Scientist - Plant Team

almost 3 years ago
Full time role
Hayward, CA, US... more
Hayward, CA, US... more

Company

Half of our world’s food supply is dependent on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, yet it has serious environmental impacts. Fertilizer contributes ...

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Job Description

Company Description:

Fueled by an innovative drive and a deep understanding of the soil microbiome, Pivot Bio is pioneering game-changing advances in agriculture. Our first commercial product harnesses the power of naturally-occurring microbes to provide nutrients to crops. We are dedicated to providing new sustainable ways for farmers to improve yield as they work to help feed the world’s growing population. Read/Hear more about Pivot Bio on OneZero or CNN.

Position: Scientist, Preferred location: Hayward, California with travel once a week to Berkeley Headquarters

We are seeking a detail-oriented Scientist to join our growing Plant Analytics team. This
individual will be an integral part of our plant biology team and will be expected to contribute to
assay design while also being responsible for plant care. In addition to working on established
protocols, the successful candidate will collaborate within and across teams to analyze data to
identify novel nitrogen producing microbial strains.

Responsibilities:

● Develop assays and procedures to generate reliable, quantitative data on plant growth
metrics and product performance including morphological measurements of vegetative
and root tissues and visualization of microbe/ plant interactions

● Develop and optimize substrates and solution combinations for optimal plant phenotypic
response and microbial efficacy

● Troubleshoot and assist protocol iterations, and proactively find ways to increase
efficiency and automate processes as applicable

● Prioritize daily tasks to meet the needs of all team members, and effectively communicate
progress and results in a timely manner

● Help to develop and implement data curation/ QC and statistical analysis pipelines for
real-time decision making

● Develop and test models for plant growth outcomes based on measured microbial
phenotypes

● Support the plant care needs for a growing team at Pivot Bio

Required Skills and Experience:

● Minimum of MS in biological sciences (plant biology, horticulture, or agronomy strongly
preferred) with 3+ years of full time experience or PhD with 1+ year of full time
experience

● Experience with plant care/greenhouse assays and previous work in maize, other row
crops, or model plants

● Experience optimizing plant phenotyping experiments, with a preference for a strong
background in assay development

● Advanced computer skills including data capture/ visualization as well as management
and statistical analysis of complex data sets

●Superior communication and teamwork, and ability to forecast time and resource needs

● Attention to detail and ability to effectively perform tasks as directed by supervisor or
according to an SOP

● Able to lift 50 pounds

● Must be able to work on weekends occasionally

*Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

What we offer:

  • Competitive package in a disruptive startup
  • Stock options
  • Health/Dental/Vision insurance with employer-paid premiums
  • Life, Short Term and Long Term Disability policies
  • Employee Assistance Program with free referrals and discounts
  • 401(k) plan, 3% Match
  • Commuter benefits
  • Annual Training & Development support
  • Flexible vacation policy with a generous holiday schedule
  • Exciting opportunity to work with a talented and fun team

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