Chief Scientific Officer, BioAg

Confidential client: a well-funded bioscience company working across agriculture, human health and sustainable materials, with a large in-house R&D organisation and operations in many countries.

Position snapshot

• Title: Chief Scientific Officer / Principal Scientist, BioAg
• Location: Gurugram, Haryana
• Role level: member of the R&D leadership team, heading the biological agri-inputs group
• Scope: end-to-end product pipeline for soil health, plant nutrition and crop protection, from discovery to commercialization in global markets

The role

The company is looking for a visionary scientific leader to head its biological agri-inputs team. You will drive the strategy, execution and commercialization of a next-generation portfolio of biofertilizers, biostimulants, biocontrol, biopesticide and biofungicide products, and own the pipeline from early development to market.

Key responsibilities

1. Leadership and strategic planning

• Set and deliver a strategic vision for the BioAg group, aligned with business strategy and customer needs.
• Drive discovery, development and commercialization of novel products for global markets.
• Own the technical excellence teams that take the pipeline from early development to launch.

2. Research and development management

• Oversee design, execution and analysis of BioAg studies with high scientific rigour and regulatory compliance.
• Manage research projects, timelines and budgets, and hit milestones on time.
• Develop novel formulations for crop improvement and crop protection.
• Design and develop bio agri-inputs: biofertilizers, PGPR, biocontrol agents, biostimulants and more.
• Identify novel actives (peptides, metabolites, botanicals, plant extracts, hormones) and their uses in agriculture.
• Develop production methods for actives and their formulations.
• Lead soil microbiome engineering.
• File patents and review research publications.

3. Cross-functional collaboration

• Work closely with other functions for smooth product development and commercialization.
• Guide product development strategy and spot opportunities for innovation and differentiation.
• Partner with academic institutions, research organisations and regulators to accelerate development.

4. Regulatory compliance and intellectual property

• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines.
• Build processes to protect IP, including preparing and filing patent applications.

5. Global representation and technical collaboration

• Speak at conferences, seminars and technical forums on behalf of the company.
• Build strategic collaborations with leading research institutions and industry partners.
• Act as a global ambassador with key opinion leaders, industry experts and regulators.

6. Team development and talent management

• Recruit, train and mentor a high-performing team of BioAg scientists and researchers.
• Run performance reviews and build retention and succession plans.
• Promote a culture of scientific excellence, innovation and continuous learning.

What you bring

• Ph.D. in plant biology, crop science, agricultural biotechnology, agri-input science or a related field.
• 15+ years of experience, including 12+ years postdoctoral, in agri-biotech or biotechnology companies working on agri-input formulations.
• Wide exposure to R&D of biocontrol, biopesticide, biofertilizer and biofungicide products, with hands-on commercialization experience.
• Experience developing novel bio-based formulations for crop improvement and crop protection, working with multiple actives.
• A strong grasp of fundamental plant molecular biology techniques.
• A record of leading highly skilled teams in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, and a genuine drive to work in the impact space.

All applications are handled in confidence by a Dedicated HR Services partner. The client is named to shortlisted candidates only.