Scientist, Metabolic Engineering

The Scientist, Metabolic Engineering, is a key member of the Translational Agriculture team responsible for using approaches in multiscale biology to advance crop improvement to bridge the gap between agriculture and human health. This hands-on position operates within and co-ordinates activities between various internal and external groups to discover, design, test and validate technologies to enable rapid advances in agriculture. The Scientist, Metabolic Engineering, is an expert in plant secondary metabolism, metabolic engineering, metabolomics, molecular breeding and genomics, and possesses a highly creative mindset.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Integrates knowledge in plant secondary metabolism with Elos technology platforms to develop novel outcomes to support company and partner initiatives
• In addition to benchwork, this role also brings the scientific eye and excellent communication skills needed to work on complex problems in metabolic engineering and genome optimization through deep technical expertise as well as the passion for pragmatic problem-solving
• Serves as a technical expert and as an effective communicator of scientific research to broad audiences and senior management
• Works closely with both internal teams and external collaborators to build state-of-the-art organizational capabilities through experience and professional network
• Represents Elo in professional forums and conferences; delivers technical presentations internally or at technical meetings as requested by the company
• Demonstrates accountability, responsibility and integrity in every aspect of professional life at Elo, while upholding Company values

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. This list contains the major duties and requirements of the job and is not all-inclusive. Incumbent(s) may be expected to perform role-related duties other than those contained in this document.

Required Qualifications:

Education/Experience

• Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) or equivalent in plant molecular biology, chemistry, genomics or a related field
• 3-5 years of post-doctoral experience in academia or industry is desirable
• Demonstrated expertise in plant secondary metabolism is required, including advanced understanding of chemical structures, biosynthetic pathways and enzymology
• Expertise in scientific instruments and methodologies for metabolite analysis is expected, including UHPLC, GC-MS and LC-MS
• Demonstrated experience in novel gene discovery using integrated genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches related to important agricultural traits
• Experience in advanced molecular biology methods along with ability to handle routine techniques such as qPCR, cloning, transformation, protein chemistry and enzymatic assays is expected
• Development of high-throughput and high-content assays with automated image analysis, metabolomics analysis and next-generation sequencing is preferred
• Record of designing creative technical solutions for challenging scientific problem
• Working knowledge of major crop species and expertise in an area of application of molecular breeding methodologies
• Demonstrated experience planning and leading research activities, with excellent ability to interpret experimental data, use computational tools and perform quantitative analyses
• Ability to create and implement high quality innovative concepts for R&D development and execution. Creative, practical and innovative thinking is highly desirable
• Ability to work in a matrix team environment encompassing multiple disciplines
• Proficiency in written and oral communication skills

Travel Requirements

• Little or no travel is required for this position
• On occasion, the Scientist will be expected to travel to conferences, workshops and or business meetings as needed.

Location

• This position is located at Elo Life Systems, 3054 East Cornwallis Road in Durham, NC 27709. Physical presence at Elo is required for the Scientist to be most effective at his/her job.

Elo Life Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of Precision BioSciences, Inc. Our mission is to develop products that improve human health and respond to the impacts of climate change. To address needs in food and agriculture, Elo partners with stakeholders in the supply chain to develop healthy and sustainable solutions for the planets and its people. To learn more about Elo and Precision Biosciences please visit www.elolife.ag and www.precisionbiosciences.com

Elo Life Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of Precision BioSciences Inc. The company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Elo Life Systems complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.