Senior Trait Definition Scientist

At Bayer we’re visionaries, driven to solve the world’s toughest challenges and striving for a world where 'Health for all Hunger for none’ is no longer a dream, but a real possibility. We’re doing it with energy, curiosity and sheer dedication, always learning from unique perspectives of those around us, expanding our thinking, growing our capabilities and redefining ‘impossible’. There are so many reasons to join us. If you’re hungry to build a varied and meaningful career in a community of brilliant and diverse minds to make a real difference, there’s only one choice.

Senior Trait Definition Scientist

A trait definition scientist drives an impactful gene editing program through the identification, documentation, and prioritization of key plant phenotypes; you work with a diverse set of teams and data inputs to develop roadmaps that deliver meaningful impact of gene editing for crop improvement, leveraging some of the industry’s most extensive and global agriculture and genetic datasets; you foster game‑changing ideas to generate sophisticated insights that use rapidly developing datasets and model‑based approaches to guide genome editing and crop improvement efforts; you operate as an individual contributor within a team of Data and Trait Scientists, demonstrating autonomy in building relationships and networks within your unit and across functions, especially with members of the Crop Genome Editing team; you serve as a consultant to leadership and partners in your discipline and contribute to team strategy through clear, organized communication; as a member of the Biology and Genome Design community, you actively build your own acumen while sharing best practices with others to elevate the broader community.

The primary responsibilities of this role are to:

• Develop and document recommendations for trait targets for gene editing that are guided by business impact and aligned with product and portfolio needs;
• Guide connectivity between germplasm development targets and gene editing priorities to ensure that editing strategies translate into improved seeds and traits;
• Develop robust workflows that enable cross‑team communication, decision making, and iterative prioritization to shape research direction and resource allocation;
• Identify novel opportunities to utilize gene editing to impact the development of new seeds and traits products, leveraging emerging science and data‑driven insights;
• Lead or assist in the gathering, curation, quality control, and analysis of new data sources (e.g., functional genomics, phenomics) across Research and Development (R&D) teams;
• Actively build and expand networks within the Crop Genome Editing team and across functions, serving as a consultant to leadership and partners in your area of expertise;
• Contribute to the Biology and Genome Design community by continuously developing your own capabilities and sharing best practices, tools, and learnings with colleagues.

Bayer seeks an incumbent who possesses the following:

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in Biological Sciences, Plant Breeding, Plant Sciences, Genetics, Developmental Biology, or a related field;
• At least 4 years of post‑PhD experience working in gene editing, germplasm improvement, or closely related fields;

Preferred Qualifications:

• Educational preparation or applied experience in at least one of the following areas: Plant Biology, Physiology, Genetics, Cellular and Molecular Biology, or other related discipline;
• Excellent communication skills with fluency in English, both written and verbal;
• Experience defining the collection, organization, analysis, and use of complex biological datasets and translating them into testable hypotheses;
• Familiarity with FAIR data standards and with creating reproducible analyses;
• Experience connecting molecular and quantitative genetics to influence plant phenotypes and guide trait development;
• Demonstrated experience and accountability working collaboratively in cross‑functional and cross‑cultural teams to achieve common goals;
• Ability to influence key stakeholders by identifying challenges and opportunities and facilitating solutions to complex scientific and business problems;
• Results‑oriented mindset with demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects at the enterprise level.

Employees can expect to be paid a salary between $111,520.00 - $167,280.00 Additional compensation may include a bonus or incentive compensation (if relevant). Additional benefits include health care, vision, dental, retirement, PTO, sick leave, etc.. This salary range is merely an estimate and may vary based on an applicant’s location, market data/ranges, an applicant’s skills and prior relevant experience, certain degrees and certifications, and other relevant factors.

This posting will be available for application until at least April 20, 2026.

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Bayer offers a wide variety of competitive compensation and benefits programs. If you meet the requirements of this unique opportunity, and want to impact our mission Health for all, Hunger for none, we encourage you to apply now. Be part of something bigger. Be you. Be Bayer.
To all recruitment agencies: Bayer does not accept unsolicited third party resumes.

Bayer is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans

Bayer is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations in its application process for individuals with disabilities and encourages applicants with disabilities to request any needed accommodation(s) using the contact information below.