Seeds Operations Leader – Western US

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Junction City (KS); On-site; USD 88,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision benefits

401k with company match

Paid vacation & holidays

Education assistance

Wellness programs

Job summary

Syngenta is seeking an Operations Manager to lead Seeds Development operations across the Western US from Junction City, KS. This role oversees nursery operations, field production, seed processing, and distribution, driving operational excellence, safety, regulatory compliance, and budget stewardship.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners to ensure ambitious production goals and sustainable practices, while championing process improvements and leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in agronomy, plant science, or related field, with at least 5 years of experience in agricultural operations, preferably in seed production or plant breeding environments.
• Proven experience managing nursery, field-production/farming, seed processing, and/or seed logistics operations at scale.
• Demonstrated ownership of OpEx and CapEx budgets, forecasting, cost control, and investment prioritization.
• Capability to lead organizational and process changes, build adoption, and manage resistance.
• HSE, quality, and regulatory leadership: Ability to lead site-wide safety, environmental, quality, corporate-policy, and regulatory compliance-not simply work within protocols.
• 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 diverse teams, including breeders, Regulatory, HSE, and quality assurance groups, to achieve organizational objectives and maintain operational excellence
• Ability to leverage metrics, KPIs, and analytics to identify operational trends and system bottlenecks.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Direct the execution of end-to-end operations across the Western US, based in Junction City, KS. Ensuring alignment with North America Seeds Development objectives and business goals.
• Operational Excellence: Drive cross-functional integration and workflow efficiency to eliminate silos; monitor KPIs to identify and implement corrective actions for continuous improvement.
• Financial Stewardship: Manage the overall 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 Junction City 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.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Operational excellence

Budget management

Talent development

Governance & compliance

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analytics / KPIs

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in agronomy or plant science

Job description

Syngenta is seeking an Operations Manager to lead Seeds Development operations across the Western US from Junction City, KS. This role oversees nursery operations, field production, seed processing, and distribution, driving operational excellence, safety, regulatory compliance, and budget stewardship.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners to ensure ambitious production goals and sustainable practices, while championing process improvements and leadership