Sr. Research Manager: Gene Editing & Cell Biology

Talent Acquisition Team; Al Ain; On-site; AED 1,396,000 - 1,910,000; Full time

Job summary

ARC-Gen, a joint venture by SILAL and Limagrain Vegetable Seeds, seeks a Senior Research Manager to lead gene editing and cell biology initiatives. You will strategize, oversee teams, and drive a pipeline to enhance abiotic stress resilience in tomato and cucumber under arid conditions.

You will manage budgets, licenses, and governance while promoting collaboration across global ARC-GEN domains and external partners.

Qualifications

• PhD in Biological Sciences or related field.
• Fluent in English.

Responsibilities

• Oversee GE and Cell Biology Discovery portfolio and ensure timely delivery per ARC-GEN governance.
• Develop guidelines, processes, and KPIs to monitor progress and report transparently to ARC-GEN management.
• Ensure scientific rigor through continuous monitoring and adoption of cutting‑edge methodologies in GE and Cell Biology.
• Drive cross‑domain collaboration within Gene Editing labs and across global ARC-GEN.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with public and private organizations.
• Guarantee compliance with legal, safety, regulatory and sustainability standards across all activities.
• Manage team budgets and resource allocation in alignment with ARC-GEN management.
• Lead and mentor a team of Genome Editing and Cell Biology scientists, setting objectives and conducting reviews.

Skills

Genome Editing

Cell Biology

Molecular Biology

Leadership

Budget Management

Project Management

Cross‑Cultural Leadership

Education

PhD in Biological Sciences

Fluent in English

Tools

CRISPR toolbox

Job description

Job Details

Job Title: Senior Research Manager - Gene Editing & Cell Biology

Sector: Innovation Oasis

Department: Science and Research

Section: Plant genetics

Reporting Lines

Direct Reports To

Director of Science and Research

Direct Reports From

Sr. Scientist: Functional Genomics & Genome Editing,

Principle Scientist: Cell Biology & Genome editing and Technician- Gene Editing, Facilities Technician

Job Purpose

The Center of Excellence for Abiotic Resilience and Crop Genomics (ARC-Gen) is a partnership between Silal, the UAE’s leading agri-food and technology company, and Limagrain Vegetable Seeds (LVS), the world leader in Vegetable Seeds. This partnership is aiming to develop a world class research facility in UAE with state-of-the-art capabilities in plant physiology and gene editing, with the ultimate goal of enhancing crops’ ability to withstand extreme conditions such as heat, drought, and salinity.

As experienced scientific leader/manager you will drive innovation and excellence in Cell Biology and Gene Editing (GE). This role combines strategic leadership, team management, and scientific oversight to accelerate the development of a competitive GE pipeline for gene identification and editing to improve the abiotic stress resilience in plants in arid and desert-like growing conditions.

You will be responsible for ensuring the effective implementation and supervision of infrastructure, specialized equipment, technical and technological expertise, the CRISPR toolbox, technology licenses, and the regulatory and stewardship framework. The ultimate objective is to establish a successful Gene editing Research Unit at SILAL, with a strong emphasis on enhancing abiotic stress resilience in tomato and cucumber species.

Your work will contribute directly to global priorities such as food security, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience.

Key Responsibilities

Functional

Scientific & Operational Excellence

• Oversee the GE and Cell Biology Discovery project portfolio and ensure timely delivery aligned with SILAL (ARC-GEN) governance and strategic roadmap.
• Develop and implement guidelines, processes, and KPIs to monitor progress, report efficiently, and provide transparency to SILAL (ARC-GEN) research management.
• Ensure scientific rigor through continuous monitoring, technology scouting, and adoption of cutting‑edge methodologies in GE and Cell Biology.
• Drive cross‑domain collaboration within Gene Editing labs and across global SILAL (ARC-GEN).

External Collaboration & Resource Management

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with public and private organizations.

Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Guarantee compliance with legal, safety, regulatory and sustainability standards across all activities.
• Promote continuous improvement of protocols, processes, and cost‑effectiveness.

Financial Management

• Manage team budgets and resource allocation in alignment with ARC-GEN management team.
• Contribute to CAPEX, OPEX, and PERC planning for domain activities.

People Management

• Lead and mentor a team of Genome Editing and Cell Biology scientists, ensuring onboarding, goal setting and performance reviews.
• Translate the SILAL (ARC-GEN) strategy into actionable objectives and plans for your team, with an initial focus on setting up the GE pipeline.
• Promote cross-functional collaboration and develop an innovative work environment.

Stakeholder Management

Key Internal Stakeholders

• All Sectors, Departments and Offices
• Any other concerned internal stakeholders as required

Key External Stakeholders

• Concerned government, semi-government and private sector entities
• Any other concerned external stakeholders as required.

Required Qualification

Academic Qualifications

• PhD in Biological Sciences (Genomics, cell biology, molecular biology, or related fields).
• Fluent in English

Professional Experience

• Professional Experience of a minimum of 15+ Years.
• 5+ years in people management within an international/cross-cultural environment.
• Deep knowledge in Genome Editing, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or related domains.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize and present complex scientific results.
• Proven ability to lead and develop scientific teams, manage budgets, and drive strategic initiatives.
• Skilled in project management and resource optimization.
• Ability to introduce new ideas and lead changes effectively.

Competencies

Technical Competencies

• GE Pipeline Strategy: Translating the ARC-Gen vision into a competitive, end-to-end gene editing roadmap for tomato and cucumber. – Expert
• Innovation & Tech Scouting: Proactively identifying and adopting emerging CRISPR tools and cell biology technologies to maintain a global edge. – Expert
• Genome Editing Architecture: Overseeing the implementation of the "CRISPR toolbox," including complex gene identification and advanced editing strategies. -- Expert
• Infrastructure & Lab Operations: Designing and supervising the setup of high-tech GE labs, specialized equipment, and tissue culture facilities. – Expert
• Regulatory & Stewardship Oversight: Establishing the framework for biosafety compliance, technology licensing, and stewardship of genome‑edited products... – Expert
• Financial & Resource Optimization: Managing multi-year CAPEX/OPEX budgets and resource allocation to ensure R&D cost-effectiveness. – Expert
• Intellectual Property & Licensing: Navigating technology licenses and building strategic public‑private partnerships to fuel research growth. – Expert
• Scientific Leadership & Mentorship: Recruiting and developing a high‑performance team of scientists while setting clear performance KPIs. – Expert
• Cross‑Functional Synergy: Driving collaboration across global ARC-Gen domains to ensure the GE unit integrates seamlessly with breeding and physiology. – Expert