Senior Research Associate - Seed Science

Vylor Inc.; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Well-being pay

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Vylor Inc. is seeking a seasoned seed quality scientist to manage the global precommercial seed quality testing program across corn and other crops.

You will design experiments, ensure analysis-ready data, and guide decisions that affect advancement and seed production risk profiles, serving as the technical authority on seed quality in corn. You will lead a small team, partner with R&D, Production, Quality, and Commercial groups across major markets, and present findings at forums and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Agronomy, Crop/Seed Science, Plant Breeding or related field, 5+ years of experience.
• Experience planning and managing agronomic or scientific research programs.
• Strong statistical/data analysis skills with multi-year datasets.
• Experience with mixed-model analysis and experimental design.

Responsibilities

• Direct precommercial seed quality testing across crops and locations.
• Design experiments and ensure analysis-ready data.
• Provide consultation to R&D, Production, Quality, and Commercial stakeholders.
• Present findings at forums and conferences and build seed quality capability across regions and functions.
• Lead and mentor a junior team and interns.

Skills

Statistical data analysis

R or similar

Experimental design

Project management

Communication skills

Leadership

Education

Master's degree in Agronomy, Crop or Seed Science, Plant Breeding, Agricultural Research

Tools

R

Python

Data visualization

Job description

Join Vylor—Powering the Future of AgricultureAt Vylor, we’re advancing agriculture through breakthrough science—combining elite germplasm, cutting-edge biotech, and next-generation expertise in gene editing and molecular breeding. Our portfolio includes trusted industry brands like Pioneer, Brevant, and Hoegemeyer, delivering performance farmers rely on.Join us to help scale innovation globally and shape what’s next in crop science.Job Purpose:Manage the global seed quality testing program for precommercial material in corn and multiple crops, ensuring the resulting data is structured, validated, and positioned to support analyses that drive product scoring, advancement decisions, and seed production risk profiles. Translate seed quality trait characterization, vigor, and stress emergence data into actionable advancement and risk-management recommendations. Serve as the organization's technical authority on seed quality assessment in corn and a technical contributor in additional crops, providing consultation to R&D, Production, Quality, and Commercial stakeholders in major global markets.Duties and Responsibilities:Global testing program & data stewardship (30%) – Direct precommercial seed quality testing across crops and locations; design experiments, ensure analysis-ready data, run BLUP analyses, and supply data to analytics partners.Seed quality & vigor SME (20%) – Own corn stress-vigor assay methodology, guide global teams on vigor, storage, and emergence risk, and set advancement criteria and risk thresholds.Trait characterization & product risk (20%) – Analyze parental seed quality data to flag high-risk germplasm, score traits, and make advancement recommendations.Stress emergence field research (15%) – Plan, coordinate, and analyze multi-location field trials using precision ag, analytics, and imaging tools.Root-cause investigations (5%) – Diagnose emergence, vigor, storage, and biotech trait-related quality issues and recommend mitigation.Technical communication & training (5%) – Present at forums and conferences and build seed quality capability across regions and functions.People leadership (5%) – Supervise one direct report and interns, mentor talent, and support budget planning.Problem Solving:Sustains progress on long-cycle research and strategic initiatives while owning a cyclical global testing program with fixed deadlines and serving as the organization's on-demand technical resource for urgent seed quality and product performance issues.Innovatively seeks and assimilates relevant data from multiple sources — research and non-research — and from diverse global stakeholders, frequently making defensible recommendations.Decision Making:Determines experimental and data structures for the global precommercial seed quality testing program, directly governing whether downstream analyses are valid and whether advancement decisions rest on sound data.Sets and defends advancement criteria and risk thresholds that directly influence commercialization decisions, seed production risk profiles, and inventory risk exposure.Required Qualifications:Master's degree in Agronomy, Crop or Seed Science, Plant Breeding, Agricultural Research, or a related technical field, with 5+ years of relevant industry or research experienceDemonstrated success planning and managing agronomic or scientific research programsWorking knowledge of mixed-model analysis and the experimental design principles that support itExperience managing research data pipelines — experiment setup, data loading, and quality control in enterprise research data systemsDemonstrated statistical and data analysis skills, including interpretation of multi-year datasets; proficiency in R or equivalentExperience designing field research trials and interpreting field dataExcellent oral and written communication across diverse audiences and circumstancesResults-driven, with demonstrated capacity to influence within a matrixed organization and across functionsStrong people, organizational, and project prioritization skillsStrong record of innovation and applying new technologyPreferred Qualifications:Advanced training or demonstrated depth in seed physiology, crop physiology, or seed scienceDirect experience in seed quality, seed vigor assessment, or seed physiologyExperience across multiple crops — corn plus soybean, sunflower, canola, or sorghumExperience scripting automation for data submission or processing workflows (R, Python, or equivalent)Experience partnering with data science or predictive modeling teams as a data and domain resourceFamiliarity with marker-trait association and genome-wide association methodsExperience building dashboards or decision-support toolsBenefits – How We’ll Support You:Numerous development opportunities offered to build your skillsBe part of a company with a higher purpose and contribute to making the world a better placeHealth benefits for you and your family on your first day of employmentFour weeks of paid time off and two weeks of well-being pay per year, plus paid holidaysExcellent parental leave which includes a minimum of 16 weeks for mother and fatherFuture planning with our competitive retirement savings plan and tuition reimbursement programLearn more about our total rewards package here - Vylor BenefitsCheck out life at Vylor! https://www.linkedin.com/company/vylorgenetics/Are you a good match? Apply today! We seek applicants from all backgrounds to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team.Vylor is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to embracing our differences to enrich lives, advance innovation, and boost company performance. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, military or veteran status, pregnancy related conditions (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), disability or any other protected status in accordance with federal, state, or local laws.