Job Purpose
Silal’s mandate is to increase the high quality of food produced locally to ensure that the UAE population has access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food. To achieve this goal and support farmers and growers in increasing productivity and producing quality, Silal offers farmers technical advice to improve practices and technological solutions to address the industry’s challenges. The strategic vision is to:
Create an enabling ecosystem for research, development, and innovation in Agritech
Develop commercially viable and technically robust solutions to enable domestic production
Enhance the capacity and capability of farmers and advisors with both world-class knowledge and technologies.
As part of this vision, Silal is building state-of-the-art Research and Development Center in Al Foah Farm, Al Ain. The R&D Center aims to be a hub for Agriculture research and practical demonstration of advanced science and technologies to improve the advice and the knowledge of farming in the UAE.
The broad purpose of this role is to carry out both routine and one-off sampling and laboratory testing and perform a variety of technical support functions across the organization.
In the daily work, the employee interacts with the laboratory manager and colleagues, internal departments such as manufacturing, procurement and quality, external suppliers, and customers such as farm managers, agronomists, service engineers, delivery drivers, regulatory bodies, and inspection teams.
The employee will be responsible for proactively finding solutions to problems and identifying areas for improving the business. As a laboratory technician the employee is expected to work both individually and as part of the wider Silal laboratory team. They can work with minimum supervision, taking responsibility for the quality and accuracy of their own work. In any context working safely and ethically is paramount and the employee will be required follow quality procedures to meet the requirements of quality standards relevant to the role.
Key Responsibilities
The Mobile Disease Detection Unit Technician will oversee processes from sampling collection and reception of samples through to delivery of final reports to customers. The job will entail carrying out plant pathological diagnostic methods on samples received (e.g. using a range of microscopic and cultural techniques such as incubation and isolation in addition to making preparations for microscopic examination) using standard operating procedures and direction from senior colleagues. And will be responsible for ensuring samples are processed efficiently and effectively between disciplines, customers are informed of status of their samples, and final reports are delivered to appropriate deadlines. Specifically, you will:
Be responsible for the day to day running of Mobile Disease Detection Unit activities,
Contribute to the delivery of experimental work.
Communicate with the Silal Project Manager and Science Leadership to identify their requirements and agree prioritization and planning work in relation to delivery targets
Perform daily equipment checks
Cleaning equipment and general laboratory housekeeping
Ensure that the Mobile Disease Detection Unit is maintained to Silal’s health and safety and operational polices.
Ensure best practice in the laboratory, following Standard Operating Procedures and conducting work to the quality systems in place
Technical Duties
Work safely in the mobile laboratory and main laboratory, maintaining excellent housekeeping whilst following appropriate safety, environment and risk management systems.
Follow quality procedures to meet the requirements of quality standards relevant to the workplace.
Prepare for laboratory tasks using the appropriate scientific techniques, procedures and methods
Perform laboratory tasks following specified methodologies, such as Standard Operating Procedures.
Use of specified instrumentation and laboratory equipment, including calibration where required.
Produce reliable, accurate data and keep accurate records of laboratory work undertaken and results.
Collect, analyze, interpret and evaluate data and identify results requiring further investigation seeking advice of senior colleagues as appropriate.
Communicate scientific information appropriately, including the use of Laboratory Information Management systems, either digital or paper based.
Apply scientific techniques for data presentation. e.g. statistics
Recognize problems and apply appropriate scientific methods to identify causes and achieve solutions.
Participate in continuous business performance improvement.
People Management
Working with Farmers and Agriculture Engineers
Working with technical team at the R&D Centre
Working with internal teams and external partners
Required Qualification
Previous experience of using diagnostic methods and following protocols.
Working with a range of different plant types.
Working with microscopes and other laboratory equipment.
Good aseptic techniques.
Pathogenicity testing
Soil testing
Water testing
Experience of driving excellence in Customer Service in a customer delivery environment.
Managing work allocations in a busy environment.
Handling customer feedback.
Familiar with identifying plant pathogens including fungi, viruses and bacteria from a range of hosts.
Broad knowledge of plant pathogen life cycles and epidemiology.
Broad knowledge of soils, soil characteristics and classifications of soils
B.Sc or equivalent and/or relevant experience
Driving License
Language – English/ Arabic,
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