Assistant Breeder

As an assistant breeder, you’ll be supporting breeders and a researcher within our organisation. You’ll be working daily in the greenhouses, utilising your green fingers for practical tasks supporting breeding activities. Your responsibilities include various selection tasks, requiring accurate observation, data collection, and registration.

You’ll assist in pollinating and maintaining both potted and cut carnations and in registering quantitative traits in selection trials. You’ll conduct vase life tests and perform shelf life trials for potted carnations. Additionally, you’ll support in breeding Limonium and Gerbera.

You’ll also aid our researcher in initiating and maintaining research projects, such as disease evaluations and plant phenotyping.

You’ll join a dynamic team of assistant breeders under the guidance of 1 or 2 breeders. Together, you’ll ensure our crops rank among the world’s best. At HilverdaFlorist, we strive to lead in the continuously evolving floriculture sector, and you can contribute by supporting our breeders to elevate our starting materials to the next level.

We’re a family business, with a pleasant working atmosphere in a no-nonsense, open, honest, and flat organization. We value development and encourage it through training and education opportunities.

Additionally, you’ll receive competitive primary and secondary employment conditions, including:

• This position is classified in scale E of the Collective Labor Agreement (CAO) for Greenhouse Horticulture (€2,618.70 – €3,201.60 gross per month). The exact level will depend on your knowledge and experience;
• A full-time role (40 hours per week);
• Employment conditions in line with the CAO for Greenhouse Horticulture;
• 25.5 vacation days on a full-time basis, with the option to purchase an additional 7 days (on a full-time basis);
• A one-year contract, followed by a permanent contract upon satisfactory performance;
• Participation in the pension fund for Greenhouse Horticulture (BPL);
• Travel expense reimbursement.

HilverdaFlorist focuses on breeding, propagation, and development of a wide range of cut flowers, potted plants, and garden plants. This is done with a strong drive and focus on innovation. HilverdaFlorist is the supplier of high-quality young plant material suitable for every climate and cultivation need. Our range consists of starting material in seeds, cuttings, and tissue culture.

Our mission is simple: to excel together for a flourishing future. To achieve this, we focus on four core values: innovation, ambition, partnership, and reliability. HilverdaFlorist’s head office is located in De Kwakel. Here in The Netherlans, we work with 150 people in an international context. Together with our other branches in Colombia, Kenya, India, and Canada, HilverdaFlorist can provide all customers worldwide with the best products and advice.

You’re a hands-on Bachelor’s graduate looking to take your second or third career step. You have ‘green’ fingers and an active and practical working attitude. You enjoy diverse tasks and can smoothly transition between them. While you’re independent in your work, you value working together with your colleagues.

Moreover, you have:

• A completed Bachelor’s degree in a ‘green’ field (biology, agriculture, horticulture).
• Preferably, experience in breeding.
• Preferably, experience in phytopathology or a laboratory setting.

The execution of crop protection is part of this role.

Interested? Apply now!

Send your CV and cover letter to Marije Buizer, HR Manager, via email at vacature@hilverdaflorist.com.

For inquiries, contact Martin Beers, R&D Manager, either by phone or WhatsApp at 06 13 06 87 45 or via email at m.beers@hilverdaflorist.com.

With this vacancy we want to recruit our new colleague ourselves. This is therefore not a call for acquisition.