Phytosanitary Officer

Phytosanitary Officer

Flowers and plants have a strong emotional value for the people who buy them. Their potential to inspire is endless – They can make our day, brighten up the house, or turn the garden into a paradise.

Dümmen Orange is a leading breeder and propagator of flowers and plants. Our goal is to inspire people and create a better, more beautiful world. We offer an impressive portfolio of crops and varieties to growers, wholesalers and retailers around the world. 

We are looking for a Phytosanitary Officer for our global Supply Chain department.

Why is this your job? 

Our organization grows and flourishes. This results in a fast-changing and, therefore, challenging environment.

Start clean, stay clean is key to provide healthy starting material to our grower customers worldwide. With a wide array of ornamental species in over more than 15 production farms this is a daily challenge. Local production teams, supported by our globally operating phytosanitary group, work closely together to secure a healthy and clean product. Guidance is provided by internal policies on Phytosanitation (GreenCare) and Integrated Pest Management (GreenGuard).

As a Phytosanitary Officer you are a member of the phytosanitary group and report to the Phytosanitary Manager. You will closely interact with colleagues on production farms in Europe, Africa and the Americas. You will advise and train them on hygiene practices, scouting, crop protection schedules, Integrated Pest Management schedules and good experimental practices. You lead audits to assess implementation and compliance with the policies and national and regional regulations. 

Your working location is flexible and will be determined in consultation, preferably in the Netherlands.  

Your tasks and responsibilities:

• Support production locations on the implementation of relevant policies;
• Analyse scouting data of pests and diseases;
• Measure and report on performance;
• Monitor execution of corrective actions taken to reduce phytosanitary risks;
• Provide support to identify unknown pests and diseases;
• Carry out audits at the production locations;
• Train the local teams on phytosanitary and crop protection related topics.

Who are you? 

• Bachelor or Master Degree Biology or Phytopathology, preferably with experience with scouting, crop protection and/or IPM in ornamentals;
• Analytical and critical mind-set with strong problem solving, practical and pro-active attitude;
• Proven affinity with Quality Assurance or Operational Excellence;
• Excellent communication skills within multidisciplinary and multicultural environment;
• Prepared to travel on a regular base to assigned production locations.

What do you get in return?

Dümmen Orange has major international ambitions with innovation technology and quality high on the agenda. There is plenty of room for autonomy, personal growth and you are part of an expert team. This allows you to optimally develop as a driven professional in your field. There is a supportive and open working environment where sharing knowledge, collaboration and achieving common goals are very important.

We also offer:

• An attractive salary depending on your knowledge and experience;
• Full-time employment (based on 38 hours);
• Hybrid working (including allowances for working from home and for the home workplace;
• Working hours are flexible and can be determined in consultation;
• A personal development plan based on continuous learning and our core values of commitment, focus, passion and responsibility.
• An international working environment;
• Collective Labour Agreement for the Greenhouse Horticulture Sector with, among other things, good leave arrangements and a good pension scheme (BPL Pension). We invest in your future by paying 2/3 of the pension premium.

Who are we?  

We are a leading international breeder and propagator of flowers and plants. Our breeders enhance characteristics such as color, fragrance, and shape, as well as less visible traits like disease resistance, higher yield per square meter, and extended vase life. In production locations across Africa, South and Central America we have 330+ hectares of production space at our disposal. Here we set up our mother stock plants and propagate the starting material. Our extensive range of crops and varieties finds its way to growers, wholesalers, and retailers around the world.

With a leading R&D team, a diverse network of our own propagation sites, and over a century of experience in floriculture, we are the trusted source for industry expertise and innovation in floriculture breeding.

The products our industry produces have a strong emotional value for the consumers who buy them. Our purpose is to inspire people and create a better, more beautiful world. Our team of 6,600 dedicated, focused, and passionate professionals works across the globe. Our head office is located in De Lier, the Netherlands.