Senior Research Scientist

About the company

Harpe Bioherbicide Solutions, Inc. www.harpebio.com is an agricultural technology company focused on developing natural, non-selective herbicides using a series of compounds found in plant extracts. When formulated, these natural compounds control a broad range of broadleaf and grass weeds and seeds, including those resistant to current synthetic herbicides. It is the first and only company to address organic, conventional, and industrial agriculture while keeping the needs of farmers, consumers, and regulators at the forefront.

About The Role

We seek a dynamic, self-motivated, and proactive experimental plant biologist at the scientist and senior scientist level to join our fast-growing team at Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC.  In this role, you will be vital in developing and executing our herbicide site-of-actions (SoA) and mode-of-action (MoA) research activities. By taking this lab leadership and bench scientist role with primarily hands-on work, you will coordinate lab-based research projects, including assay development, experiment design, data analysis, and interpretation. At the same time, you will be designing, implementing, hands-on executing, and coordinating tasks and scientific projects in a sub-team setting.

The critical success factor for this role or the major potential challenge will be executing and coordinating experiments efficiently with a practical, methodical plan. You will ensure that experiments are executed correctly and efficiently, with milestones met on time.

Work Schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (flexible). Occasional weekends as needed to water plants.

Key Responsibilities

·        Execute lab-based plant biological assays, including chemical preparation, application/treatment, and sampling for physiology, biochemical, and functional genomics study at the bench level.

·        Develop assays at the tissue and individual plant levels and propose new scientific projects.

·        Design and help to execute diverse molecular analyses, including GC/MS, sequencing analysis, target gene identification, and qPCR when needed.

·        Maintain detailed, accurate, and comprehensible records of all experiments and results.

·        Interpret and analyze data, draw conclusions, and make recommendations.

·        Communicate results in written and oral presentations.

·        Provide technical and scientific support to develop further and execute herbicides’ SoA and MoA discovery activities.

·        Help other scientists design, implement, and coordinate scientific experiments and research assistants and help with the hands-on execution.

·        Train and instruct lab personnel in specific protocols.

·        Collaborate with scientists to execute experiments related to other projects.

·        Support the development and evaluation of herbicide and formulation products.

·        Participates in developing, interpreting, and implementing good laboratory practices for lab and greenhouse studies.

·        Author and review work instructions, SOPs, and/or protocols.

Required Skills/Experience

The candidates should combine extensive plant biology knowledge (physiology, molecular biology, and genomics, to name a few) with a willingness to learn and thrives in a fast-paced environment in the true “start-up” atmosphere.

The experimental plant biologist is willing to take on various tasks and responsibilities as needed to achieve multiple goals and deliverables in a timely manner.

·        A bachelor’s in Plant Biology, Weed Science, Agronomy, or a related field with at least five years of experience or a master’s or PhD with minimum working experience in a similar R&D field.

·        Knowledge of and experience with plant physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology is a plus.

·        Showed the capability to independently design, implement, coordinate, and drive research projects.

·        Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

·        Pro-active, highly motivated, and strong team player with high independence.

·        Demonstrated innovative, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

·        Excellent time management and organizational skills.

·        Ability to deliver results in a fast-paced, dynamic, and highly multi-tasking environment.

Additional Desired Skills/Experience

Our interdisciplinary R&D team brings expertise in chemistry, biochemistry, functional genomics/genetics, cell biology, plant physiology, agronomy, and exceptional Scientific Advisory Board support. If you want to be part of a diverse and dynamic team to develop solutions to feed the world without starving the planet, we’d love to hear from you!

Must be eligible or authorized for employment in the US.

Harpe BioHerbicide Solution, LLC does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics.