Researcher Molecular Biology of flower and fruit development

Your job at Rijk Zwaan

As researcher, you will be embedded in our Trait Biology department that focuses on studying the genetic basis of a plethora of plant developmental traits using state-of-the-art molecular and cellular technologies. In close consultation with our breeders this knowledge is translated into the development of new varieties with improved agronomic traits. As an innovator and hands-on researcher, you will be responsible for running different research programs that will involve advanced microscopy, gene regulatory network analyses, molecular biology techniques, and large-scale phenotypic evaluations.

In your projects, you will closely collaborate in interdisciplinary teams with other researchers and technicians, guide experimental design, and translate fundamental genetic insights into applications for breeders. Daily, you will be involved in:

• Design of hypothesis-driven experiments
• Internalizing the latest concepts on flower and fruit development into new project ideas
• Build strategic networks both internally and with academia to strengthen this program
• Execute and analyse plant experiments using big data analysis skills
• Work with and supervise technicians and interns
• Report and translate your results into tangible breeding outcomes

Where will you be working?

Rijk Zwaan is an international family-owned company with a people-oriented culture. Rijk Zwaan is at the beginning of the food chain. We develop vegetable and fruit varieties and sell the seeds to growers and other chain partners all over the world. We make an important contribution to the world food supply.

In our laboratories about 100 colleagues work in the field of plant biotechnology. Working as a researcher in Rijk Zwaan means working in an environment where you can put the results of fundamental research into practice. You will work in our R&D team which currently consists of 31 colleagues.

Your contribution:

You are a highly motivated researcher with strong communication and analytical skills. You are motivated to perform fundamental research on flower and fruit biology and can translate this knowledge to applications in our breeding programs. You demonstrate resilience and determination when solving challenging problems, recognize opportunities with new techniques, and have affinity with Big Data and have in-depth biological knowledge for hypothesis generation. . And you are motivated to work on multiple lines of research simultaneously across multidisciplinary teams. You can balance competing priorities and are able to deal with ambiguity.

In addition, we can find the following on your CV:

• A completed PhD in flower or fruit biology in crops with a strong basis in molecular biology or related fields
• Experience as post-doc researcher or project leader in a leading group in Plant Biology
• Extensive experience with molecular biology, gene studies and genetic regulatory networks in crop species
• Programming skills in R and/or Python for statistical and big data analysis are preferred
• Demonstrable knowledge of the latest technological developments in plant biology

What can you expect from us?

The basics are, of course, well taken care of. We are happy to offer you:

• A permanent contract right away for a minimum of 30 hours per week
• A good salary based on job level and experience
• 25 vacation days, one vitality day, and the option to purchase additional days
• Training opportunities through the Rijk Zwaan Academy

At Rijk Zwaan it’s not just about good employment conditions, but also about your growth, health and enjoyment at work. You’ll see this reflected in, among other things:

• An introductory lunch with management and other new colleagues
• Fresh soup, fruit and/or salads
• “Rondjes Rijk Zwaan” introduction program – get to know our culture, departments and history
• Development discussions instead of performance reviews
• Rijk Zwaan Fit with activities such as running and bootcamp, plus discounts on your gym membership
• Activities to participate in, ranging from BBQ to photography workshops.