Seed Generation Research Specialist

Working closely with breeders, researchers, and operational teams, you will help deliver high-quality seed, accurate data, and reliable execution across the entire production cycle. As a Seed Generation Research Specialist, you will contribute to both nursery operations and crop production activities, supporting the successful delivery of breeding and seed generation objectives.

Nursery Operations & Pipeline Support (50%) Execute daily nursery and seed inventory activities, including material preparation, sowing, transplanting, sampling, seed harvest, seed treatment, packaging, and trial package preparation. Support crossing blocks, nursery activities, and trial material delivery according to crop-cycle plans, protocols, and stakeholder requirements.

Collaborate with nursery, breeding, crop production, and testing teams to ensure seed is delivered in the required quantity, quality, location, and timing. Maintain accurate nursery, inventory, phenotypic, and pipeline data in designated systems and breeding databases. Use operational data to improve nursery workflows, tools, and execution quality through data extraction, curation, and quality checks.

Support planning activities, KPI tracking, stakeholder communication, and documentation. Identify operational risks and process improvement opportunities and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives. Execute greenhouse and open-field crop-cycle activities from crop establishment through pollination, seed maturation, harvest, and post-harvest processing.

Support controlled crossing and pollination activities while ensuring the protection of genetic identity and material integrity. Perform seed production and post-harvest activities including harvesting, extraction, drying, cleaning, treatment, sampling, and packaging. Ensure accurate labeling, tracking, and traceability of plants, crosses, fruits, seed lots, and related materials throughout the production cycle.

Coordinate the movement of materials between nursery, greenhouse, processing, storage, and shipping functions. Apply crop health, hygiene, phytosanitary, and quality standards throughout daily operations. Provide day-to-day technical guidance to co-workers and temporary staff as needed. Comply with all site safety, stewardship, phytosanitary, and quality requirements.

Complete required safety and operational training programs. Work flexibly across tasks, teams, and operational areas to support business priorities. Provide on-call, technical disturbance, or extended-hours support during peak periods when required. Contribute to projects focused on improving nursery, seed inventory, phenotyping, and crop production processes.

You are a hands-on and detail-oriented professional with a passion for plant science, seed production, and operational excellence. You enjoy working in a dynamic environment where collaboration, accuracy, and continuous improvement are essential. Bachelor's degree with at least 1 year of relevant experience, or a Master's degree, in Plant Breeding, Plant Sciences, Horticulture, Agriculture, Seed Technology, or a related field.

Experience in nursery operations, breeding trials, crop production, seed production, seed processing, or a comparable agricultural R&D environment. Knowledge of seed production activities such as crossing, pollination, harvesting, seed extraction, post-harvest processing, inventory management, and material handling. Experience using digital tools, enterprise systems, or breeding databases for data collection, traceability, inventory management, and reporting.

Experience coordinating daily activities or providing technical guidance to colleagues, contractors, or temporary staff is preferred. Willingness to obtain required certifications or licenses, such as crop protection or spraying certification, where applicable. Fluent written and spoken English; Dutch language skills are an advantage.