Crop Science Lead

Ready to take cutting-edge plant science beyond the laboratory and into the field?

I am recruiting a Crop Science Lead for an established international vegetable seed business with an exciting ambition: to use advanced crop science and breeding technologies to accelerate the development of the next generation of commercial vegetable varieties.

Reporting directly to the Director of R&D, you will lead a small laboratory research team and play a central role in shaping the company's future scientific capability. One of your most important challenges will be to develop and expand gene-editing capabilities across key vegetable crops, while ensuring laboratory innovation translates into meaningful outcomes for breeders, growers and ultimately the commercial market.

If you want your science to have a visible, practical impact on real-world agriculture, this is an opportunity worth exploring.

The Opportunity

This is not a role where you will simply inherit a programme and keep it running.

You will have the opportunity to help shape how advanced crop science is used within the business, introducing new methodologies, solving complex scientific challenges and connecting laboratory research directly with established breeding programmes.

Working closely with plant breeders, agronomists, seed production, seed quality, product development and commercial colleagues, you will lead research targeting traits including:

• Disease resistance
• Climate resilience
• Yield improvement
• Flavour
• Nutritional quality

A particularly exciting part of your remit will be the development of gene-editing protocols and workflows across key crop species including celery, parsnip and kale.

Alongside your internal team, you will also work with universities, research organisations and industry partners, identifying opportunities to build collaborations and secure external research funding.

What Will You Be Doing?

You will act as the senior scientific lead within the laboratory, taking responsibility for the direction and delivery of crop science research programmes.

You will:

• Design, develop and oversee innovative plant science research programmes.
• Establish and refine gene-editing protocols, workflows and experimental platforms across key vegetable crops.
• Troubleshoot complex experimental and technical challenges.
• Ensure high standards of experimental design, controls, data integrity and scientific documentation.

Importantly, this remains a scientifically engaged position. While you will provide leadership and direction, you should also be comfortable getting close to the research and providing hands-on technical input when required.

You will also lead a small team of laboratory-based researchers.

You don't necessarily need to have managed a large department before. I am equally interested in scientists who have supervised researchers or mentored technical colleagues and are ready to take the next step into broader leadership.

There will also be opportunities to represent the business at relevant scientific conferences, technical forums and industry events in the UK and internationally.

Who Are We Looking For?

We are looking for someone with substantial scientific credibility, but equally importantly, someone who enjoys solving problems, collaborating with others and seeing research translated into practical outcomes.

You will ideally have:

• A PhD or equivalent high-level qualification in Plant Breeding, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Plant Pathology, Crop Science or a related discipline.
• Experience within plant science, plant breeding or a closely related research environment.
• Strong knowledge of gene editing, molecular markers and/or advanced crop breeding technologies.
• The ability to manage multiple research projects, priorities and deadlines.
• Experience supervising, developing or providing scientific leadership to researchers or technical colleagues.
• The communication skills to work effectively across scientific, breeding, operational and commercial teams.
• A genuine interest in applying science to commercially relevant crop improvement.

Experience specifically within vegetable crops would be advantageous, but relevant expertise from the wider plant science and crop research community is very much of interest.

You do not need to tick every box.

If your background gives you strong expertise in plant science and advanced breeding technologies, alongside the curiosity and leadership capability to develop new scientific approaches, I would be very interested in hearing from you.

Location & Working Arrangements

The role is based in Cobham, Surrey and is laboratory-based.

There will also be periodic travel within the UK and internationally to support research collaborations and the wider R&D programme.

While the role will require a regular on-site presence, there is potential for some flexibility around hybrid working. This would be subject to discussion but the business are open to considering a working pattern that provides some opportunity to work remotely where appropriate.

Interested?

If you want to play a leading role in bringing advanced breeding technologies into commercial crop development, I would be very keen to speak with you.

For an informal chat, please call Emily on or email . Don't worry if your CV isn't up to date, just send what you have already, and we can sort the rest later.