About this role
Job Overview:
You would be accountable for deploying and embedding global in-vitro propagation and laboratory standards across the production network. The role translates expert-defined protocols into practical laboratory procedures, tools, training, competency programmes and compliance routines covering culture stages, media, contamination control, genetic fidelity, quality, traceability and operational performance.
The Center of Excellence (CoE) operating model separates technical definition from operational integration. While the Plant Propagation Expert defines protocols, standards and technical frameworks, you will ensure that laboratories understand, implement and sustain them, with structured feedback to support continuous improvement.
This role will be required to travel around all of our sites (UK, Israel, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Philippines) and 3rd parties' suppliers operating in other countries, you will be travelling for around 70% of your time, and would be required to spend the first 5 months of the role training in Israel.
Core Responsibilities
1. Protocol deployment and standardisation
- Translate global tissue-culture and propagation standards into practical SOPs, work instructions, checklists, templates and site implementation plans.
- Coordinate controlled local adaptation for media inputs, equipment and operating conditions while protecting global requirements.
- Maintain implementation documentation and ensure current protocols are accessible to laboratory teams.
- Coordinate deployment priorities and readiness with the Plant Propagation Expert and site leadership.
2. Laboratory implementation and adoption
- Drive standardisation of culture stages, media preparation, process parameters, contamination prevention, genetic-fidelity controls, traceability and defect classification.
- Facilitate laboratory gap assessments, action plans and follow-up routines to close implementation gaps.
- Support consistent use of approved equipment, quality controls, recovery plans and reporting practices.
3. Training and competency development
- Develop and deliver technical training and competency programmes using content approved by the Expert.
- Create practical job aids and reinforce standard work through on-site coaching and observation.
- Coordinate knowledge transfer and sharing of validated laboratory practices across regions.
4. Compliance and laboratory performance
- Monitor protocol compliance and laboratory performance using agreed KPIs, audit criteria and reporting templates.
- Track corrective actions and escalate material contamination, quality, mutation, capacity or adoption risks.
- Consolidate site feedback and performance insights for review with the Expert and CoE leadership.
5. Continuous improvement and innovation deployment
- Coordinate operational trials and deployment of expert-validated technologies, methods, equipment and process improvements.
- Capture lessons learned, implementation risks and benefits, and update deployment tools accordingly.
- Facilitate root-cause analysis and corrective-action follow-up for recurring propagation or laboratory issues.
6. Cross-functional coordination
- Partner with Mother Plantation, Greenhouse & Nursery, Planning & Forecasting, R&D, Supply Chain and country teams to maintain end-to-end alignment.
- Coordinate onboarding of new laboratories, sites or partners to global propagation standards.
- Support implementation of end-to-end traceability, production reporting, packaging and logistics interfaces.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Plant Science, Plant Biotechnology, Biology, Agronomy, Horticulture or a related discipline preferred.
- +2 years of experience in commercial plant tissue culture, in-vitro propagation or laboratory production.
- Hands-on experience implementing laboratory SOPs, training teams and monitoring protocol compliance.
- Working knowledge of culture media, contamination control, genetic fidelity, mutation or off-type management, quality systems and continuous improvement.
- Experience working across countries, cultures or third-party laboratories is advantageous.
- English and Spanish proficiency required.
- Willingness to travel internationally ~70% of the time while in this role
About Us
Tropic is one of the world’s leading agricultural gene-editing companies. Our team is dedicated to the development and commercialization of high-performing varieties of tropical crops to provide significant benefits to growers, processors and consumers globally, tackling real-world problems around food security and sustainability.
Our vision is to become a leading seed business with significant ownership of its products from the laboratory to the field, while maintaining constructive relationships with growers and consumers based on transparency and trust.
Why Join Tropic?
- Diverse workforce operating in a dynamic working environment
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- Social events throughout the year
- Competitive compensation and benefits
Further Information
- Job Location – International
- Time Requirement – Full Time
- Contract – Permanent