Strong breeding programs are essential for long-term crop success. In your role as Global Manager Breeding, you will oversee the breeding strategy and execution for one or more crop segments, ensuring effective program delivery and ongoing enhancement. You will blend strategic oversight with hands-on leadership, collaborating closely with breeding teams, product development, and commercial stakeholders to foster a robust innovation pipeline and sustainable value creation.

The Role

As Global Manager Breeding, you will be responsible for translating the breeding strategy for Brassica, Asparagus, and Leek into effective execution, delivering strong breeding performance across your crop segments. Reporting to the Vice President of Breeding, you will work closely with breeding teams and Crop Segment Teams to ensure alignment between business priorities, breeding objectives, and operational delivery. Your role will involve:

• Leading and developing breeding teams, fostering strong performance, engagement, and capability development.
• Translating breeding strategy into actionable breeding programs and ensuring successful execution of crop and business plans.
• Developing and implementing breeding strategies that enhance the pipeline and create long-term value for your assigned crop segments.
• Leading OGSM planning and execution within your scope, ensuring measurable outcomes and achievement of objectives.
• Driving innovation adoption in collaboration with the Breeding Principal and other R&D functions to continuously improve breeding programs.
• Collaborating closely with Crop Segment Teams, Sales, research partners, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful delivery of strategic initiatives.

Requirements

To excel in this role, you should be an inspiring and driven leader who enjoys building, coaching, and developing high-performing teams while staying engaged with the core of breeding and delivering strategic impact. You should be able to connect long-term vision with day-to-day execution and effectively engage and influence stakeholders across functions and regions. Additionally, you should possess:

• A Master's degree in Plant Science or a related field.
• 12-15 years of relevant experience in plant breeding, crop development, and breeding program leadership.
• Strong breeding and technical expertise, including experience managing breeding programs and teams.
• Proven ability to translate strategy into execution and deliver results through hands-on leadership.
• Solid business and financial understanding, enabling effective prioritization and resource allocation.
• Experience driving continuous improvement, innovation adoption, and cross-functional collaboration in a global environment.

What We Offer

Enza Zaden is an international family-owned company that has been developing innovative vegetable varieties since 1938. We are committed to creating a work environment where you can grow and feel fulfilled in your role. We invest in your development, well-being, and job satisfaction through our Great to Grow development program, focus on vitality, and activities that foster colleague connections. You can expect:

• A position for 38 hours per week;
• A gross monthly salary between €7,774.05 and €11,105.78 based on a full-time workweek of 38 hours, aligned with your knowledge and experience;
• 8.33% vacation allowance and an attractive annual bonus program of 15% of your annual salary, depending on your job level and company performance;
• 25 vacation days, the option to purchase additional vacation days, and one paid vitality day per year, with extra vacation days granted as you age;
• A laptop and mobile phone provided by Enza Zaden;
• A company car;
• A contribution toward overnight accommodation costs for employees living more than 100 kilometers away from Enza Zaden;
• An attractive retirement plan, commuting reimbursement for those living more than 10 kilometers from the workplace, and a remote work allowance when working from home in consultation with your manager;
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth through our Great to Grow development program, training courses, workshops, and e-learning platform;
• Plenty of opportunities to connect with colleagues through social events organized by the Staff Association, Young Enza networking events, inspiration sessions, and social gatherings, including an annual summer barbecue, Christmas market, and New Year’s reception;
• A strong focus on your health and well-being, including free fresh fruit, healthy lunch options at the office, a bike-to-work program, sports activities through enzActive, and mental well-being support through OpenUp.

Let’s connect If you’re looking for a career that grows with you, apply using the application button. You will receive an automatic confirmation within a few minutes, and we will inform you of the next step within 10 business days. An assessment is part of the application process, and this role cannot be filled on an interim basis. If you have questions about the role or the application process, please contact Annemarie Weening, Senior Corporate Recruiter, at a.weening@enzazaden.nl. Enza Zaden is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on background, identity, or personal characteristics. Want to learn more about Enza Zaden? Visit our website.