Research Scientist

About the role

Lead the development, optimization, and execution of fungal disease resistance assays in whole-plant, controlled-environment, greenhouse, field, and/or transient systems to support discovery and advancement of disease resistance traits in corn, soybean and other crops.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a scientific lead for mycology-focused plant pathology research, including fungal pathogen biology, host-pathogen interactions, assay development, and assay interpretation.
• Develop, validate, and improve robust fungal disease assays that reliably translate to field performance and accelerate resistance gene discovery and trait advancement.
• Design and conduct experiments, analyze and interpret disease phenotyping data, and clearly communicate results, recommendations, and risks to project teams and leadership.
• Maintain awareness of emerging fungal disease threats, advances in mycology, pathogen population biology, disease resistance mechanisms, and modern phenotyping technologies.

Requirements

• PhD in Plant Pathology, Mycology, Plant-Microbe Interactions, or a closely related discipline with relevant research experience in fungal plant diseases. Candidates with an MS with specifically relevant knowledge and experience may be considered.
• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of plant pathology, with demonstrated expertise in mycology and fungal plant pathogen biology.
• Experience developing, optimizing, and executing fungal disease bioassays in controlled-environment, greenhouse, laboratory, and/or field settings.
• Hands-on experience with fungal pathogen culture, inoculum preparation, inoculation methods, disease scoring, pathogen maintenance, and experimental troubleshooting.
• Ability to connect fungal biology, host resistance, genetics, and phenotyping data to support disease resistance discovery and product-oriented research decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written).
• Self-motivated, organized researcher, who enjoys working in project teams, delivering project milestones, and supporting company objectives.
• Strong record of delivering superior results.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience with economically important fungal diseases of corn and/or soybean, especially Fusarium-associated diseases.
• Working knowledge of plant genetics, molecular biology, host-pathogen interactions, resistance and mechanisms.
• Experience with controlled-environment plant care, experimental design, data analysis, and clear technical communication in cross-functional research teams.
• Computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Copilot, imaging & image processing, knowledge in statistics and relevant programming languages).

Please note there is no visa sponsorship available for this role.

Benefits

• Numerous development opportunities offered to build your skills.
• Health benefits for you and your family on your first day of employment.
• Four weeks of paid time off and two weeks of well-being pay per year, plus paid holidays.
• Excellent parental leave which includes a minimum of 16 weeks for mother and father.
• Future planning with our competitive retirement savings plan and tuition reimbursement program.