Sr. Scientist: Functional Genomics & Genome Editing

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 Senior Scientist in Gene Editing, you will manage research projects in delivery systems, advanced gene editing tools and editing strategies to support the establishment of a Gene editing Research Unit at SILAL and the development of genome -edited plants designed to withstand abiotic stress in arid and desert-like growing conditions. 

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

Key Responsibilities

• Explore and adopt state-of-the-art technologies in genome editing.

• Optimize protocols for gene delivery in SILAL strategic vegetable crops.

• Design and conduct experiments to test, validate and apply editing strategies using CRISPR/Cas9 and other genetic engineering tools.

• Contribute to functional genomics studies to elucidate gene functions and regulatory networks related to abiotic stresses.

• Work collaboratively with experts across disciplines (cell biology, genomics, bioinformatics, trait development, and pre-breeding) to deliver an integrated genomics pipeline.

• Collaborate with Biotechnology experts, including sequencing, biostatistics, and bioinformatics, to consolidate,  analyze and interpret experimental data for meaningful conclusions.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate improved CRISPR tools into various projects and applications

• Prepare detailed reports and presentations to communicate results to internal teams and end users.

• Participate in collaborations and interact with external partners.

• Foster a collaborative and innovative research environment.

Project Leadership & Management:

• Propose, design, and manage research projects independently.

• 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.

• Mentor and supervise lab technicians.

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 Cell Biology, Plant Biotechnology, or related field.

• Fluent in English

• Professional Experience for a minimum of 8+ Years. 
• Demonstrated expertise in CRISPR/Cas technology and genome editing tools.
• Proficiency in bioinformatics tools & analysis (end-to-end:  guide RNA design, edition efficiency and accuracy and off-target analysis.
• Proven track record in developing and optimizing genome editing techniques.
• Excellent problem-solving and data analysis skills.
• Expertise in molecular biology, genetic engineering, molecular cloning, and bioinformatics analysis.
• Knowledge of regulatory constraints and quality processes.
• Experience with vitro plant culture (monocots and dicots) is a plus.

Competencies

Technical Competencies

Competency

Proficiency Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert