Molecular Geneticist (m/f/d) (80-100%)
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Employment: Contract for 3 years with the option to convert to permanent employment based on excellent performance.
The Swiss Plant Breeding Center (SPBC) is seeking an experienced and versatile Molecular Geneticist. In this role, you will establish and optimize lab methodology for translating genomic data into actionable insights, acting as a bridge between laboratory analyses and breeding decisions at Swiss private and public breeding organizations. Your primary objective is to leverage genomics to accelerate the development of resilient and high-quality crop varieties that are well-adapted to Switzerland. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the growth of the SPBC and serve as a positive force within the Swiss agriculture and food system.
Key Responsibilities
- Support molecular plant breeding and resistance screenings for biotic and abiotic stresses across multiple crops to enhance breeding program success and increase genetic gain.
- Molecular Marker Development: Design cost-efficient markers and validation experiments with breeders for effective marker-assisted selection in breeding pipelines.
- Lab Infrastructure: Design and maintain efficient lab workflows, including scoping and acquiring specialized lab equipment.
- Lab Management and Reporting: Design and execute complex experiments, ensuring all protocols adhere to stringent quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) standards. Prepare detailed technical reports and standard operating procedures.
- Genomic Analysis: Conduct high-throughput DNA extraction and sequencing (NGS), PCR, and genotyping analysis with quick turnarounds.
- Bioinformatics: Build and maintain automated bioinformatics pipelines for processing genomics data, including high-throughput genotyping (SNP Chips, KASP) and genome sequencing (targeted approaches, WGS, RNA-Seq), with the ability to create genome assemblies.
- Stakeholder Engagement and Training: Communicate effectively with stakeholders and provide training to others.
- Innovation: Remain at the forefront of genetic technology (e.g., cost-effective genotyping, sequencing) to enhance internal methodologies.
- Decision Support: Translate complex genomic data into actionable insights for breeding decisions.
Who You Are
- You thrive in the lab, developing and optimizing innovative methods and tools to address practical scientific challenges in diverse plant species within a complex network of breeding organizations.
- You are an effective communicator able to interact with a wide variety of stakeholders.
- You are motivated by applying new technologies and methods in practical breeding programs, recognizing that publishing papers is not the primary focus of this role.
- You enjoy developing efficient lab processes and workflows that can be routinely implemented.
- You are open to sharing your expertise freely and fostering a collaborative environment.
- You appreciate working in a small team where mutual support is paramount.
Technical Requirements
- Education: PhD (or MSc with >6 years of experience) in Molecular Genetics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Plant Breeding, Bioinformatics or a related field.
- Laboratory Management: Extensive knowledge of efficient laboratory workflows, with the capability to coordinate lab equipment acquisition. Experience in good laboratory practices, lab information management software (LIMS), and team leadership in a laboratory setting.
- Genomics: Proficiency in generating sequencing libraries, genome assembly, alignment, and variant calling. Expertise in molecular cloning, primer design, and cell culture.
- Marker Design: Experience in designing genetic markers to facilitate marker-assisted selection for important traits.
- Scientific Computing: Familiarity with R and high-performance computing (HPC), including Linux environments and cloud computing (AWS/GCP).
- Languages: Proficiency in English, with knowledge of German or French being advantageous.
The Swiss Plant Breeding Center (SPBC) is an independent competence and innovation center for plant breeding in Switzerland, established with support from the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG). Its mission is to enhance Swiss plant breeding and increase breeding efficiency. Central to its efforts is the networking of players in breeding and research alongside the transfer of research results into practical breeding programs. The SPBC offers breeders technical support, know-how, and expertise, actively planning and implementing innovations. It caters to various crop types and cultivation systems, collaborating through network partnerships and seeking customer and third-party funding.
Our competencies encompass molecular genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, quantitative genetics, data analytics, trial design, breeding program design, and digital phenotyping. In all these areas, we focus on assisting breeding organizations in translating research findings into routine applications.
Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.