Collaboration & Technology Delivery Lead

About Syngenta 

At Syngenta Seeds Field Crops, we're shaping the future of agriculture and empowering farmers to meet the ever-growing demand for food and fuel. We’re a global Ag Tech powerhouse, headquartered in the United States, with passionate, local experts collaborating with farmers to deliver solutions that create market opportunities.  We unite precision breeding, advanced biotechnology trait choice, and digital platforms for unmatched in-field performance.  Our seeds help mitigate risks such as disease, insect, weed, and extreme weather pressures, all while promoting sustainable farming practices that protect and enhance our planet. Join our mission of revolutionizing food security and transforming agriculture. 

At Syngenta, our goal is to build the most collaborative and trustworthy team in agriculture, providing top-quality seeds and innovative crop protection solutions that improve farmers' success. To support this mission, Syngenta is seeking a Collaboration & Technology Delivery Lead in Durham, NC. This role will drive operational excellence in R&D collaboration execution and technology deployment across Seeds R&D, ensuring active collaborations meet strategic objectives through rigorous governance, milestone tracking, and cross-functional alignment.

The Collaboration & Technology Delivery Lead will be responsible for maintaining collaboration standards, assessing technology development execution, and facilitating strategic decision frameworks that connect technical plans to pipeline outcomes, serving as a key connection between technical teams and R&D leadership, ensuring cross-functional collaborations and technology deployment strategies remain aligned with Seeds R&D priorities through technical plan quality control and business case evaluation. They will partner closely with the Technology & Collaborations Manager, providing technical assessments, decision support, and execution oversight across the collaboration lifecycle.

Accountabilities:

• Establish governance for Seeds R&D collaborations (stage-gate criteria, milestone acceptance standards, data/reporting quality, and audit-ready documentation).
• Monitor execution vs. timelines/deliverables/budget using portfolio health metrics; partner with project leads, finance/PMO, and licensing to manage risks, dependencies, and compliance.
• Assess development and deployment plans at stage gates (readiness evidence, scalability, robustness/reproducibility, and commercial/regulatory pathway fit).
• Partner with breeding, trait development, regulatory, commercial, and IP/licensing experts to resolve execution gaps, align interfaces, and de-risk delivery.
• Facilitate data-driven stage-gate decisions with domain and R&D leaders, framing options, trade-offs, and recommendations based on evidence.
• Capture decision rationale/assumptions and track follow-through; partner with teams to drive actions, risk mitigations, and timeline adherence.
• Lead diligence on prospective partners/solutions with scouting and domain experts (scientific merit, validation quality, maturity, delivery capability, and key risks).
• Coordinate with IP/legal and regulatory specialists to assess FTO/IP constraints and risk posture; inform valuation, deal structure, and risk allocation.
• Translate Seeds R&D strategy into roadmaps and capability requirements, using execution insights from the collaboration portfolio.
• Partner across functions/geographies to identify gaps or redundancies, harmonize standards/ways of working, and share best practices.

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Plant Sciences, Genetics, Biology, Biotechnology, Agronomy, or related field; Master's or PhD preferred.
• Minimum 10-15 years in Seeds R&D with demonstrated progression in breeding, trait development, genomics, or technology deployment roles.
• Deep technical expertise across multiple Seeds R&D technology domains with ability to credibly evaluate diverse technical approaches.
• Proven track record managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects or collaborations with accountability for technical and commercial outcomes.
• Strong experience in project governance, stage-gate processes, and cross-functional coordination in matrix organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to assess business cases, evaluate ROI, and connect technical capabilities to strategic priorities.
• Excellent analytical skills to synthesize complex technical, financial, and strategic information into clear recommendations.
• Strong financial acumen and experience with budget management and resource allocation in R&D contexts.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with ability to drive alignment without direct authority.

Desired:

• Technical expertise in emerging breeding technologies (gene editing, genomic prediction, AI/ML, digital agriculture).
• Experience with intellectual property strategy, freedom-to-operate analysis, and patent landscape evaluation.
• Background managing external collaborations from negotiation through execution with academic or industry partners.
• Publications, patents, or conference presentations demonstrating technical thought leadership.
• Familiarity with enterprise systems (SAP/SAC, Fusion) for financial tracking and portfolio management.

What We Offer: 

• A culture that celebrates belonging and collaboration, promotes professional development and strives for a work-life balance that supports the team members. Offers flexible work options to support your work and personal needs. 
• Full Benefit Package (Medical, Dental & Vision) that starts your first day. 
• 401k plan with company match, Profit Sharing & Retirement Savings Contribution. 
• Paid Vacation, Paid Holidays, Maternity and Paternity Leave, Education Assistance, Wellness Programs, Corporate Discounts, among other benefits. 

Syngenta has been ranked as a top employer by Science Journal. Learn more about our team and our mission here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVCN_51GbNI 

Syngenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. 

WL: 5B

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