Corn Evaluation Zone Lead

Resume of the position and Key responsibilities

The Corn EZ Lead for the Southern Cone will be responsible for driving the strategic direction and execution of Corn Seed Product Development (SPD) across the region.

• Strategy Development & Execution: Lead the design and implementation of the corn SPD strategy tailored to the Southern Cone, ensuring alignment with regional and global objectives.
• Breeding Coordination: Oversee all corn breeding activities within the region, encompassing four Breeding Program Equivalents (BPEs), to ensure operational excellence and innovation.
• Program Management: Directly manage one corn BPE, fostering high-performance teams and delivering impactful breeding outcomes.
• Global Contribution: Support the expansion of the organization's global germplasm base and the advancement of breeding tools and technologies.

This role reports to the Latin America & Africa (LAAF) Commercial Zone SDP Lead and collaborates closely with cross-functional partners including the Logistics Lead, Breeding Analyst, Logistics Analyst, and regional business teams to ensure successful SPD strategy execution. The position is based in Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and requires up to 40% travel, both domestic and international.

Examples of the types of work expected include but are not limited to:

• In collaboration with the CU SPD Lead, analysts, breeders, and commercial stakeholders, develop the regional corn SPD strategy, which includes but is not limited to:

• Market segments and breeding targets

• Commercial and pre-commercial pipelines
• Hybrid advancement criteria
• Inbred line ranking
• Testing footprint
• Population creation, inbreed line development, and predictive breeding
• Trait introgression and end to end processes
• Work on Breeding Program Model optimization in collaboration with the CZ Logistics Analyst, proposing the optimal allocation of resources to the different activities/phases of a BPE per EZ.
• Closely supervise corn breeders, ensuring breeding criteria and strategy are implemented across programs and the right products are advanced for the different market segments.
• Conduct one corn breeding program, personally contributing to the creation of a strongly improved germplasm base.
• Ensuring breeding, testing, and cultivar advancement activities meet the expectations of the Business Unit.
• Contribute to the elaboration and control of operational and capital budgets.
• Manage, coach, and develop personnel, ensuring effective collaboration, teamwork, efficiency, enjoyable working environment, and a long-term succession plan.
• Participate in nursery and trial field activities and lead hybrid/variety advancement processes.
• Ensure regulatory compliance (safety, wage/hour laws, etc.).
• Promote health, safety, and environmentally friendly practices.
• Interact with internal and external stakeholders. Emphasis is given to the interaction with commercial partners inside and outside the organization.
• May serve on teams appropriate to cross project research initiatives.
• May plan and conduct comprehensive research programs which further the development of value-added products or support associated research projects.

The successful candidate for this role possesses:

• Demonstrated leadership, effective communication, and team management skills.
• Ability to work with different groups and geographies.
• Continuous process improvement mindset.
• Deep knowledge of corn breeding theory, corn germplasm, quantitative genetics, biometrics, crop physiology, and data science.
• More than 10 years of experience in corn breeding, preferably across different geographies.
• PhD or MSc in plant breeding, quantitative genetics, or biometrics.
• Full fluency in English and Spanish.