Research Investigator

Spectraforce Technologies; Johnston (IA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work boots

Job summary

Spectraforce Technologies in Johnston, IA seeks a Research Investigator - Plant Pathology / Disease Phenotyping to lead contracted projects for 12 months, focusing on disease phenotyping and data quality across field and controlled environments.

The role requires a strong background in plant pathology or related sciences, hands-on experience with greenhouse and field assays, and proven ability to deliver rigorous results on tight timelines with cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in plant pathology, plant science, agronomy, biological sciences, or closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in plant pathology research, disease phenotyping, or related agricultural sciences.
• Ability to independently lead and execute projects in field and controlled environments (greenhouse/growth chamber).
• Experience designing, coordinating, and delivering experimental work with rigor, quality, and timelines.
• Strong problem solving skills with data-driven decision making and adaptability.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute projects in field and controlled environment settings.
• Design, coordinate and deliver experiments with rigor and timelines.
• Document methods and summarize results; report progress and findings.
• Translate experimental work into clear outcomes and recommendations.

Skills

Plant pathology research

Disease phenotyping

Project leadership

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in plant pathology or related

Job description

Job Title: Research Investigator - Plant Pathology / Disease Phenotyping

Location: Johnston, IA

Duration: 12 months

Shift: M-F 8:00am-4:00pm (some select weekend work required

Description

The purpose of this requisition is to establish a contract pathology position to ensure continuity, execution speed, and data quality for several critical, time sensitive plant pathology research projects that directly support breeding, trait characterization, and product advancement priorities. Current pathology workloads have increased significantly due to expanded controlled-environment assays, field disease screening, isolate characterization, and phenotyping throughput demands, while existing permanent staff are fully allocated across project leadership, method development, compliance, and cross functional support responsibilities. These activities are core to delivering reliable disease resistance data and meeting downstream decision milestones.

Requirements

Education & Background

• Bachelor's or master's degree in plant Pathology, Plant Science, Agronomy, Biological Sciences, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in plant pathology research, disease phenotyping, or related agricultural sciences.

Technical & Project Leadership

• Ability to independently lead and execute projects in both field and controlled environment (greenhouse/growth chamber) settings.
• Experience designing, coordinating, and delivering experimental work with attention to rigor, quality, and timelines.

Problem Solving & Innovation

• Strong problem solving skills with the ability to identify challenges, adapt methodologies, and develop practical solutions to deliver actionable results.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous or evolving research environments and making data driven decisions.

Execution & Results Focus

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, drive work forward, and deliver high quality outputs with minimal supervision.
• Results oriented mindset with a focus on translating experimental work into clear outcomes and recommendations.

Collaboration & Communication

• Effective communicator able to work cross functionally with research, breeding, and technical teams.
• Capable of documenting methods, summarizing results, and clearly reporting progress and findings.

Is Driving Required for the asssignment?

• Yes;Occasional

Special Equipment Required

• Work boots