Pairwise is a mission-driven food+tech company dedicated to building a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables. Founded in 2017 by eminent scientists in the gene editing and biotechnology fields, Pairwise holds licenses from Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital to base editing and high-fidelity enzymes. We also are tuned in to consumer food trends, and we believe that consumers deserve more variety and innovation in their fresh food choices. Our team is primed to deliver that innovation through one of the best gene-editing platforms in food and agriculture. Pairwise has an exclusive 5-year research collaboration with Bayer to develop products in corn, soybean, wheat, canola, and cotton. Plus, Pairwise is developing new types of leafy greens, berries, and stonefruit, with the first product expected in early 2022. Pairwise is based in the start-up friendly Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina. 

Pairwise is looking to hire a motivated senior research associate into its controlled environment organization to help achieve a broad set of scientific goals and be part of our developing and scientific strategy. We are looking for an associate with bachelor or master’s level training and the ability to work independently and as part of the team. Your contribution will be critical to helping Pairwise meet a set of aggressive targets and building a culture where science can be fun.

Summary of Job Responsibilities

•         Plant, maintain, and harvest physical plant inventory for the company’s and collaborator’s projects.
•        Traceability of plant inventory during the growing cycle. This includes make pipeline advancement decisions and actively communicate status of the plants to internal stakeholders.

• Work closely with staff scientists to develop experimental strategy for targeted areas and bring those plans to life.
• Develop your skill sets and bring new techniques and methodologies into the Pairwise research sphere.
• Collaborate across multifunctional teams to find new insights and implement continuous improvements.
• Coordinate and manage workload to accomplish daily tasks.   
• Must be able to lift 35 pounds.
• Capable of working in high temperature conditions in greenhouses.
• Capable of working long hours during time-critical periods.  
  

Job Requirements

• Bachelor or master’s degree in a relevant field, such as biology, plant science, botany, agronomy, horticulture, ecology, or any biological discipline requiring plant husbandry skills.
• Previous greenhouse work experience is required. This includes work with greenhouse control systems (Argus), fertigation systems, and pest management.  
• Demonstrated horticultural skills in a professional setting or research in faculty labs is critical.
  
• Knowledge and experience keeping accurate scientific records via LIMs and laboratory notebooks.
• Experience and knowledge in laboratory safety or greenhouse safety practices, including use of PPE, SDSs and proper handling and disposal of laboratory waste.
• Experience with Quality Management Systems and Lean Management is a plus.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a large research setting.
• Ability to work independently on individual experiments.