise through familiarity with current literature in plant pathology, entomology, abiotic stress biology, and trait development REQUIREMENTS: Education: U.S. Masters degree, or foreign equivalent, in Plant Pathology, Plant Biology, Entomology, Crop Science, or related field Experience: Four years of experience as a Research Associate or similar agricultural or crop science-oriented role. Experience must include at least three years with each of the following: - Developing and executing plant bioassays for economically important crops - Biotic stress assays and/or abiotic stress phenotyping - Greenhouse-based experimentation in corn, soybean, tomato, or other relevant crops - Field work and field-scale phenotyping - Excel, Prism, and/or R with for statistics and data visualization At least two years with: - Aseptic technique, including microbial culture maintenance and on-plant disease assays - Protocol development that adheres to USDA/EPA guidelines At least one year with: - Working with RNA molecules or nucleic acid-based technologies in plants - High-throughput, non-destructive plant phenotyping platforms - Identifying and establishing QC checkpoints for trait screening pipelines Send resume to . com with subject TERR-1347