Plant Health Laboratory Technician

Plant Health Laboratory Technician (H/F) Job Description Posting Start Date: 8/7/26 Offer ID: 2493 Unit: HM Clause Job Title: Plant Health Laboratory Technician (H/F) Job Location: Portes-lès-Valence Contract type: Permanent Job Description:

Function

You will contribute to ensuring the quality and reliability of seed health analyses. Acting as a technical expert, you will oversee several laboratory activities, coordinate a team of four analysts, and actively contribute to the continuous improvement of our laboratory practices.

Main Goal

Team Coordination

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of four laboratory analysts.
• Organize and allocate daily activities to ensure analyses are completed on time and meet quality standards.
• Provide technical guidance and support to team members while fostering their professional development.
• Ensure compliance with laboratory procedures, quality standards, and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).

Technical Lead

• Take technical responsibility for the preparation of culture media, buffers, and laboratory reagents.
• Validate the conformity and quality of prepared media.
• Update procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and preparation protocols.
• Supervise culture media preparation activities.

Technical Crop Expert

• Perform or supervise the evaluation of tests for assigned crop species.
• Interpret test results and ensure their accuracy and reliability.
• Communicate results to the relevant internal stakeholders.
• Maintain and update procedures and technical documentation.
• Provide back-up support for other species specialists when required.

Management of External Laboratory Analyses

• Coordinate analyses outsourced to external laboratories.
• Identify and qualify new laboratory partners when necessary.
• Monitor requests, results, and any deviations or non-conformities.
• Ensure agreed turnaround times are met.

Procurement

• Manage routine laboratory purchasing activities.
• Monitor supplies and follow up on delivery delays when necessary.
• Maintain and update purchasing and inventory tracking tools.

Laboratory Data Management

• Create daily analysis requests within the ERP system.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of laboratory data.
• Support the administrative management of laboratory activities.
• Contribute to quality management, continuous improvement initiatives, and compliance with health and safety requirements.

What we expect of you

• Minimum Associate's or Bachelor's degree (BSc) in Biology, Microbiology, Bioanalytics, Biological Sciences, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of laboratory experience, including experience in team leadership or coordination.
• Strong knowledge of microbiology and/or plant pathology laboratory techniques.
• Experience or solid knowledge of plant diseases would be a strong asset.
• Proficiency with standard IT tools and laboratory information systems.
• Good practice of English, both written and spoken, for technical exchanges and documentation.

About us

HM.CLAUSE, Business Unit of Group Limagrain, is an innovative global leader in the development, production, and commercialization of vegetable seeds. HM.CLAUSE belongs to the top 5 vegetable seed entities in the world. With over 2,000 varieties in more than 20 vegetable crops, HM.CLAUSE provides innovative solutions to growers worldwide. HM. CLAUSE is a company committed to diversity and inclusion.

Limagrain is a global company with deep local roots. Our parent company is an agricultural cooperative based in the Limagne-Val d’Allier plain, in the heart of Central France’s Auvergne region, while we are an international seed and agri-food group with some 9,600 employees working in 53 countries. As the 4th largest seed company in the world, we achieved sales of 2.522 billion euros in 2023-2024, with additional sales of 729 million euros from activities carried out in collaboration with our strategic partners.