General Manager Job Advertisement

General Manager

Plant Variety Development Office CLG. (PVDO) & Irish Seed Trade Association (ISTA)

Both PVDO and ISTA are seeking to appoint a General Manager to lead and drive the activities of both organisations going forward. The role will entail full operational responsibility for the day to day activities of each organisation as well as developing and implementing a longer-term strategic plan to promote the aims of the PVDO.

The Plant Variety Development Office in Ireland is the national organisation responsible for administration and collection of cereal seed royalties.

The Irish Seed Trade Association is a representative body of licensed seed assemblers in Ireland with a primary aim of promoting the use of certified seed and raising seed-quality standards in the market.
The location of the role is flexible but will require some travel within Ireland. An attractive remuneration package will be put in place.

Both PVDO & ISTA are open to approaches from existing professional offices who could incorporate the activities of the General Manager detailed above into their existing operations.

Duties Include:

  • Ensure that plant breeders’ IP rights are properly protected in Ireland through the operation of effective and efficient royalty collection processes. This will include having legal agreements in place with registered users of plant IP and operating robust collection mechanisms to ensure all royalties due are paid;
  • Promote the benefits and use of certified seed in Ireland;
  • Advise and lead both organisations in all seed-related matters of legislation & regulation;
  • Maintain positive working relationships with industry stakeholders;
  • Manage the day to day business and administrative operations of the PVDO ensuring that income is properly collected and accounted for;
  • Report to the Board of the PVDO and executive officers of ISTA on the operational and financial performance of the organisation.

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A familiarity and an affinity with the Agricultural sector;
  • A third level or professional qualification in business administration, accounting, agriculture or similar;
  • At least 5 years’ experience in general business management and administration includingmanagement of staff;
  • A familiarity with and experience of commercial agreements and legal contracts;
  • A practical, self-motivated and commercial approach;
  • Excellent communication, organisational and relationship building skills.

All applications will be treated in strictest confidence and should be forwarded before 18th September toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it."> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Irish Seed Trade Association (ISTA)

 

Founded in 1914, The Irish Seed Trade Association (ISTA) represents multipliers, producers and distributors of certified seed in Ireland. Its role is to promote the use of certified seed in tillage, forage and grassland crops and to ensure the best varieties of seed are made available to Irish farmers. 

Certified Seed is the cornerstone of many farming operations, and various food and beverage industries. It is a fully traceable, weed-free, guaranteed seed product with superior quality to alternatives and is part of a world-wide quality assurance system.  Irish Certified Seed is produced to the highest standards, providing growers with a guaranteed standard of varietal purity, germination, and phyto-sanitary status.

Certified Seed is an insurance/risk management tool against sub-standard crop establishment, thereby protecting the other investments necessary to produce a profitable crop.

Read more about us in our latest brochure. Click to download (Size 1.65MB).


ISTA Brochure on Irish Certified Seed - Front of brochure

The road to certified seed - Processing

What is the process that ISTA certified seed goes through?

When harvesting is complete, acceptable seed is then prepared for bagging and certification. During processing, seed is cleaned of weed seeds, small grains, and screenings. Appropriate chemical dressings are applied using state of the art technology and equipment.

Seed is weighed and packed under Department of Agriculture supervision, prior to application of a Department of Agriculture label. A sample of each seed lot is tested, with a final seed lot test report issued by the Department of Agriculture. Certified Blue Label seed is ready for delivery to Irish farmers. A sample of each seed lot is sown in ‘post-control’ plots at Backweston, Leixlip, Co. Kildare.

Certified sales are reported to the Plant Variety Development Office (PVDO), with royalties paid to plant breeders to help ensure breeders continue to bring new and improved varieties to the market.

The processing stage is one of the many elements of the certification process which guarantees the grain buyer with consistent quality. 

The benefits of using Certified Seed

  1. Guaranteed germination
  2. Consistent quality
  3. Reduced seeding rates
  4. Guaranteed varietal purity
  5. Fully traceable
  6. Independently monitored
  7. Reduced risk of seed borne diseases
  8. Continued cereal genetic improvement

 

For more information, visit our YouTube channel or click here.