Career Center

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (DDPSC) in St. Louis, MO seeks a Director for our expanding Phenotyping core facility. In 2012, DDPSC invested heavily in phenotyping with the establishment of the Bellwether Phenotyping facility and the core has expanded to include two other chamber-based instruments. With the Development of local field sites and the establishment of the Taylor Geospatial Institute (taylorgeospatial.org), the Center is expanding the scope of the phenotyping core and seeking a director with a vision for the future of plant phenotyping to lead it.

Responsibilities:

• Oversight of these resources as well as developing and managing additional diverse phenotyping infrastructure across the Center, to include handheld, chamber, greenhouse and field-based systems
• Engage with the vibrant and dynamic plant phenotyping community spanning several Danforth Center scientific cores and labs as well as a larger network of external users
• Other duties as assigned

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Exceptional sense of customer service, flexibility, hands-on problem solving ability, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to balance scientific and technical responsibilities with strategic management of a core facility
• Expertise and proven record in one or more key fields used in plant phenotyping including: plant imaging, phenotype data analytics, root phenotyping, UAV imaging and sensor-based data collection, engineering and computer science
• Broad understanding of different plant phenotyping technologies and their most recent applications
• Eagerness to identify, learn and adopt new technologies as available
• Live the Danforth Center values: Collaboration, Diversity & Inclusion, Innovation, Integrity & Respect, Environmental Sustainability, and Stewardship.
• Good organizational skills with ability to manage time and budgets efficiently and effectively
• Strong sense of community and collaborative approach to science

Qualifications:

• PhD and/or independent research (postdoc or senior scientist) in a field related to plant phenotyping

Submission:

• Cover letter that describes past research experience
• CV
• Contact information for three (3) professional references

About the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center:

Founded in 1998, The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is an independent, non-profit organization with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Our focus is scientific research at the nexus of food, energy and the environment to improve the productivity and sustainability of agriculture. We assemble interactive teams of scientists and develop unique platforms to discover underlying principles about how plants work. We then convert that knowledge into useful crops and products, and partner with organizations that are best positioned to solve problems where they exist around the world. The Centers work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is proudly an equal employment opportunity employer. Employment decisions at the Danforth Center are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. It is our policy that the Danforth Center does not discriminate in employment opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin and status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities. As a federal contractor, the Danforth Center is required to comply with the 2021 Executive Order mandating full vaccination status of employees by December 8, 2021 unless the employee is legally entitled to an accommodation due to physical disability or sincerely held religious belief. If you need a reasonable accommodation to access the information provided on this web site, please contact Human Resources, at 314-587-1033 for further assistance.