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Breeder

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Breeder

Prominent De Lier (The Netherlands)

What is required?

  • Completed bachelor or master’s degree in plant breeding and genetics
  • Experience in plant breeding, genetics, statistical analysis, molecular biology and the application of molecular markers in plant breeding
  • Good organisational skills, ability to achieve strong results
  • Being able to communicate well and work in multidisciplinary teams

What will you get?

  • From €2,500 gross p/m (depending on knowledge and experience)
  • 40-hour working week
  • 25 days annual leave
  • Extensive development opportunities

What will you do?

  • 70% Initiating and coordinating research projects
  • 10% Visits to growers (worldwide) for tests and measurements
  • 10% Contact scientists
  • 10% Commercial activities

This vacancy has been created based on interviews with employees to help you get a realistic preview of the job.

Ask a question directly

Jessica Dedrog - van den Hoek

HR Advisor

Vacancy

As a Breeder at Totam Seeds (part of Prominent) you are responsible for the development and improvement of tomato hybrids. You work on breeding projects together with colleagues from the greenhouse and the sales department. You also have a lot of contact with scientists in the field of pathology and breeding technology. Above all, you have a coordinating and steering role. For example, you will plan sowing, planting, and create various F1’s and breeding crosses. You also ensure that the variety can be produced at any time.

You come up with research proposals and implement these. You create parent lines in order to develop or improve a variety. Your colleagues in the greenhouse take care of the plants, but you make sure that the seed is in the right place on time and act if necessary. Based on data and trials you determine whether the variety has potential. If this is the case, you involve your commercial colleagues.

Together you think about the roll-out of the variety to growers , local and international. Your commercial colleagues plan trials at growers and you keep a close eye on the results. That is why you regularly travel abroad for product and trial evaluations. Ultimately, you will make decisions about the future of the variety together with your commercial colleagues and the grower. You also have a lot of contact with other breeding communities worldwide to discuss improvement of breeding projects.

If you like working a lot with plants and seeds internationally, and you don't mind others commenting on your work and results, then this is a job for you.

Working week

Breeder
Toon van de Ven

On a nice working day, a grower's results were better than expected and I attended an interesting conference.

On a less enjoyable day there is miscommunication. There has also been a mistake in the planning, as a result of which an assistant is unable to continue working.
  • 08:00
  • 09:00
  • 10:00
  • 11:00
  • 12:00
  • 13:00
  • 14:00
  • 15:00
  • 16:00
  • 17:00
  • 18:00
    • Contact scientists
    • Lunch
    • Contact growers
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coördinating breeding projects
    • Contact scientists
    • Contact scientists
    • Lunch
    • Contact growers
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Meeting management team
    • Meeting local management team
    • Lunch
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Contact scientists
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Contact growers
    • Contact scientists
    • Contact scientists
    • Lunch
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Coordinating breeding projects
    • Setting commercial goals
    • Meeting commercial colleagues about the conference

Firsthand experience

You are told that it is not possible to sow, but this was part of the planning. What do you do?

Something seems to be not working properly in the grower's system where you planned to sow, as a result of which they didn't receive the right information. In that case, you are responsible and have to make a decision. It is important that you are always well prepared when it comes to the output. The right plants have to be in the greenhouse on time; which also applies to the supplies needed for sowing. You need to have sufficient manpower on site as well and make an appointment with laboratories to examine the results. In this situation, you make sure to recruit extra people or find an alternative, such as postponing the sowing time.

Growth

Once you are a breeder, you often continue to fulfill this role. In this profession, there is a lot of freedom, and at the same time you need extensive experience before you can master the profession properly. Of course, there are further growth opportunities: you can become Head Breeder and eventually hold a management position.

Breeder
Head Breeder
Management Position

Working at Prominent

Prominent is an innovative specialist in tomatoes. It is our passion to enable every type of consumer to enjoy our healthy and tasty products on a daily basis. These products are grown by our growers; leading producers of top-quality tomatoes. Our organisation consists of three growers and 29 affiliated growers with a total of 420 hectares of tomatoes. The two packaging centres, Prominent De Lier and Prominent Maasland, pack 71 million kilos of tomatoes per year on fully automated packaging lines for the largest supermarket chains in Europe. Prominent is a product group within Coöperatie DOOR;  members of the producer organisation Prominent are all also members of DOOR. This organisation is responsible for the sales and marketing of the product. All tomato growers within DOOR are in turn members of Prominent. DOOR "House of leading Brands" ensures that millions of people have access to healthy fruited vegetables: cucumber, tomatoes, block and point peppers and aubergines. With around 40 entrepreneurs and 600 hectares of glass, DOOR is a leading player. DOOR's focus is on sales, marketing, innovation and facilitating its members in numerous areas such as packaging, food safety and sustainability.

View company profile of Prominent
  • Headquarters in Westland (The Netherlands)
  • Deliveries throughout Europe
  • 25% / 75%
  • Average age: 39 years
  • 106 employers

Colleagues

Hans van Hemert - Coördinator incoming goods

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Unfortunately I lost my previous job because of covid-19. I came across this company and I immediately had a good feeling about it.

What was your previous job?
Company Director at David van Schie Party Catering

What do you do in your spare time?
Enjoying life!

Piet Pruijsen - Stock collaborator

Why did you decide to work for this company?
I was looking for a job with a lot of challenge and regularity and that's what I found at Prominent. There is a positive atmosphere.

What was your previous job?
Truck driver

Kornelia Kulik - Supervisor

Why did you decide to work for this company?
I soon noticed that you can grow well within Prominent and that was exactly what I was looking for. Moreover, the job interview felt very familiar.

What was your previous job?
Team Leader (small packages) at The Greenery

What do you do in your spare time?
Taking care of my bird and going on holidays.

Bastiaan - Intern

Why did you decide to work for this company?
For my studies, I had to do a graduation internship. Because I already had a holiday job at one of the growers, Prominent stood out on the list. I thought it would be interesting to see what happens with the tomatoes when they leave the greenhouse.

What was your previous job?
Student at MBO Westland

What do you do in your spare time?
Cycling and hanging out with friends.

Helga van Marrewijk - Manager of Communications

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Before that, I was an independent communications consultant for over 20 years. Because I was already able to work at Prominent for a couple of years, I knew what I was getting myself into when I switched to a permanent job on January 1st. Together with great colleagues, I was building a beautiful organisation and promising brands.

What was your previous job?
Independent consultant within a partnership.

What do you do in your spare time?
Practicing sport - for example cycling - but also reading and going to the theather or watching a movie.

Romy van Wijk (27) - HR Assistant

Why did you decide to work for this company?
When I decided to start working here, I was very enthusiastic about the company’s mentality. Everyone is a real go-getter. In addition, the atmosphere is very informal. I really wanted to work for a company like that.

What was your previous job?
Studying Human Resources Management

What do you do in your spare time?
Bootcamp, meeting friends and reading.

Caby Flaton - Team Leader Quality Control

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Prominent was founded in January 2000. At that time, I was approached by the logistics manager to come and work there. After the first interview I was immediately enthusiastic; and eventually started in March.

What was your previous job?
Qualitycontroller at The Greenery

What do you do in your spare time?
Football training, watching football and having a drink with friends.

Luuk van Vliet - Data Analyst

Why did you decide to work for this company?
After studying Logistics Management, I wanted to develop in the field of data analysis. During my studies, I was already working in the AGF sector and I always enjoyed this dynamic world. I started at Prominent through an open application and was given every opportunity to develop myself.

What was your previous job?
Bachelor Logistics Management at Hogeschool Rotterdam

What do you do in your spare time?
Fitness and playing the piano.

Nick van Katwijk - Infra / tech lead

Why did you decide to work for this company?
I heard about Prominent through my network, and after a few conversations it became clear to me: this is what I would like to contribute to, a company with ambition and a plan.

What was your previous job?
IT Infrastructure Consultant - Avanade

What do you do in your spare time?
Going outside with my family, but also watching Netflix series.

Jacco Besuijen (40) - Purchasing manager

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Prominent immediately struck me as a professional Westland club. It offered me - at the start of my career - all opportunities and possibilities.

What was your previous job?
Transport planner

What do you do in your spare time?
Spending time with my family, snowboarding, having a beer with some friends.

Jessica Dedrog - van den Hoek - HR Advisor

Why did you decide to work for this company?
I was ready for a new challenge and started looking for similar positions in dynamic Westland. There I found Prominent's vacancy, it instantly appealed to me and I immediately got in touch. All the developments Prominent is working on, that is what gives you energy, it's always buzzing. I love it!

What was your previous job?
HR Advisor - Green Partners (DFG)

What do you do in your spare time?
Going out for dinner, cooking, having a drink with friends, going out with the family, crossfit and hiking.

Interesting job?