Sr. Manager Research: Plant Physiology

Job Description – Senior Research Manager - Plant Physiology

The Center of Excellence for Abiotic Resilience and Crop Genomics (ARC-Gen) is a partnership between Silal, the UAE’s leading agri-food and technology company, and Limagrain Vegetable Seeds (LVS), the world leader in Vegetable Seeds.

This partnership aims to develop a world class research facility in UAE with state-of-the-art capabilities in plant physiology and gene editing, with the ultimate goal of enhancing crops’ ability to withstand extreme conditions such as heat, drought, and salinity.

As Senior Research Manager - Plant Physiology you will drive innovation and excellence in Plant Physiology.

This role combines strategic leadership, team management, and scientific oversight to accelerate the development of a Plant Physiology Research Unit at ARC-Gen; aiming to improve the abiotic stress resilience in plants in arid and desert-like growing conditions.

This role involves the management and mentoring of a team focused on designing and implementing experiments to understand plant physiological mechanisms and their genetic control.

This role will focus on translating findings into actionable strategies for abiotic resilience improvement in targeted crops.

The position requires strong leadership skills to manage projects and teams, as well as the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to stakeholders.

Lead and mentor a team of Plant Physiology and Agronomy scientists, ensuring onboarding, goal setting and performance reviews.

Translate the ARC-GEN strategy into actionable objectives and plans for your team, with an initial focus on setting up the Plant Physiology Research Unit.

Promote cross-functional collaboration and develop an innovative work environment.

Oversee the Plant Physiology project portfolio and ensure timely delivery aligned with ARC-GEN governance and strategic roadmap.

Develop and implement guidelines, processes, and KPIs to monitor progress, report efficiently, and provide transparency to ARC-GEN management.

Lead innovation in high-throughput precision phenotyping and functional validation of edited traits.

Ensure scientific rigor through continuous monitoring, technology scouting, and adoption of cutting-edge methodologies in Plant Physiology.

• Drive cross-domain collaboration within ARC-GEN.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with public and private organizations.
• Guarantee compliance with legal, safety, regulatory and sustainability standards across all activities.
• Promote continuous improvement of protocols, processes, and cost-effectiveness.
• Manage team budgets and resource allocation in alignment with ARC-GEN management team.
• Contribute to CAPEX, OPEX, and PERC planning for domain activities.

Lead and mentor a team of Plant Physiology and Agronomy scientists, ensuring onboarding, goal setting and performance reviews.

Translate the ARC-GEN strategy into actionable objectives and plans for your team, with an initial focus on setting up the Plant Physiology Research Unit.

Promote cross-functional collaboration and develop an innovative work environment.

Any other concerned internal stakeholders as required

Concerned government, semi-government and private sector entities

Any other concerned external stakeholders as required

PhD in Plant Physiology or related fields

Fluent in English

• Professional experience of a minimum of 15+ Years.
• 5+ years in people management within an international/ cross-cultural environment.
• Deep understanding of plant physiological processes and their interaction with genetics and environment.
• Proficiency in experimental design, statistical analysis, and data interpretation.
• Experience with high-throughput precision phenotyping and physiological modeling is a plus.
• Proven track record of managing complex projects and delivering impactful results.

Execution and Delivery

Transformation and Change

People and Culture

Empowerment and Delegation

Communication and Influence

Drive for Results

Ensure that all team members understand, read, acknowledge, and comply with cyber security policies.

Ensure that actions are initiated, monitored, and periodically reviewed against the cybersecurity risks applicable to the respective departments.

Ensure reporting of any evidence of cyber security compromise or any suspicious activity that could potentially expose, corrupt, or destroy Silal's information.

Ensure that cyber security requirements are incorporated on respective department’s project activities/contracts.

Encourage and consider employees’ ideas for enhancing the cyber security pertaining to the departments’ activities and deliverables.

Ensure that the employees within their department are familiar with business continuity policy and aware of their roles and responsibilities.

Ensure that actions are initiated, monitored, and periodically reviewed against the business continuity risks applicable to the respective departments.

Review, share inputs and approve business continuity activities during business impact analysis, risk assessment, recovery strategy, business continuity plans and testing outcomes.

Contribute to creating a planning structure that enables Silal to develop business continuity plans to ensure continuity after a major disruption occurrence or forewarning.

Ensure that business continuity requirements are incorporated on respective department’s project activities/contracts.

Officially select and appoint employees in the crisis management team.

QHSE (quality, health, safety, and environment)

Employees should adhere to established quality policies and procedures to ensure that products and services meet or exceed customer requirements

Following safety protocols is paramount to preventing accidents, injuries, and occupational hazards.

This includes wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and adhering to safety guidelines

Employees should prioritize their health and the health of others by maintaining a clean and hygienic work environment and reporting any health concerns promptly

It is essential for employees to minimize their environmental impact by reducing waste, conserving resources, and following environmentally friendly practices such as recycling and proper disposal of hazardous materials

Compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards is non-negotiable.

Employees should stay informed about applicable regulations and ensure that their actions align with legal requirements

Embracing a culture of continuous improvement involves seeking ways to enhance quality, safety, health, and environmental performance.

Employees should actively participate in identifying opportunities for improvement and implementing appropriate solutions

Clear communication is key to maintaining a safe and healthy work environment.

Employees should communicate any incidents, safety hazards, quality concerns, or environmental issues to appropriate personnel promptly

Employees should handle products and equipment responsibly, participate in risk assessments, trainings, and incident investigations