Job Description

Syngenta Group, a global leader in agricultural technology and innovation, employs 60,000 people across more than 100 countries to transform agriculture through tailor-made solutions for farmers, society, and our planet. Our diverse portfolio encompasses seeds, crop protection, nutrition products, agronomic solutions, and digital services, all designed to help farmers produce healthy food, feed, fiber, and fuel while conserving natural resources and protecting the environment. Our mission is to address critical challenges such as climate change and food security through sustainable practices and cutting-edge solutions, while safeguarding the planet's resources.

Syngenta Seeds, a leading developer and producer of Field Crops, -Vegetable, - and Flower Seeds, is part of Syngenta Group. We bring farmers more vigorous, stronger, resistant plants, including innovative hybrid varieties and biotech crops.

At Syngenta, we are committed to helping farmers grow healthier, more resilient crops through world-class seeds, crop protection solutions, and scientific innovation. To support this mission, our Trait Assessment team is looking for a Trait Assessment Scientist to join our site in El Ejido, Almería

In this role, you will contribute to the development and delivery of robust disease resistance evaluations for vegetable crops. You will design, validate, and improve phenotyping protocols, generate high quality data, and help translate plant pathology insights into decisions that support variety development and trait prioritization.

This opportunity could suit either an experienced plant pathology professional or a recently completed PhD with strong expertise in phytopathology in vegetable crops

What you will do

Disease resistance evaluation and protocol development:

• Design, develop, and validate phenotyping protocols to evaluate disease resistance across crops varieties.
• Optimize screening methods to ensure reliable, reproducible, and scientifically robust assesments.
• Support the creation and improvement of standards, work instructions, and quality procedures for Trait Assessment activities.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of disease evaluation platforms, scoring methods, and assessment tools.

Plant pathology, scouting, and epidemiological monitoring:

• Monitor crop diseases and pathogen dynamics in field, greenhouse, laboratory, or controlled-environment conditions.
• Conduct disease scouting and assess disease severity using appropriate scales and methodologies.
• Provide data-driven insights to support trait prioritization and adapt evaluation protocols to emerging disease threats.
• Collaborate with internal teams to understand current and future plant health challenges in vegetable crops.

Molecular, digital, and data-driven approaches:

• Apply or support molecular diagnostic tools such as PCR, qPCR, sequencing, or related methods where relevant.
• Use statistical and data analysis approaches to interpret phenotypic and pathology data.
• Contribute to the integration of digital phenotyping tools, disease scoring systems, and data visualization methods.
• Translate scientific findings into clear reports and recommendations for technical and business stakeholders.

Operational coordination and collaboration:

• Plan and coordinate experimental activities across multiple projects or trials.
• Work closely with technicians, interns, seasonal workers, breeders, pathologists, and global Trait Assessment colleagues.
• Ensure activities are carried out in line with biosafety, HSE, quality, and stewardship requirements.
• Support the maintenance and improvement of Trait Assessment equipment, facilities, and operational processes.

Innovation and scientific networking:

• Identify opportunities to improve disease resistance screening methods and pathogen detection approaches.
• Stay connected to external scientific developments, academic research, and emerging technologies in plant pathology.
• Share expertise across teams and contribute to a collaborative, learning-oriented environment.

Qualifications

What you will bring

Education and experience

You will bring one of the following profiles:

• Experienced profile: Master’s or PhD in Plant Pathology, Phytopathology, Plant Science, Agronomy, Entomology, or a related discipline, with strong hands-on experience in plant pathology, ideally in vegetable or horticultural crops.
• Recent PhD profile: Recently completed PhD focused on phytopathology, plant–pathogen interactions, crop disease management, epidemiology, resistance screening, or disease resistance in vegetable crops.

You should also have experience with:

• Designing, conducting, and interpreting pathology trials or experiments.
• Working with plant pathogens, crop diseases, disease resistance traits, or phenotyping platforms.
• Managing several trials, experiments, or research activities in parallel.
• Producing high-quality data and communicating scientific findings clearly.

Technical knowledge

Strong knowledge of:

• Plant pathology / phytopathology, preferably in vegetable crops
• Disease assessment, symptom scoring, inoculation methods, resistance screening, or trait evaluation.
• Experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation of trial results.

Valuable additional experience includes:

• Molecular biology techniques such as PCR, qPCR, sequencing, or pathogen diagnostics.
• Bioinformatics, statistical modelling, or data visualization.
• Digital phenotyping tools or image-based disease assessment.
• Plant breeding, molecular markers, resistance traits, or variety development.
• Biosafety protocols, regulated materials, or phytosanitary procedures.

Additional Information

Why join us

You will join a global agricultural innovation company where science, technology, and field expertise come together to solve real crop challenges. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work with advanced phenotyping infrastructure, contribute to disease resistance innovation in vegetable crops, and collaborate with experts across breeding, pathology, data science, and trait assessment.

What We Offer

• Work-life balance: we offer flexible working hours to support a healthy balance between personal and professional life.
• Remote work: we have a remote work policy applicable when the nature of the role allows.
• Trust: we believe that freedom, trust, and responsibility are the foundation for our teams to grow and reach their full potential.
• Competitive compensation: a comprehensive package including fixed salary, bonus, pension plan, life insurance, and a wide range of flexible benefits to choose from (Meal Vouchers, WellHub, among others).
• Professional development: opportunities for growth and career advancement.
• Continuous learning: training programs with access to platforms such as Degreed, LinkedIn Learning, and language courses.

Please note that the recruitment process will begin in mid to late August. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

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.

Use of AI in Our Recruitment Process

At Syngenta, we use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen applications for high-volume roles.

When you submit an application, AI technology assesses your profile against the job requirements and generates a matching score. This score reflects how closely your qualifications, skills, and experience align with the role's criteria as defined in the job description.

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