Senior Manager, Plant Transformation Pipeline

ABOUT THE ROLE.... 

We are looking for a dynamic and self-motivated Sr Manager, Plant Transformation Pipeline to join our fast-growing and collaborative Product Development team.  As a Plant Transformation Pipeline Manager at Inari in our Plant Transformation team, you will be responsible for enabling a robust soybean, wheat and maize transformation product pipeline.   You will be asked to manage people and resources in order to execute the best strategies to achieve our goals.     You will be asked for technical guidance and input on transformation experiments to increase the capacity and throughput of our transformation pipeline.   You will also assist team members on transformation projects in the lab as needed.   This role requires a unique blend of scientific expertise in plant biology and genetic engineering, project management skills, and the ability to drive innovation and efficiency within our R&D efforts. This manager position will be located at our transformation lab facility in West Lafayette, Indiana.    

AS A SENIOR MANAGER, PLANT TRANSFORMATION PIPELINE YOU WILL… 

• Provide leadership to the Transformation team including the development of employees to create and sustain a high performing team 
• Define transformation workplans and resource allocation to manage a high-throughput transformation pipeline and ensure organizational goals and deliverables are met. 
• Drive prioritization of transformation efforts based on alignment with R&D, Product and Commercial teams while taking into consideration impact, feasibility and resource allocation. 
• Lead and empower innovative initiatives to increase the capacity and scalability of the transformation pipeline 
• Develop and report KPIs relevant to the transformation pipeline and use metrics to drive continuous improvement 
• Work closely with transformation project leads and reps to define, track and report on deliverables/milestones and ensure work is progressing according to plan. 
• Work with Scientists and Research Associates to enable the execution of transformation projects and experiments; ensure analysis is performed and data/records are properly captured.  
• Collaborate with scientists and research associates across multiple departments in the organization to identify and mitigate risks across the transformation pipeline  
• Collaborate with scientists both internally and externally to drive the evaluation of new transformation technologies and ensure smooth and timely transfer of technologies. 
• Perform intellectual property analysis to drive the strategy enabling an efficient and high throughput transformation pipeline 
• Maintain detailed and organized records of work, project data and other information as needed. 

You Bring… 

• Master’s degree or PhD. in Plant Biology, Biotechnology, or a related field 
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a leadership role managing scientific projects, preferably in plant transformation or genetic engineering 
• Experience performing plant transformation protocols across multiple crops 
• Familiarity with intellectual property management 
• Ability to maintain a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail 
• Excellent planning, organization and execution skills 
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively as a team member 
• Show initiative, have good judgment and be willing to take on additional tasks and responsibilities as needed to achieve goals and deliverables. 
• Positive attitude and good interpersonal skills 
• Flexibility, adaptability and ability to challenge status quo in a constructive manner 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Suite (Microsoft, Work, Powerpoint), Cloud-based electronic notebook software and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) 
• Ability to work creatively and efficiently in a fast-paced environment 
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral 
• Energy, self-motivation, ownership and focused execution 
• Curiosity; desire to continuously learn and have a meaningful impact 
• A collaborative approach, open to giving and receiving ideas, perspectives, and feedback