Digital Automation Technology Lead

Company Description

Syngenta Crop Protection is a leader in agricultural innovation, bringing breakthrough technologies and solutions that enable farmers to grow productively and sustainably. We offer a leading portfolio of crop protection solutions for plant and soil health, as well as digital solutions that transform the decision-making capabilities of farmers. Our 17,900 employees serve to advance agriculture in more than 90 countries around the world. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, and is part of the Syngenta Group.

Our employees reflect the diversity of our customers, the markets where we operate and the communities which we serve.  No matter what your position, you will have a vital role in safely feeding the world and taking care of our planet.  Join us and help shape the future of agriculture!

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Digital Automation Technology Lead to drive the convergence of traditional automation, data technologies, and AI agent orchestration to enable self-driving lab environments and autonomous E2E workflows globally as part of our Digital Automation & Process Innovation team. Within the role you will support new R&D centers projects as a point of reference for data-focused automation technology topics. You will translate standards and architectures into scalable, locally deployed solutions while pioneering new paradigms where AI agents coordinate instruments, interpret results, and autonomously drive experimental and operational workflows. Key responsibilities will include:

• Architecting and implementing the automation backbone for self-driving lab capabilities - closed-loop systems where AI agents plan experiments, trigger instruments, capture data, interpret results, and iterate without manual intervention.
• Collaborating with scientists and R&D teams to identify high-value workflows suitable for autonomous operation and progressive levels of self-driving maturity.
• Acting as the primary point of contact, while owning the local relationship with scientists, lab managers, and process engineers to ensure data-driven automation needs are captured, prioritised, and addressed in alignment with the global hub.
• Owning the end-to-end delivery of high-complexity global initiatives, taking full accountability for technical decision-making and outcomes and cross-functional guidelines to ensure best practice and compliance with Digital Automation & IoT principles.
• Lead PoC and prototyping initiatives to evaluate innovative solutions (e.g., image processing, OT/IIoT, lab & pilot plant data orchestration).
• Co-owning the technical roadmap, or components thereof, for digital automation R&D capabilities - i.e., data capture automation, workflow automation, and hyperautomation.
• Driving the implementation of prioritised digital and data automation projects that drive standardisation to enable FAIR data practices and have positive impact on cross-functional effectiveness & productivity.
• Representing R&D in complex, strategic initiatives, collaborating effectively across regions and with external stakeholders to ensure solutions are strategically aligned and technically robust, while partnering with data scientists, AI/ML engineers, and IT platform teams to ensure cohesive and strategic solution delivery.
• Contributing to the Digital Automation technology strategic roadmap with a forward-looking view on core capabilities by providing expertise and technical leadership to the global R&D community.
• Supporting capability building across local teams on agent-augmented automation, prompt engineering for orchestration, and self-driving lab concepts.

Qualifications

What we are looking for

• Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Automation, Robotics, or related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in automation engineering projects, OT/IT integration, and relevant data capture platforms (e.g., TetraScience, Zontal).
• Strong hands-on knowledge in Python and at least one of the following: workflow orchestration and orchestration platforms, instrument integration, PLC/SCADA, data pipeline tooling.
• Understanding of AI/ML concepts and practical experience applying them to process or lab automation.
• Experience designing systems where multiple autonomous components coordinate goals.
• Understanding of E2E process workflows in R&D, manufacturing, or process development environments.
• Proven ability to work in a matrixed, hub & spoke, or centre-of-excellence model across global teams.

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience with agent frameworks (e.g., LangChain/LangGraph, AutoGen, CrewAI, or custom orchestration).
• Exposure to self-driving lab concepts, closed-loop experimentation, or autonomous research platforms (orchestration capabilities).
• Experience with IoT platforms, edge computing, or historian systems (e.g., OSIsoft PI, Aveva).
• Knowledge of robotic process automation.
• Familiarity with digital twins and simulation-driven optimization.
• Knowledge of GxP, data integrity, and compliance in regulated environments.
• Experience in Life Sciences, Crop Protection, or Chemical/Pharma R&D settings.

Additional Information

Our site

Jealott's Hill International Research Centre UK is situated in pleasant semi-rural surroundings between Bracknell and Maidenhead and is the place of work for approximately 800 Syngenta scientists and support staff. Jealott’s Hill is one of the main global research and development sites and key activities include research into discovery of new active ingredients, new formulation technologies, product safety and technical support of our product range.

What we offer

• Extensive benefits package including a generous pension scheme, bonus scheme, private medical & life insurance.
• Up to 31.5 days annual holiday.
• Campus environment.
• A position which contributes to valuable and impactful work in a stimulating and international environment.  
• The chance to work with and learn from highly qualified and experienced employees.
• Learning culture and wide range of training options.

Syngenta has been ranked as a top 5 employer and number 1 in agriculture by Science Journal.

Syngenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. Learn more about our D&I initiatives here: https://www.syngenta.com/careers/working-syngenta/diversity-and-inclusion

Jealott’s Hill has Disability Confident certification.

We are committed to making all stages of our recruitment process accessible to all candidates and our Jealott’s Hill site are a Disability Confident Level 2 Employer. Please let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application and we will do everything we can to support you.