At Wild Bio we are radically enhancing crops to feed the world sustainably and promote a wilder planet. Wild plants have had half a billion years to evolve natural solutions for thriving in almost every environment on Earth. Our proprietary genetics platform harnesses these wild innovations to enhance the world’s most important crops. Wild-enhanced crops would simultaneously boost farm yields and promote gigaton-scale carbon mitigation strategies. If you’re looking for a start-up that has enormous potential for impact on growers, consumers, and the planet, please read on.
Wild Bio is a well-funded, fast-paced Oxford University spin-out working from state-of-the-art labs and offices at Milton Park, Oxfordshire. We are about to enter an exciting phase of growth and are looking for a driven, and curious Research Associate or Scientist depending on experience to join us and significantly contribute to delivering the change we believe in.
Our values:
Our work is guided by three core values that define who we are and how we approach our mission:
- Curiosity: We fuel our desire to explore the unknown, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and sparking innovation. We ask questions, seek answers, and embrace lifelong learning.
- Community: We believe in the strength and support gained through collaboration and inclusion. As part of a global community, we nurture connections to drive meaningful impact for both people and planet.
- Courage: We face challenges head-on, take calculated risks, and stand up for our beliefs. Our bravery propels us to take action, even in the face of adversity.
If these values resonate with you, we invite you to join our team of passionate scientists and innovators working at the cutting edge of bioscience.
Responsibilities:
We are looking for a highly skilled and motivated Field Trials Specialist to support our R&D pipeline. The ideal candidate will combine deep expertise with plant physiology Field Trials, with a strong background in data analysis and experimental design. This role will focus on progressing traits from Controlled Environments to the Field and extracting insights from the grow outs along the way.
What you will do:
- Engage with CROs and Regulatory bodies to design and execute successful Field Trials with statistical rigour.
- Develop and optimize methods to characterize gene edited crops, both in controlled environments and field settings.
- Analyse complex datasets from field trials, controlled environment systems, to draw actionable conclusions and guide pipeline advancement decisions.
- Collect, clean, and organize complex data from multiple sources and extract meaningful conclusions and insights.
- Present and report key data in meetings and provide written reports / slides to senior management.
- Stay current with emerging analytical tools and propose improvements to data collection, management, and analysis practices.
- Train and mentor those around you and proactively pitch in to help teammates when needed.
Requirements:
- An advanced degree in Plant Biology or Agricultural Research with at least 3 years of relevant work experience.
- A track record of developing methods to study crop performance in controlled environments and in the field, with experience growing Wheat and other row crops such as Soy, Maize etc.
- Working knowledge of statistical analysis methods and data visualization tools such as R, Python, or SAS.
- Experience with field trial design and analysis.
- Experience coordinating field trials with external parties including CROs and regulatory agencies.
- Ability to translate complex data insights into clear, actionable recommendations for non-technical stakeholders.
- Able to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
- Willingness to travel to field locations in the UK and abroad from time to time.
Benefits:
- The opportunity to be part of a ground breaking company that is making a tangible impact on global food security and sustainability.
- A dynamic, innovative, and supportive work environment that values creativity, hard work, and results.
- Competitive salary, equity options, and benefits package.
- Professional development opportunities and a chance to grow with a rapidly expanding startup.
- Group life cover x 4 of base salary
- Pension scheme with a 5% Company contribution
- Private medical insurance including dental and optical
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
- Regular company socials
- Complimentary refreshments throughout the week
- Team meals including breakfast on a Monday and lunch each Friday, creating opportunities for informal networking and team bonding
- Training and development opportunities
- Flexible working opportunities
Location
We’re headquartered in Milton Park, a business and technology park in Oxfordshire. While we do offer flexible and hybrid working, we are also a small, fast-paced team working on cutting-edge science, and we believe the relationships forged and the work we do in-person will be crucial for our success. For this reason, we are asking that applicants be able to work on-site at least four days a week.
The successful candidate will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.
Work Location: In person
