Group Leader, Bioinformatics

Key Skills

Aartificial intelligence, Bioinformatics, Effective communication skills, Genomic data, IT, Leadership Skill

Job Description

The purpose of this role is to build and manage industry-leading, next-generation bioinformatics and genomics capabilities to enhance and advance innovation in our trait and breeding pipelines. As the Bioinformatics group leader, you will drive improvements in the research, development, and delivery of products by enabling the transformation of large and complex datasets into knowledge for Seeds R&D.

Accountabilities:

• Provide innovative bioinformatics research competencies by leading and building out multiple teams in the Bioinformatics Group in China.
• Build effective partnerships within Syngenta to drive innovations from bioinformatics research, into the Seeds pipeline in alignment with business needs.
• Drive innovation in the integration, analysis and interpretation of genomics, transcriptomics, protein structural biology, artificial intelligence and other complex datasets and methodologies for breeding and trait discovery research.
• Drive and nourish scientific excellence in the Bioinformatics group in China along with the global Bioinformatics function, maintain a network within the scientific community in the field, and bring in new concepts in a timely fashion to support our industrial innovation leadership.
• Lead the development and implementation of computational research strategies in support of key business priorities.
• Partnering with IT, provide research subject matter expertise and prototyping in the development of new and innovative computational tools.
• Provide technical knowledge to scout and evaluate new opportunities in bioinformatics and be an in-house expert on competitor's activities in this area.
• Manage operational budget for the Bioinformatics group in China.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent in bioinformatics, genomics, computational biology or related field, and 10+ years professional experience in industrial biotechnology or other R&D life science environments.
• Understanding of bioinformatics, genomics/pangenomics, artificial intelligence, systems biology, data integration and computational science required for the accountabilities above.
• Project and portfolio management knowledge in the context of a matrixed organization (cross-functional, cross-sites, cross-business) and technical environment.
• Extensive experience in large-scale bioinformatics research, including management, integration, and mining of (pan)genomics, transcriptomics, other complex datasets to generate knowledge and insight.
• Experience with change management.
• Research expenditure forecasting and budget management.

Technical skills

• Demonstrated success in leading a complex, results-oriented research program requiring scientific creativity, innovative thinking, organization, and collaborative skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency in communicating, planning, and coordinating group activities across diverse functional and administrative boundaries.
• Demonstrated success in working in a range of research environments and across a breadth of bioinformatics projects.
• Ability to translate cross-disciplinary knowledge into a vision for the further development of innovative and novel data analysis methodologies, algorithms and approaches, and to translate this vision into a coherent strategy, with well-defined tactics for implementation.
• Ability to clearly communicate research plans, drivers, and progress to business stakeholders, project leaders, research managers and technical partners.
• Ability to successfully cultivate an effective team environment and promote the full engagement of team members across disciplines.
• Project planning and tracking in an interdisciplinary and multifunctional context.
• Excellent communication skills and demonstrated effectiveness in collaboration.

Additional Information

• A platform with a combination of a booming agricultural industry in China domestic market and global resources and exposure, where you can fully develop your potential
• A culture that promotes Innovation and Entrepreneurial Spirit
• Competitive annual base salary (ABS) and short-term incentive (STI) plans
• Standard social benefits and housing fund package according to Chinese government policies, plus supplementary medical insurance 
• Minimum of 15 days annual leave, and up to 20 days, contingent upon the service years, and 12 days of paid sick leave per year
• Mobility assistance provided from overseas to China