Senior Scientist- Cell Biology

Job Details Job Title: Senior Scientist- Cell Biology Sector: Innovation Oasis Department: Science and Research Section: Plant health/ Physiology Reporting Lines: Direct Reports To: Principal Scientist: Cell Biology & Genome Editing 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 Cell Biology, you will manage research projects in plant cell biology, tissue regeneration, and delivery systems for genome editing to support the establishment of a Gene editing Research Unit at SILAL and the development of genome-edited plants designed to withstand abiotic stresses 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, adopt and implement state-of-the-art technologies in plant cell biology. Develop novel tools and methodologies for cellular studies. Optimize protocols for cell biology, tissue regeneration and GE tool delivery in ARC-Gen strategic vegetable crops. Investigate plant cell and tissue developmental processes using advanced microscopy and cell biology techniques. Contribute to functional genomics studies to elucidate gene functions and regulatory networks related to abiotic stresses. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (geneticists, bioinformaticians, trait experts, pre-breeders) to integrate cell biology findings with genomic data. Work collaboratively with experts across disciplines (cell biology, genomics, bioinformatics, trait development, and pre-breeding) to deliver an integrated genomics pipeline. Collaborate closely with Gene editing experts to integrate improved cell biology protocols 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.
Project Leadership & Management
Propose, design, and manage research projects 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.
People Management
Mentor and supervise lab technicians.
Stakeholder Management Key Internal Stakeholders:
All Sectors, Departments and Offices Any other concerned internal stakeholders as required
Key External Stakeholders:
Concerned government, semi-government and private sector entities Any other concerned external stakeholders as required
Required Qualification Academic Qualifications
Ph.D. in Plant Cell Biology, Plant Biotechnology, or related field. Fluent in English
Professional Experience
Professional Experience of a minimum of 8+ Years. Demonstrated expertise in cell biology and genetic transformation Deep understanding of genome editing principles and molecular biology. Experience with in vitro plant culture and monocots/dicots transformation is a plus Excellent problem-solving and data analysis skills. Knowledge of regulatory constraints and quality processes.
Competencies Technical Competencies
Plant Tissue Culture & Regeneration: Expertly optimizing in vitro protocols to regenerate whole plants from edited single cells. Genome Editing Delivery: Mastering transformation techniques like Agrobacterium or biolistics to deliver CRISPR components. Abiotic Stress Physiology: Understanding molecular mechanisms of heat, drought, and salinity to develop resilient crop traits. Advanced Microscopy & Imaging: Utilizing confocal or fluorescence microscopy to visualize and validate subcellular developmental processes Integrated Genomics Pipeline: Collaborating across bioinformatics and breeding to translate cellular findings into scalable R&D.