Agricultural Data Scientist

Functieomschrijving

As the Agricultural Data Scientist, you contribute to the growth and strategic goals of HZPC by combining Data Science (crop analytics using e.g. (learning) models and business intelligence) with expertise on crop production systems (epidemiology, post-harvest physiology, and disease management) including plant sciences (plant biology, plant and crop physiology). By combining domain-specific knowledge with technical skills, you can work on the design and deployment of decision support systems, offer data-derived analytics to the agronomy team, contribute to business data infrastructures, and be an active member in ongoing (research) projects.

What does this mean?
Agronomical and data science are translated into practical applications to improve the performance of our varieties in seed production.

Main responsibilities of this role

• Develop and integrate data infrastructures for seed potato production, ensuring effective data collection and advanced analytics.
• Support business decisions by extracting insights from existing and future datasets, using appropriate analytical techniques to enhance variety practices and improve performance.
• Provide variety-specific production analytics and agronomic insights to the Agronomy team and other stakeholders.
• Design, structure, and implement crop analytics for digital applications and decision-support systems.
• Create and support business insight tools, including dashboards and models, to facilitate report generation and data-driven decision-making.
• Develop and maintain tooling to share knowledge effectively with agronomy teams, field managers, and farmers, improving collaboration and cultivation practices.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in crop production data technologies, applying them to optimize business processes and analytics.
• Take an active role in supervising data integrity and quality to ensure consistency and reliability within existing data infrastructures.
• Contribute to experimental research project designs and provide technical support for production-related studies.

Your profile
You are a business-minded, result-oriented professional with strong analytical capabilities and a creative mindset. You excel at identifying opportunities, acting on your own initiative, and collaborating effectively within a team. Your strengths in time management and systematic analysis enable you to manage complex tasks while achieving predetermined goals. You have a natural eagerness to learn and apply new knowledge, coupled with the ability to create innovative solutions to challenges.

In addition, you have:

• A Bachelor’s and Master’s degree with solid knowledge of data science and crop science, along with experience in agricultural crop production.
• Proficiency in analytical tools such as SQL, Python, and R, and familiarity with relevant software for the tasks described.
• Strong command of English in speaking, listening, and writing. Knowledge of the Dutch language is desirable and considered an advantage.

What we offer
This is a full-time, permanent role with a maximum of 40 hours per week. We will discuss together what a workable structure is to be effective for you personally. You will be in our office in Joure, often traveling to our Research site in Metslawier, and collaborate internationally with our colleagues across the globe.

Additionally, we also offer:

• A fully HZPC-paid pension, allowing you to focus on your future without worries.
• 33 days off based on a 40-hour workweek.
• A 13th-month salary, paid out monthly for extra financial security.
• A place in a dynamic international organization with diverse opportunities for career and personal development.
• An additional reward in the form of our variable bonus, paid out every November based on achieved objectives.

About HZPC
Founded in 1898 and rooted in the Netherlands, HZPC has become a global market leader in innovative breeding, seed potato trading, and concept development. Our ambition is sustainable growth. We offer innovative potato varieties that are optimized for local cultivation conditions. We share knowledge and provide solutions that dynamically anticipate the climatic, cultural, and commercial challenges that the whole area of food has to deal with. With 400 employees in 16 countries and exporting to more than 90 countries, we contribute to the availability of responsible food for the well-being of millions of people worldwide. You can find more information on our website: www.hzpc.com.

Your Reaction
We are looking forward to receiving your response! You are invited to show your interest by submitting your application and CV via the application form on the website. For more information about the recruitment process, you can contact Ilse Kuiper (Talent Acquisition Lead) via ilse.kuiper@hzpc.com. For additional information please contact Frank van der Werff (Senior Head Production) via frank.vanderwerff@hzpc.com.