Permanent contract

OVERALL POSITION DESCRIPTION: 

The engineer will be in charge of the laboratory of physical analysis for plant seeds (20 permanent employees and 10 temporary employees). This person will directly report to the SNES Director, and will work closely with the other laboratory managers of the station. Supported by his/her laboratory’s division managers, the person will supervise regulatory activities, services and their marketing development, R&D, and national/international network development for the sector. He/she must manage the implementation and monitoring of the seed quality analysis, the trainings for seed companies, and the technical supervision of seed company laboratories (programming, implementation, validation of results, deadlines compliance). The engineer will be responsible for multidisciplinary research projects with the final goal of developing and optimizing analysis methods of the seeds quality. He/she will use plant biology and/or botany knowledge and also existing or new technologies (phenotyping, image analysis, X-Ray imaging, molecular biology...). He/she will contribute to the development of the scientific and technical professionals’ network in order to enforce the R&D of the laboratory on the National, European, and International scale. The manager will develop his/her team’s scientific and technical skills to ensure the official status of a reference laboratory in the seed sector. 

PROFESSIONNAL ENVIRONNEMENT: 

The person will be affected to the Official Seed Testing Station (SNES, 100 employees) of GEVES. SNES’s core mission is to evaluate and control the quality of seeds for official French organizations and private seed companies for the national and international commerce. The SNES trains and qualifies specialists belonging to seed companies or students of renowned schools and universities. The laboratory is also in charge of the technical supervision of the French laboratories of the seed sector for example by organising inter-laboratory comparison tests and carries out its expertise (auditing). The laboratory “Physical Analysis” has an official mission to analyse about 30 000 seed lots issued from commercial consignments each year: species purity, search for impurity including foreign seed species in crops, water content, X-Ray imaging… Research is finalized and conducted in parallel with analyse and its core vocation. The laboratory is in charge of producing reference documents and seed collections (I.D.SEED®) for professional use. It is part of the whole station for the analysis of quality of seeds and as such close collaboration between teams is very important. The SNES conducts methodological research programs designed to improve and develop tests on the quality of seeds and the knowledge of the biology of seeds. GEVES and SNES are accredited by ISTA (International Seed Testing Association), and ISO 17025. Using the results of its methodological work and working closely with professionals in the seed sector, SNES contributes to the development of both ISTA rules and European rules and regulations. The SNES is strengthened by its close ties with international partnership as well as the seed sector. The missions of SNES are carried out in the spirit of public services, satisfaction of the regulatory and private customers’ needs. As part of implementation of the Geves general goals, the laboratory contributes to promote its service and develop marketing plans to its regulatory and private customers. 

KEY JOB TASKS: 

• Manage the laboratory on a scientific, technical, financial and human level 
• Evaluate and gather material and human resources for the missions and projects of the laboratory (includes recruitment, management, skills development…) 
• Conceive and/or manage the development of new methods or technologies (phenotyping, image analysis, morphobiology by X-Ray imaging, cytology, molecular biology…) 
• Analyse and validate results 
• Disseminate and valorise results and technological works in the form of reports, publications, oral presentations, in French and in English 
• Take action in scientific (botany, seed biology) and technical (quality of seed and regulations) networks 
• Train internally and externally professionals to the implementation of specific techniques 
• Follow and enforce the health and safety regulations 
• Follow and enforce commitments and quality assurance procedures of the laboratory 

SKILLS: 

• Advanced knowledge in plant biology 
• Advanced knowledge of botany and plant systematic 
• Knowledge in agricultural research 
• Knowledge of scientific , technological, and professional organizations of the sector 
• Convert results into a finalized research work - Adapt to the organization’s protocols 
• Adapt to the organization’s environment and its evolution 
• Know how to convert scientific research results into applied research and production 
• Know how to report on the laboratory’s results 
• Mobilize people around a common project 
• Fluent in formal and scientific French 
• Excellent oral and speaking skills in English (scientific and technical vocabulary) 

PERSONAL SKILLS: 

• Management 
• Team spirit 
• Interest for applied research 
• Ease for public speaking 
• Source of proposals 
• Sense of responsibility 
• Professional rigor 
• Interest for marketing 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS/SALARY: 

• Post Doc, PhD in biology or equivalent scientific areas. 
• Experience in research and management. 
• Advanced knowledge and skills in biology (botany, cell, microbial, molecular biology). 
• Knowledge of the plant world and/or the seed sector and/or agriculture. 

Salary: 33 000euros annual gross income + 13th month. 

APPLICATION

Please express your motivations and interest in a covering letter and join your CV by email before May, 7th 2017 to: Joël LECHAPPE joel.lechappe@geves.fr