Plant Physiology Scientist

Who we are:

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 an experienced, driven, and curious Plant Physiology Scientist to join us and significantly contribute to delivering the change we believe in.

The role:

We are looking for a highly skilled and motivated Plant Physiology Scientist to support our R&D pipeline. The ideal candidate will combine deep expertise with plant physiology, especially photosynthesis, with a strong background in data analysis and experimental design. This role will focus on developing new methods for screening our pipeline of exciting traits and extracting insights from large physiology and agronomic datasets.

Detailed responsibilities:

• Develop and optimize methods to characterize gene edited crops, both in controlled environments and field settings.
• Work closely with scientists, agronomists, and other team members to understand research goals and provide data-driven recommendations.
• Analyse complex datasets from field trials, controlled environment systems, laboratory experiments and other sources to draw actionable conclusions and guide further optimization efforts.
• 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.

Knowledge and skills:

• A PhD in Plant Biology (or similar advanced degree) with at least 3 years of relevant work experience
• A deep understanding of plant physiology; a focus on photosynthesis is a plus.
• A track record of developing methods to study crop performance in controlled environments, preferably soy, wheat, maize, or other major row crops.
• Working knowledge of statistical analysis methods and data visualization tools such as R, Python, or SAS.
• Experience with field trial design and analysis.
• Ability to translate complex data insights into clear, actionable recommendations for non-technical stakeholders.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.

Benefits:

• Group life cover x 3 of base salary.
• Pension.
• Private medical insurance.
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
• 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.
• Opportunity to work with cutting edge science.

Location

We’re headquartered in Milton Park, a business and technology park in Oxfordshire. We are 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.

The successful candidate will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK or indicate if sponsorship is required.