Head of Applied Data Science EAME (M/W)

Company Description

Syngenta Seeds is one of the world’s largest developers and producers of seed for farmers, commercial growers, retailers, and small seed companies. Syngenta seeds improve the quality and yields of crops. High-quality seeds ensure better and more productive crops, which is why farmers invest in them. Advanced seeds help mitigate risks such as disease and drought and allow farmers to grow food using less land, less water, and fewer inputs.

Syngenta Seeds brings farmers more vigorous, stronger, resistant plants, including innovative hybrid varieties and biotech crops that can thrive even in challenging growing conditions.

Syngenta Seeds is headquartered in the United States.

Job Description

Role purpose

As the leader of the EAME Seeds Development Applied Data Science team, reporting into the Head of EAME Field Crops Seeds Development you’ll be in a pivotal role shaping the future of our data strategy. Your mission is to spearhead data-driven innovation, overseeing the management of crucial data, deploying cutting-edge data analytics, and establishing robust operations research capabilities. Your efforts will be instrumental in enhancing decision-making processes for our Seeds Development initiatives, spanning corn, sunflower, cereals, and WOSR (winter oilseed rape) businesses, ultimately shaping the future of agriculture.

The position is offered on a permanent contract, based in France/Saint Sauveur (31), or Germany/Bad Salzuflen, or Hungary/Mezotur or Budapest.

Some level of business travel required (mostly EAME, workshop, meeting, visits…).

Starting date: as soon as possible.

Accountabilities

Data Science Leadership & business acumen: Oversee overall data science and analytics strategy in EAME Field Crops Seeds Development and ensure seamless support for all functions, aligning their efforts to deliver business value-driven outcomes.

Innovation Catalyst: Drive innovative strategies and foster a transformative mindset, inspiring a culture shift that unlocks the full potential of data and analytics. Propel the organization to achieve the objectives required to deliver the EAME field crop seed pipelines and agronomy solutions of the future.

Multi-disciplinary Team Leadership: Lead a dynamic team of genomic, phenotypic, and operations research data science engineers, to harness the power of data and technology to empower data-driven decision-making. Set evaluation priorities, role modelling of Syngenta values, with a focus on people development.

End to End Solution Deployment: Identify challenges, facilitate ideation, define requirements, develop models, and iteratively deploy products/tools through MVP (minimum viable product) delivery.  Successfully implement data driven solutions encompassing descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics for corn, oilseeds, and cereal crops in EAME.

Global Collaboration: Work alongside Global teams, to bridge regional needs with the development of analytics-driven workflows. Ensure the organization scales up improved data-driven decision making following global best practices in data science.

Cross-functional Alignment: Maintain strong interaction and collaboration with global analytics & data science, IT, and portfolio teams. Ensure transparency, alignment and implementation of new enterprise technologies and analytical methodologies. Providing clear mitigation strategies and transparency when alignment falters. Facilitate planning of resources and capability-building for effective Data Science and analytic activities across the region.

Change Leadership: Effect change and integration across the applied data science team, creating a unified force that supports all EAME Seeds Development Operations. Be the driving force behind a harmonized approach to data-driven decision support.

Qualifications

PhD in Agronomy, Plant Breeding, Quantitative Genetics, Crop Science, Data Science, Computer Science, or relevant field, with more than 10 years’ experience in a global research and development environment and minimum of 5 years’ experience working in data science and analytics space.

Experience working successfully in international and multidisciplinary project team environment.

Track record of managing teams and developing talent leads individuals through complex situations. Proven leadership skills and ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to effectively achieve business results.

Strong analytical mindset and Agile project management implementation, including planning, budget management and operational excellence.

Demonstrated abilities to develop project plans, analyze and interpret data. Ability to perform successfully in a fast-paced, dynamic, team-based environment. Manages multiple projects and priorities from different stakeholders, across disciplines and cultures and across geographies.

Strong capabilities to communicate with technical and non-technical audiences and work effectively with all management levels in a multi-cultural organization.

Practical experience in leading data science operations; good knowledge of plant breeding and/or agronomy data and processes is a plus.

Professional English required to work in our multicultural organization (meetings, emails, documents).

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.

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