Solanaceous Breeding Team Lead APAC

Syngenta Seeds is one of the world’s largest developers and producers of seed for farmers, commercial growers, retailers and small seed companies. Syngenta seeds improve the quality and yields of crops. High-quality seeds ensure better and more productive crops, which is why farmers invest in them. Advanced seeds help mitigate risks such as disease and drought and allow farmers to grow food using less land, less water and fewer inputs.

Syngenta Seeds brings farmers more vigorous, stronger, resistant plants, including innovative hybrid varieties and biotech crops that can thrive even in challenging growing conditions.

Syngenta Seeds is headquartered in the United States.

ROLE PURPOSE

• Lead the Germplasm development program and projects for Solanaceous crop species for APAC region, across Local breeding programs.
• Lead the breeders in APAC to strategize breeding schemes to meet or exceed specifications agreed. Prioritize milestones, allocation of resources with use of new technologies.
• Lead innovation processes to deliver hybrids with new value-adding traits to grow new markets and increase market share (leverage international and local innovation).
• Secure cross functional collaborations of breeder's including technical supports
• Ensure completion of projects & completeness of breeding data in breeding and seeds development platforms.
• Empower breeding team, motivate and enhance capabilities.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• • Direct people responsibility: 5 to 8 direct reports

Authority level:

• • Germplasm Development Lead for Tomato, Peppers and others solanaceous crops as applicable for APAC region
• Lead the Solanaceous crop GD team to drive and deliver a value-added pipeline as per market need.

Work coverage:

• Monitoring, evaluation and stream line breeding projects and development work to deliver hybrids as per market needs
• Plan and deliver technical and innovation projects for speedy delivery of hybrids
• Define and periodical review of Product Profiles, development pipelines, and New Product Advancements with Regional and Country stakeholders
• Facilitate / organize Crop specific technology usage (Genomics, Phenomics, MM & Cell biology).
• Address country and crop specific PVP / IP related matters through country teams and LIPL.  
• Motivate, guide and develop crop breeding team
• Secure APAC crop interests at Global level.
• Yearly and Monthly progress calibration and monitoring to address mid/long term strategy

Responsible for :

• Develop & implement Regional GD Strategy for Solanaceous crops
• Setting breeding targets for breeders and evaluate them
• Key deliverables with value addition products to the market as per plan.
• Establish crop related innovation platform for future / new traits and manage operational aspects of IP development and protection.
• Participate and contribute relevant meetings to ensure region interest and needs.
• Arrange regional crop GD meeting to review technical program/projects, priorities, usage of new technology, gap and action plan for speedy delivery of products and biosafety related matter.

Administrative responsibility :

• Regional SOL breeding team management
• Co-ordination with cross functional stakeholders (MST, BO, supply chain,..)
• Identify and organize people development needs (training, exposure).
• Timely reporting of work responsibility to regional & global GD/SD.
• Follow up of annual plan / calendar.
• Monitoring country/regional level breeders for responsibility and project plan.

Financial responsibility.

• Contribute to Portfolio assessment, and development of regional strategy including Med and Long term plans with KPIS / OKRs
• Budget inputs and productivity
• Contribute content to investment proposals (capital, germplasm, breeding & recruitments).
• Interact with cross functional team to define and finetune segments and product profile.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

Critical Knowledge:

• Strong Plant breeding and Genetics knowledge.
• Market information for respective crop and segments.
• Masters in Plant breeding / Vegetable/FC breeding (Ph.D. preferable)

Critical Skills: 

• Leading team
• Breeding & evaluation of germplasm & hybrids
• Financial management with managerial ability.
• Good oral and written communication skill.
• Problem solving ability.

Critical Experience:  

• 10 plus years’ experience in leading team and large programs.

Critical Leadership capabilities

• Sets ambitious strategic goals for medium and long term project.
• Encourages innovations for creating edge over competition.
• Skillfully plans, organises and monitors performance to meet the deadlines.
• Coaches / mentor team to excel by setting clear direction and providing opportunities for learning, development and growth.
• Decisive to manage judicious use of allocated resources.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS AND KEY CHALLENGES 

• Lead technical team, drive regional strategies to deliver better product with value addition to the market, Increase market share and profitability, timely and systematic follow up at every stage and plan. Stakeholder engagement and communication
• Requires frequent domestic & international travels.
• Able to listen and analyze situation before planning and making decision about strategy, product and performance.