Operation research engineer

DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation; Illinois; On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full Benefit Package

401k plan with company match

Paid Vacation & Holidays

Maternity/Paternity Leave

Education Assistance

Wellness Programs

Job summary

Syngenta is seeking an Operations Research Engineer in Malta, IL to design and deploy mathematical optimization models that improve seed research and operations. You will translate business goals into robust formulations and integrate solutions into Syngenta's digital ecosystem.

The role demands a PhD in a related field and 5+ years of applied OR experience, with strong Python skills and hands-on experience with Gurobi, SCIP, Xpress, or COPT.

Qualifications

• PhD in Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Industrial Engineering, Data Science, or related field.
• 5+ years designing, building, deploying OR/optimization in industry.
• Proficiency in Python for optimization, data processing, and automation.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and deploy LP, MIP, NLP, CP optimization models.
• Translate objectives/constraints into mathematical formulations.
• Integrate optimization into digital ecosystem and ensure data quality.

Skills

PhD in OR/Applied Math/Industrial Eng

5+ years OR/Optimization

Python for optimization

Gurobi/SCIP/Xpress/COPT

Problem framing & data translation

Education

PhD in Operations Research / related field

Tools

Gurobi

SCIP

FICO Xpress

COPT

Streamlit

Job description

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 Analytics & Data Sciences Team is seeking an Operations Research Engineer in Malta, IL. This role will drive operational efficiency and decision quality across Seeds Research & Development by designing, building, and scaling algorithmic decision-support solutions.

The role applies Operations Research and Mathematical Optimization to complex end-to-end business processes—translating business objectives and constraints into robust models, integrating them into Syngenta's digital ecosystem, and enabling measurable improvements in service, cost, speed, and resource utilization.

Accountabilities:

• Design, build, and deploy mathematical optimization models using Linear Programming (LP), Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP), Nonlinear Programming (NLP), Constraint Programming (CP), and hybrid approaches as appropriate.
• Translate business objectives, constraints, and operating policies into robust mathematical formulations with clear assumptions and acceptance criteria.
• Integrate optimization solutions into Syngenta's digital ecosystem.
• Identify, collect, cleanse, and structure data from multiple sources; define input/output specifications, data quality requirements, and data lineage for optimization models.
• Define and align business KPIs and metrics that drive optimization objectives and enable value tracking.
• Validate models through testing, back-testing, and scenario analysis; run simulations and what-if analyses to assess robustness and quantify trade-offs.
• Lead and manage projects delivering optimization solutions for strategic decisions and day-to-day operations, such as scope, timeline, risks, and stakeholder alignment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and line-of-business users to review current operational systems and processes, identify pain points, and prioritize optimization use cases.
• Communicate clearly on bottlenecks, insights, and recommendations to enable informed decisions by management and operational teams.
• Work in an agile way and adhere to engineering best practices.
• Contribute to capability building by developing technical training materials and curricula to support adoption and awareness of Operations Research solutions.
• PhD in Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Industrial Engineering, Data Science, Management Science, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of applied experience designing, building, and deploying Operations Research / Mathematical Optimization solutions in an industrial context.
• Strong understanding of Operations Research techniques with emphasis on mathematical programming.
• Proficiency in Python for optimization, data processing, and automation; ability to write production-quality, maintainable code.
• Hands-on experience with optimization solvers and modeling tools (e.g., Gurobi, SCIP, FICO Xpress, COPT) and building end-to-end optimization applications.
• Strong problem-framing and structured problem-solving skills: ability to identify complex business problems, assess fit for OR techniques, and deliver scalable decision-support solutions.
• Proven track record delivering implemented business process improvement solutions with measurable impact.
• Ability to identify, access, and translate relevant data into actionable, evidence-based decisions; ensure data quality, consistency, and traceability across sources.

Qualifications

• Experience in Manufacturing, Supply Chain, or Logistics environments.
• Knowledge of combinatorial optimization techniques.
• Familiarity with modern development practices and tooling (Git/GitHub, code reviews, testing).
• Experience using AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot).
• Experience building lightweight decision-support interfaces and visualizations (e.g., Streamlit or similar) to support user adoption.
• Ability to operate effectively in a matrix organization by building strong partnerships and influencing stakeholders at multiple levels without direct authority.
• Ability to generate strategic insights from complex analyses and communicate them clearly to drive measurable improvements in operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

Additional Information

What We Offer:

• A culture that celebrates belonging and collaboration, promotes professional development and strives for a work-life balance that supports the team members. Offers flexible work options to support your work and personal needs.
• Full Benefit Package (Medical, Dental & Vision) that starts your first day.
• 401k plan with company match, Profit Sharing & Retirement Savings Contribution.
• Paid Vacation, Paid Holidays, Maternity and Paternity Leave, Education Assistance, Wellness Programs, Corporate Discounts, among other benefits.

Syngenta has been ranked as a top employer by Science Journal. Learn more about our team and our mission here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVCN_51GbNI

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.

WL: 5B

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