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Operations Manager

English (EN) Nederlands (NL)
Vacancy closed

Operations Manager

Prominent Totam Seeds (part of Prominent) in 's-Gravenzande

What is required?

  • Bachelor or master horti- or agriculture
  • Affinity with tomato cultivation
  • You can work with different systems
  • Good in organizing and leading a team
  • Good command of the Dutch and English language
  • Analytical and interested in reasearch

What will you get?

  • From €3.000 gross p/m (depending on knowledge and skills)
  • 40 hour workweek
  • 25 vacation days
  • Broad development opportunities

What will you do?

  • 50% Collect data, analyse and set up variety trials
  • 25% Carry out, delegate and optimise cultivation activities
  • 15% Internal consultation
  • 10% Contact with customers and suppliers

This vacancy has been created based on interviews with employees to help you get a realistic preview of the job.

Ask a question directly

Jessica Dedrog - van den Hoek

HR Advisor

Vacancy

As the Operations Manager at Totam Seeds (part of Prominent), you are responsible for ensuring the tomato crops are of the highest possible quality. By providing an efficient production process and with smart use of staff, you ensure all daily operations run optimally. This makes your job varied: one moment you are fixing a malfunction, the next you are receiving a potential customer.

By improving tomato hybrids you also achieve this strong quality. That is why you collect and analyse data on this subject, as instructed by the breeder: they are responsible for the development and improvement of tomato hybrids. On the basis of their wishes and requirements, you then devise variety tests. You usually delegate planting, irrigation, chemical application, harvesting, sorting and archiving of this to the production team, but you can also do this yourself. You manage this team (six colleagues) and also keep an eye on whether third parties - for example suppliers or employees from other departments - do their work properly and on time.

You make sure that Totam Seeds always complies with all laws and regulations concerning safety; therefore you perform regular inspections on the work floor. During and after these inspections, you'll also continuously think about how to improve Totam Seeds' business processes. You document accurately and in English to the breeder and the CEO (in Italy) about production, finances and operations. You also consult regularly (in English) with colleagues and represent the operational part of Totam Seeds.

If you have an entrepreneurial mindset and take responsibility for all operational matters of Totam Seeds, and you don't mind the CEO and breeder sometimes handling things differently than you would like, then this is a job for you.

Working week

Operations Manager

On an enjoyable working day you discover that one particular variety is doing very well compared to other varieties. The results of the trial are hopeful and the tomatoes taste good.

During a less enjoyable day, you have to report in great detail and check what you are doing and why. Not always the nicest job, but very important: one administrative error - copying a variety number incorrectly, for example - can have major consequences.
  • 08:00
  • 09:00
  • 10:00
  • 11:00
  • 12:00
  • 13:00
  • 14:00
  • 15:00
  • 16:00
  • 17:00
  • 18:00
    • Lunch
    • Support the Production team
    • Inspection round (optimizing cultivation technique)
    • Coordinate variety trials
    • Online demo potential customer
    • Coordinate variety trials
    • MT meeting production
    • Coordinate variety trials
    • Working on reports
    • Meeting with breeder
    • Contact with supplier
    • Inspection round (optimizing cultivation technique)
    • Managing the Production team
    • Coordinate variety trials
    • Coordinate variety trials
    • Lunch
    • Lunch
    • Meeting backoffice
    • Contact with supplier
    • Appointment with potential customer
    • Inspection round (optimizing cultivation technique)
    • Coordinate variety trials
    • Coordinate variety trials
    • Coordinate variety trials

Firsthand experience

You get a message from the sales department that a supermarket chain is interested in Totam Seeds and would like to visit them. What do you do?

Often potential customers come up with their own ideas, for example if they want a different tomato variety on the shelves. This supermarket chain requested data from the sales department about production numbers and quality compared to other varieties. You contact this potential customer and share all the information you have. A few days later, the supermarket chain indicates they are interested: they would like to come over to learn more about three specific variety numbers.

During the appointment, you give extensive information about the variety numbers, let the potential customer taste the tomatoes and make suggestions for trials and variety tests. You also provide an overview in which the potential customer can keep track of the production, taste, shape and shelf life of the variety trials on a weekly basis. This way, both the supermarket chain and Totam Seeds stay involved in the trial. In the end, of course, you hope they go for the variety trial and it turns out to be successful. The ultimate goal is that the supermarket chain will grow one of these varieties in larger numbers in the future.

Growth

Prominent offers a pleasant, informal and open atmosphere in the workplace. You will be given every opportunity to grow within our organization. No matter where you are in the organization. Indicate your wishes; do you want to follow a course or take a step in your career? They will work with you to find out how you can continue to grow and where you can flourish best. This can be at one of their growers, within the packaging company or at the head office.

Operations Manager

Working at Prominent

Prominent is an innovative specialist in tomatoes. It is our passion to enable every type of consumer to enjoy our healthy and tasty products on a daily basis. These products are grown by our growers; leading producers of top-quality tomatoes. Our organisation consists of three growers and 29 affiliated growers with a total of 420 hectares of tomatoes. The two packaging centres, Prominent De Lier and Prominent Maasland, pack 71 million kilos of tomatoes per year on fully automated packaging lines for the largest supermarket chains in Europe. Prominent is a product group within Coöperatie DOOR;  members of the producer organisation Prominent are all also members of DOOR. This organisation is responsible for the sales and marketing of the product. All tomato growers within DOOR are in turn members of Prominent. DOOR "House of leading Brands" ensures that millions of people have access to healthy fruited vegetables: cucumber, tomatoes, block and point peppers and aubergines. With around 40 entrepreneurs and 600 hectares of glass, DOOR is a leading player. DOOR's focus is on sales, marketing, innovation and facilitating its members in numerous areas such as packaging, food safety and sustainability.

View company profile of Prominent
  • Headquarters in Westland (The Netherlands)
  • Deliveries throughout Europe
  • 25% / 75%
  • Average age: 39 years
  • 106 employers

Colleagues

Photo of employee Hans van Hemert
Photo of employee Piet Pruijsen
Photo of employee Kornelia Kulik
Photo of employee Bastiaan
Photo of employee Helga van Marrewijk
Photo of employee Romy van Wijk
Photo of employee Caby Flaton
Photo of employee Luuk van Vliet
Photo of employee Nick van Katwijk
Photo of employee Jacco Besuijen
Photo of employee Jessica Dedrog - van den Hoek

Hans van Hemert - Coördinator incoming goods

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Unfortunately I lost my previous job because of covid-19. I came across this company and I immediately had a good feeling about it.

What was your previous job?
Company Director at David van Schie Party Catering

What do you do in your spare time?
Enjoying life!

Piet Pruijsen - Stock collaborator

Why did you decide to work for this company?
I was looking for a job with a lot of challenge and regularity and that's what I found at Prominent. There is a positive atmosphere.

What was your previous job?
Truck driver

Kornelia Kulik - Supervisor

Why did you decide to work for this company?
I soon noticed that you can grow well within Prominent and that was exactly what I was looking for. Moreover, the job interview felt very familiar.

What was your previous job?
Team Leader (small packages) at The Greenery

What do you do in your spare time?
Taking care of my bird and going on holidays.

Bastiaan - Intern

Why did you decide to work for this company?
For my studies, I had to do a graduation internship. Because I already had a holiday job at one of the growers, Prominent stood out on the list. I thought it would be interesting to see what happens with the tomatoes when they leave the greenhouse.

What was your previous job?
Student at MBO Westland

What do you do in your spare time?
Cycling and hanging out with friends.

Helga van Marrewijk - Manager of Communications

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Before that, I was an independent communications consultant for over 20 years. Because I was already able to work at Prominent for a couple of years, I knew what I was getting myself into when I switched to a permanent job on January 1st. Together with great colleagues, I was building a beautiful organisation and promising brands.

What was your previous job?
Independent consultant within a partnership.

What do you do in your spare time?
Practicing sport - for example cycling - but also reading and going to the theather or watching a movie.

Romy van Wijk (28) - HR Assistant

Why did you decide to work for this company?
When I decided to start working here, I was very enthusiastic about the company’s mentality. Everyone is a real go-getter. In addition, the atmosphere is very informal. I really wanted to work for a company like that.

What was your previous job?
Studying Human Resources Management

What do you do in your spare time?
Bootcamp, meeting friends and reading.

Caby Flaton - Team Leader Quality Control

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Prominent was founded in January 2000. At that time, I was approached by the logistics manager to come and work there. After the first interview I was immediately enthusiastic; and eventually started in March.

What was your previous job?
Qualitycontroller at The Greenery

What do you do in your spare time?
Football training, watching football and having a drink with friends.

Luuk van Vliet - Data Analyst

Why did you decide to work for this company?
After studying Logistics Management, I wanted to develop in the field of data analysis. During my studies, I was already working in the AGF sector and I always enjoyed this dynamic world. I started at Prominent through an open application and was given every opportunity to develop myself.

What was your previous job?
Bachelor Logistics Management at Hogeschool Rotterdam

What do you do in your spare time?
Fitness and playing the piano.

Nick van Katwijk - Infra / tech lead

Why did you decide to work for this company?
I heard about Prominent through my network, and after a few conversations it became clear to me: this is what I would like to contribute to, a company with ambition and a plan.

What was your previous job?
IT Infrastructure Consultant - Avanade

What do you do in your spare time?
Going outside with my family, but also watching Netflix series.

Jacco Besuijen (41) - Purchasing manager

Why did you decide to work for this company?
Prominent immediately struck me as a professional Westland club. It offered me - at the start of my career - all opportunities and possibilities.

What was your previous job?
Transport planner

What do you do in your spare time?
Spending time with my family, snowboarding, having a beer with some friends.

Jessica Dedrog - van den Hoek - HR Advisor

Why did you decide to work for this company?
I was ready for a new challenge and started looking for similar positions in dynamic Westland. There I found Prominent's vacancy, it instantly appealed to me and I immediately got in touch. All the developments Prominent is working on, that is what gives you energy, it's always buzzing. I love it!

What was your previous job?
HR Advisor - Green Partners (DFG)

What do you do in your spare time?
Going out for dinner, cooking, having a drink with friends, going out with the family, crossfit and hiking.

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