Research Associate 2

Job Description

At Syngenta, our goal is to build the most collaborative and trustworthy team in agriculture, providing top-quality seeds and innovative crop protection solutions that improve farmers' success. To support this mission, Syngenta’s Operations & Trialing Team is seeking a Research Associate 2 in Highland, IL. This role will support the Trialing Manager in executing research-level yield trials on time, with high precision and accuracy, in a safe and compliant manner, in order to generate the highest quality data to allow identification of superior-performing products in corn, soybean, and wheat.

Accountabilities:

• Function as an integral member of a team responsible for planting, plot maintenance, spraying, note taking (phenotyping), and harvesting research-level yield trial plots.
• Operate and maintain agricultural machinery and/or agricultural research equipment, such as precision planters, drones, automated phenotyping equipment, and research combines.
• Perform all tasks and behave in a manner compliant with, and in support of, all safety- and stewardship-related company policies and practices, such as completing all required company training courses.
• Explain and supervise tasks completed by both full-time and third-party contract labor in order to achieve the Trialing Manager’s desired results, e.g., assisting the team with field layout, planting, phenotyping, and harvest.
• Effectively and regularly communicate with peers and supervisors regarding the status of projects, status of work-related activities, and quality and timeliness of data collected.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in an agriculture-related discipline, or Associate’s degree with relevant years of experience. Degreed candidates with relevant operational training or experience outside of agriculture will also be considered.
• A valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving history.
• Ability to acquire and maintain a federal medical card to operate commercial motor vehicles.
• A good understanding of agriculture and agronomy practices.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality, with an understanding of practices that impact trial data precision and accuracy.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision while traveling to off-site locations to plant, spray, maintain, and harvest research-level corn, soybean, and wheat trials.
• Strong communication and organizational skills, with proven ability to work as part of a team.
• Ability to use MS Office (especially Word and Excel), Smartsheets, and proprietary systems for data collection, inventory management, and KPI tracking.
• Pesticide Applicator’s License, or ability to acquire.

Desired:

• Experience with precision agriculture equipment and software systems.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Class A CDL.
• Knowledge of, or experience operating, precision planting equipment.
• Knowledge of, or experience operating, commercial or research combines.
• Knowledge of best practices in agronomic management.
• History of driving continuous improvement and innovation.
• Motivation to learn, champion, and ensure implementation of new technologies.
• Ability to identify issues and patterns from partial or conflicting data.
• Experience leading self and others.

Additional Information

Salary for this position ranges between $55,000  - $72,000 annually.

What We Offer: 

• A culture that celebrates belonging and collaboration, 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: 2A

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