Senior/Principal Scientist, Agronomic Traits

Company Summary:
Arana Biosciences is one of the latest companies founded through Flagship Pioneering's venture creation engine, where companies such as Moderna Inc. and Invaio Sciences were conceived and created. Since Flagship's founding in 2000, the firm has originated and fostered the development of nearly 100 scientific ventures resulting in $19+ billion in aggregate value, 500+ issued patents, and more than 50 clinical trials for novel therapeutic agents. Arana Biosciences is integrating the latest developments in molecular biology and plant biology to create a new platform technology that enables adaptive, targeted and sustainable solutions in agriculture.
What You'll do:

• Propose, design and lead collaborative cross-functional projects to demonstrate crop phenotypes and agriculturally important developmental traits using Arana's proprietary RNA technologies.
• Lead project teams to achieve company goals with a sense of urgency, creative problem solving, transparency, and openness.
• Serve as the subject matter expert on crop traits and the molecular regulation of plant develoment via smRNAs and proteins.
• Design, validate and scale plant phenotyping assays in collaboration with the plant production team and automation specialists.
• Translate experimental data into insights, effectively communicating findings to company leadership and stakeholders through both written and oral presentations with the appropriate level of detail.
• Independently design and perform wet-lab experiments to test hypotheses.
• Oversee third parties performing plant assays and ensure successful SOP hand-offs.

What You'll bring:

• Ph.D. with 3+ years of experience in traits science or closely related discipline with industry experience strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with project management fundamentals.
• Extensive experience working with row, horticultural, and/or specialty crops.
• Diverse expertise exploring plant physiology using molecular genetics approaches, preferentially in the areas of abiotic stress, yield, or metabolism.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Data analysis and data visualization skills with a variety of data types.
• Experience working with one or more of the following: VIGS and viral vectors, RNAi, and CRISPR gene editing.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic, matrixed environment.
• Advanced skills in plant phenotyping; experience with solanaceous plants, and nondistructive phenotyping such as hyperspectral imaging preferred.

What We'll Offer You:

• Comprehensive, competitive healthcare (PPO) and dental coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield, vision coverage through VSP, family leave, three weeks' paid time off with additional holidays, 401k retirement plan, disability and life insurance, and commuter benefits.
• A dynamic early-stage work environment and highly interdisciplinary, talented, and collaborative team.
• Participation in the development and growth of a company with enormous potential impact on a sustainable future.
• Professional growth opportunities through mentoring, training, immersion in cross-functional projects, and the ability to learn and try new things.

Location: Cambridge, MA
At Flagship, we recognize there is no perfect candidate. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. Experience comes in many forms, skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your unique background.
More About Flagship Pioneering
Flagship Pioneering is a biotechnology company that invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health or sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in more than $90 billion in aggregate value. Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity's most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture. Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE's "Change the World" list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies, and has been twice named to Fast Company's annual list of the World's Most Innovative Companies. Learn more about Flagship at www.flagshippioneering.com .
Flagship Pioneering and our ecosystem companies are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.
Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, "FSP") do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering's internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.