Research Scientist, Bioinformatics & Computational Genomics

Research Scientist Bioinformatics

Advanta is a global seed business adapting to rapidly increasing food insecurity and climate change by providing farmers with innovation and new technologies. As part of UPL Group, Advanta aims to deliver high quality seeds with excellent agronomic practices and crop protection solutions. Advanta operates in over 80 countries under global brands of Advanta, Alta and Pacific Seeds. Advanta holds a leadership position in tropical and sub-tropical geographies in corn, grain and forage sorghum, sunflower, canola, rice, and a variety of vegetables. With over 60 years' experience in plant genetics, Advanta provides seeds technology that ensures crop performance and farmers prosperity. We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented individual to join our dynamic, fast-growing, and diverse team in a high-throughput genotyping and molecular laboratory. This role supports the crop breeding program at Advanta Seeds and is ideal for recent PhD graduates who enjoy working at the lab bench, including designing, troubleshooting, and improving assays using KASP and TaqMan technologies, while also applying bioinformatics to support marker design and validation at scale. The successful candidate will begin with a strong wet-lab focus and will gradually expand their responsibilities into bioinformatics and computational analysis.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify and validate genome-wide and trait-associated molecular markers for core crops in Advanta Seeds.
• Develop, optimize, and validate KASP and TaqMan molecular markers for high-throughput genotyping workflows; troubleshoot and improve markers with reduced efficiency.
• Participate in trait discovery projects, including marker–trait association studies and validation workflows.
• Perform bioinformatics tasks such as standalone BLAST searches to support primer design, marker development, and gene annotation, including alignment and comparison across multiple reference genomes.
• Maintain and curate the molecular markers database.
• Document experiments, maintain precise records, and present results to internal and external audiences.
• Support senior scientists in managing projects and laboratory operations.
• Train temporary workers and lab technicians as needed.
• Ensure compliance with workplace safety protocols and proactively communicate project or lab-related issues to senior scientists.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Plant Biology, Biotechnology, or a related field (candidates with wet-lab experience are highly encouraged; bioinformatics-only profiles are not a fit).
• Strong foundation in molecular marker technologies (KASP, TaqMan) and assay design.
• Basic bioinformatics skills, including BLAST searches, sequence alignment tools, genome browsers, command-line familiarity.
• Proficiency in R, Python, or other programming languages; ability to use command-line tools. Familiarity with accessing and querying relational databases using SQL.
• Experience with DNA extraction, PCR, next-generation sequencing, and routine molecular biology methods.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset.
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work in a diverse team environment.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Advanta does not offer employment sponsorship for this position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with trait discovery or molecular breeding.
• Familiarity with high-throughput genotyping workflows.
• Exposure to next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and their application in marker development or variant discovery.