Research Associate, Agriculture ​/ Farming, Research Scientist

Position: Research Associate 2
Company Description

About Syngenta

At Syngenta Seeds Field Crops, we're shaping the future of agriculture and empowering farmers to meet the ever-growing demand for food and fuel. We're a global Ag Tech powerhouse, headquartered in the United States, with passionate, local experts collaborating with farmers to deliver solutions that create market opportunities. We unite precision breeding, advanced biotechnology trait choice, and digital platforms for unmatched in-field performance.

Our seeds help mitigate risks such as disease, insect, weed, and extreme weather pressures, all while promoting sustainable farming practices that protect and enhance our planet. Join our mission of revolutionizing food security and transforming agriculture.

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…