Senior Plant Trait Discovery Scientist

Iowa Ag; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits for you and your famil

2 extra weeks paid wellness leave

4 weeks PTO + holidays

Parental leave (16 weeks)

Retirement savings plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Vylor Des Moines, IA is seeking a Senior Research Associate- Discovery Trait Assays to support development, optimization, and execution of plant-based assays used to evaluate early-stage trait candidates. You will apply plant biology techniques, including transformation and phenotyping, to generate robust data for trait discovery programs.

The role requires strong experimental design, data analysis, and documentation, with collaboration across science teams.

Qualifications

• MS in Plant Biology, Plant Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics or related field preferred.
• BS with 3+ years of relevant experience also considered.
• Experience with plant tissue culture, transformation, and/or transient expression systems.
• Experience designing, executing, and troubleshooting biological assays.

Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, and perform plant-based assays to evaluate and characterize novel trait candidates.
• Use transformation techniques to assess gene expression, trait performance, mode of action, and biological activity.
• Design and execute experiments, analyze results, troubleshoot issues, and propose data-driven next steps.
• Design plasmid vectors to meet assay requirements.
• Produce accurate, reproducible data while upholding scientific rigor and safety standards.
• Improve assay performance, throughput, quality, and efficiency via method development.
• Collaborate with scientists and cross-functional teams on discovery goals.
• Maintain lab equipment, reagents, and biological materials needed for assays.
• Present results through reports, presentations, and team discussions.

Skills

Plant biology

Molecular biology

Cell biology

Plant tissue culture

Geneious Prime

Data analysis

Experiment design

Independent work

Education

MS in Plant Biology or related

BS with 3+ years experience

Tools

Geneious Prime

Job description

Vylor Des Moines, IA is seeking a Senior Research Associate- Discovery Trait Assays to support development, optimization, and execution of plant-based assays used to evaluate early-stage trait candidates. You will apply plant biology techniques, including transformation and phenotyping, to generate robust data for trait discovery programs.

The role requires strong experimental design, data analysis, and documentation, with collaboration across science teams.