Weed Scientist

Scotts Miracle-Gro; Marysville (OH); On-site; USD 77,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Live Total Health program

401K match up to 7.5%

Adoption/fertility support up to $30,0

Diversity and inclusion ERGs

Job summary

Scotts Miracle-Gro seeks a Weed Scientist to design and support a diverse lawn and landscape product portfolio. You will lead field and greenhouse research, contribute to product development, and translate science into homeowner-focused insights.

The role requires a Ph.D. in Weed Science or related field, strong stats, and experience in turf management and regulatory processes. Collaboration with R&D, marketing, and external partners is essential to drive consumer solutions.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Weed Science preferred or related field required.
• Experience in turfgrass research or extension programs.
• Ability to design and lead research programs to answer questions and commercialize turf products.
• Broad awareness of consumer lawn and garden products and practices; hands-on experience desired.
• Strong aptitude for weed science/turfgrass management, chemistry, conversions and mathematics.
• Experience performing statistical analysis using ARM, Minitab, JMP or similar software.

Responsibilities

• Lead field and greenhouse biological research, including trial setup, data collection, analysis and report preparation.
• Collaborate with R&D, marketing, regulatory, sourcing and manufacturing to align goals and explore innovations.
• Provide technical assistance to R&D, marketing, regulatory, sourcing, quality, and manufacturing when appropriate.
• Contribute to the Product Development Team to raise overall contributions and performance.
• Interact with industry and university collaborators to mine new technologies and consumer trends.
• Develop and follow R&D SOPs.
• Communicate scientific concepts and research to senior leadership with strong writing and speaking skills.
• Support state and EPA registration dossiers, partnerships or acquisitions, and cost-out initiatives.

Skills

Weed science

Turfgrass management

Experimental design

Statistics

Communication

Time management

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Ph.D. in Weed Science

Related field (agronomy/soil science)

Tools

ARM

Minitab

JMP

Job description

Here at Scotts Miracle-Gro there is no such thing as a typical day. Our culture is constantly energized by new and exciting growth opportunities and at a rapid pace. Below are details on an open job.

The Weed Scientist

The Weed Scientist will work to design & support a diverse portfolio of lawn & landscape products for The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. This person will be pivotal in defining and developing products and practices for the homeowner. Associates are expected to participate in our business segment as a hands‑on researcher so that they may develop keen insights that contribute to the commercialization of novel products. Additionally, the Scientist will have broad experience in turfgrass cultural practices such as irrigation, establishment, nutrition, mowing, maintenance and pest control. The Scientist should have a working knowledge of temperature/humidity/dormancy/seasonal effects on both cool and warm season turfgrasses and be familiar with turfgrass industry standards. Ability to relate research and turfgrass management experience into both product development and consumer communications. It is vital that the incumbent possess practical skills in experimental design and analysis, report writing, and regulatory frameworks. Exceptional time management and organizational skills are desired. A strong scientific curiosity, excellent communication skills, initiative and independence are also essential characteristics. The scientist will also mine technologies and match them to both articulated and unarticulated consumer needs to drive the homeowner Lawn Care category. This position reports directly to the R&D Product Development Manager.

Key Responsibilities

• Leads, plans and implements field and greenhouse biological research, including trial setup & initiation, data collection, data analysis, and preparation of reports to be used to support product claims for regulatory agencies.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues in R&D, marketing, regulatory, sourcing, and manufacturing to ensure alignment on project goals, effective use of resources and explore innovation possibilities.
• Provide technical assistance to R&D, marketing, regulatory, sourcing, quality, and manufacturing when appropriate.
• Contribute to the Product Development Team to raise overall team contributions and performance.
• Interacts with industry and university collaborators to understand and mine new technologies, new biological research methods, and consumer trends and communicate this information to category leads and sales/ tech service.
• Develops and follows R&D Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Communicates scientific concepts and research to senior leadership (including Directors, GM's VP's, COO, CEO and Board Members); demonstrates outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Critical in support of state and EPA registration dossiers, potential partnership or acquisitions, competitive analysis and cost-out initiatives.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Weed Science is preferred or a related field (agronomy, soil science, etc) is required.
• Experience in a related field, such as sports/commercial turf, golf turfgrass maintenance, or academic research/extension program.
• Demonstrated ability to design and lead research programs to answer specific questions and/or solve problems and experience in conducting biological research to commercialize turf products or technologies.
• Possess a broad awareness of consumer lawn and garden products and practices; hands‑on experience is desirable.
• Strong aptitude for weed science/turfgrass management, chemistry, conversions and mathematics.
• Experience performing Statistical Analysis using ARM, MiniTab, JMP or similar software programs.
• A high degree of original thinking and intellectual curiosity is required.
• The scientist must design research protocols that address key questions and hypotheses for a combination of variables as Scotts Miracle-Gro attempts to optimize the complete solution for homeowners across all product categories.
• Willingness to function as part of a hands‑on scientific team and mentor/develop other team members (biology technicians/interns).

The starting budgeted pay range for this role will generally fall between $77,200.00 - $90,800.00 per year. Scotts will consider various factors in determining the actual pay including your skills, qualifications, experience, and geographical location. For remote roles where the final candidate resides in Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon or Washington, state required pay thresholds will be factored into base salary.

Benefits & Perks

• Our Live Total Health program provides you with options to align to your personal needs.
• Selections range from medical, dental and visioncoverage for you, your spouse/domestic partner and dependents to an outstanding wellness reimbursement program to an unbelievable 401K match (up to 7.5%)as well as a 15% discount on company stock and much more
• We know ourtalent is our most precious asset and your unique development contributes to our organization's success now and in the future.
• Career growth at our company is not always a ladder.
• It's much more like a rock climbing adventure.
• Grow through exploration and experiences rather than a predictable linear path.
• We value the importance of family.
• We provide access to Maven Family Planning and up to $30,000 to accommodate for adoption, fertility and surrogacy.
• Be part of something bigger by joining one of our Employee Resource Groups focusing on diversity and inclusion, family, education and sustainability: Scotts Women's Network, Scotts Black Employees' Network, Scotts Veterans Network, Scotts Young Professionals, Scotts Pride Network (GroPride), Scotts Associates for a Greener Earth (SAGE), Scotts Family TREE and our Associate Boards.
• Join a company with a strong belief in giving back to the communities where we live and work.
• We have a shared passion for service and volunteerism and believe participating in community service benefits our communities and strengthens our team.

Scotts is an EEO Employer, dedicated to a culturally diverse, drug free workplace. EEO/AA Employer/Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran/Sexual Orientation/Gender IdentityNotification to Agencies: Please note that the Scotts Miracle-Gro company does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Master Service Agreement, and specific approval to submit resumes to an approved requisition, the Scotts Miracle-Gro company will not consider or approve payment regarding recruiter fees or referral compensations.