Principal Scientist: Plant Physiology

Job Details

Reporting Lines

Job Purpose 

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 is aiming 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 a Principal Scientist in Plant Physiology, you will contribute to the development of the Plant Physiology Research Unit at ARC-Gen and manage research projects in plant physiology to support the development of abiotic resilience traits. You will play a critical role in shaping the plant physiology research strategy at ARC-Gen. This role involves designing and implementing experiments to understand plant physiological mechanisms and their genetic control and translating findings into actionable strategies for abiotic resilience improvement in targeted crops.

Your work will contribute directly to global priorities such as food security, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience.

Key Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Lead experimental design and execution to understand plant responses to abiotic stresses.

• Develop and validate physiological assays for traits such as drought, salt or heat tolerance.

• Interpret data to identify physiological traits linked to stress tolerance.

• Partner with other scientific teams to prioritize candidate genes based on physiological impact. 

• Develop and validate phenotyping protocols for edited plants.

• Monitor emerging technologies in phenotyping and remote sensing for potential adoption. 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (agronomists, (pre-)breeders, molecular and cell biologists, biostatisticians, etc.) to integrate physiological insights into abiotic stress projects, and ultimately link physiological traits with genetic pathways.

• Optimize phenotyping protocols.

• Work closely with trait experts for rapid assessment of plant performance.

• Present research findings internally and at scientific conferences contribute to publications.

Project Leadership & Management:

• Propose, design, and manage research projects

• Act as an expert in your domain and collaborate across research areas for timely delivery.

• Drive innovation and continuous improvement to accelerate research processes.

• Ensure efficient transfer of deliverables and know-how to end users.

• Manage a small team (1–3 assistants/technicians).

• Participate in building collaborations with world-class experts maintaining cutting-edge knowledge in the field.

• Contribute to project budgeting and research workplan development.

• Mentor and supervise technicians in best practices for technology use.

Stakeholder Management

Key Internal Stakeholders

Key External Stakeholders

• All Sectors, Departments and Offices 

• Any other concerned internal stakeholders as required

• Concerned government, semi-government and private sector entities 

• Any other concerned external stakeholders as required 

Required Qualification

Professional Experience

• Ph.D. in Plant Physiology or related field.

• Fluent in English.

• Deep understanding of plant physiological processes and their interaction with genetics and environment
• Experience in Crop Modelling is a plus
• Proven track record of managing projects and delivering results
• Proficiency in experimental design, statistical analysis, and data interpretation
• Experience with high-throughput precision phenotyping is a plus

Competencies

Technical Competencies

Competency

Proficiency Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert