Operations Manager

ISU Research Park; Iowa (LA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Syngenta in Slater, IA is seeking an Operations Manager to provide leadership and strategic oversight across nursery operations, farming systems, and seed logistics. The role focuses on achieving operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and sustainable practices to support seed production.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy or Plant Science with 5+ years in agricultural operations and demonstrated leadership, project management, and collaboration across multiple

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Plant Science, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in agricultural operations, preferably seed production.
• Proven leadership capabilities in overseeing and developing employees.
• Strong collaboration with breeders, Regulatory, HSE, and QA teams.
• Advanced project management to handle complex, overlapping activities.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Direct the execution of end-to-end operations at the Slater, IA site, aligning with Seeds Development objectives.
• Operational Excellence: Drive cross-functional integration and workflow efficiency to eliminate silos and monitor KPIs.
• Financial Stewardship: Manage the site budget, ensuring cost optimization and accountability.
• Talent & Capability Building: Lead talent management and leadership development for direct reports.
• Governance & Compliance: Ensure site-wide compliance with policies, safety standards, and regulatory procedures.
• Strategic Influence: Represent Slater operations in senior leadership meetings and partnerships.
• Leading Change: Lead organizational change initiatives and standardize processes.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Data literacy

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, Plant Science, or related field

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 Operations & Trialing Team is seeking an Operations Manager in Slater, IA. This role will provide comprehensive leadership and strategic oversight of all Seeds Development operations in Slater, IA, encompassing nursery operations, farming systems, and seed logistics.

The Operations Manager drives integrated operational excellence in nurseries, field production, seed processing, and distribution, ensuring the highest quality standards, HSE, regulatory compliance, and sustainable practices to support seed production for Syngenta.

Accountabilities:

Strategic Leadership: Direct the execution of end-to-end operations at the Slater, IA site, ensuring alignment with North America Seeds Development objectives and business goals.

Operational Excellence: Drive cross-functional integration and workflow efficiency to eliminate silos; monitor site KPIs to identify and implement corrective actions for continuous improvement.

Financial Stewardship: Manage the overall site budget (CapEx and OpEx), ensuring cost optimization, resource investment, and financial accountability.

Talent & Capability Building: Lead talent management, succession planning, and leadership development for direct reports while ensuring technical training delivery across all operational areas.

Governance & Compliance: Ensure site-wide compliance with corporate policies, safety standards, and regulatory procedures; lead crisis management and business continuity planning.

Strategic Influence: Represent Slater operations in senior leadership meetings and maintain strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders (government, industry, and service providers).

Leading Change: Lead organizational change initiatives and coordinate with regional/corporate functions to standardize processes and leverage best practices.

Qualifications

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Plant Science, or a related field, with at least 5 years of experience in agricultural operations, preferably in seed production or plant breeding environments.

Demonstrated leadership capabilities in overseeing, motivating, and developing employees while effectively resolving conflicts, delegating responsibilities, and fostering collaborative relationships across nursery teams and other site functions.

Advanced project management capabilities to handle complex, overlapping activities with tight timelines while ensuring adherence to multiple operational, regulatory, and compliance protocols simultaneously.

Excellent collaboration abilities when working with varied teams, including breeders, Regulatory, HSE, and quality assurance groups, to achieve organizational objectives and maintain operational excellence.

Data Literacy: Ability to leverage metrics, KPIs, and analytics to identify operational trends and system bottlenecks.