ESA European Seed Association (www.euroseeds.eu ) is recruiting a Manager Plant Health and Trade to work full time at the ESA General Secretariat’s office in Brussels, Belgium

Background

With continuously increasing international movement of plant breeding material and commercial seed, aligned and practical plant health regulations are precondition for seed companies to work efficiently by fully exploiting the advantages of counter-seasonal breeding and production and supply markets worldwide.

Following the adoption of the new EU Plant Health Regulation in 2016, a large number of delegated and implementing acts need to be adopted to fully establish the new regulatory and administrative framework.

Both require constant monitoring and early intervention with high level expertise from the EU seed sector.

Job description:

The Manager Plant Health and Trade will work closely with the ESA membership and, as part of the ESA Policy Team, under the guidance of the Secretary General to whom he/she will be reporting. The Manager shall establish ESA as a key interlocutor for all relevant plant health administrations, be the spokesperson of the EU seed sector on phytosanitary matters, and assure multiplication of European activities at international level as required. Further tasks will be assigned in line with the association’s needs and the individual expertise and experience of the Manager.

Specific tasks:

• EU pytosanitary legislation: Plant Health Regulation incl. implementing and delegated acts
• Input to Pest Risk Analysis’ on seed-related pests done by EFSA, EPPO and NPPOs
• Contact point for EU Commission Market Access Working Group
• Relations with non-EU seed sector organisations in the area of plant health and trade
• Management and lead of ESA WG Plant Health and support to discussions in ESA Sections

Qualifications

• Strong plant science/agricultural background, ideally phytosanitary expertise and experience
• Understanding of practicalities of plant breeding, variety development and seed marketing
• Able to explain technical phytosanitary issues to laymen, but also able to communicate efficiently and with authority to technical experts
• Work experience in an NPPO or in the seed sector (quality assurance / marketing)
• Strong EN; working level FR; ES, DE, IT or NL an asset
• Computer literate

Personality and skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills, service oriented
• Tactful in dealing with people, also under pressure
• Discretion, good judgment ability, flexibility and versatility
• Organizational skills, management ability
• Team player with initiative and ability to work independently
• Curiosity and affinity to new technologies and tools
• Creative and innovative

Interested candidates should send their CV including salary expectations to:

secretariat@euroseeds.eu  and mark it with “ESA Manager Plant Health”.

Application deadline: Friday, 27.05.2016

First round of interviews: 6. - 9. June 2016

Second round of interviews: 14. – 16. 16 June 2016

Starting date: 01.07.2016 or earliest possible date