Production Worker

We, at In Ovo, have created a technique to find out whether a hatching egg holds a male or a female chick, so we can prevent the male chicks from hatching. This leads to a big animal welfare win, and a very interesting, yet complex process.

Our machine, Ella, is designed to carefully take a sample of fluid from the hatching egg, making sure not to hit the bird-to-be inside. These tiny drops are analyzed using a mass spectrometer to see whether the egg holds a male or female.

As a Production Worker, you are (together with your colleagues) responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the production process. While your primary location is Ochten, we may also ask you to help at our other location. Therefore, we seek candidates who are open to occasional travel between these locations and who can adapt to changing work environments as needed

You will work in a 2-shift system, alternating between early and late shifts:

• The early shift is from 6:00 am to 4:30 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
• The late shift is from 4:00 pm to 1:00 am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. In addition, you will work from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Wednesday.

These working hours serve as a basis; however, if production demands require it, we may deviate from the standard.

Your responsibilities include:

• Make sure there is a constant supply and handling of eggs
• Keep the machine and work area clean
• Monitor the production process
• Check the quality of the eggs during and at the end of the process
• Stay alert to notice any issues and help find solutions

• Are a team player and flexible in taking on different tasks
• Are task-oriented, making sure the work is done correctly and on time
• Have a basic understanding of or willing to learn Dutch
• Have a driver’s license and access to a motorized vehicle for transportation
• It's also fine if this is your first job

What will you get:

• A salary between €2,480 - €3,100, depending on your working experience
• An annual budget of €1,500 for personal development
• 25 days holiday per year and the option to buy more
• Learning and personal development opportunities, for example towards the role of Technical Operator or Shiftlead
• A job at a cool company that’s growing quickly

In 2011, the first In Ovo pipettes hit the lab. The goal was clear: to stop the unnecessary killing of day old male chicks.

The first samples were carefully taken by hand. It took some years to get there, but in 2016, it worked: a single drop of the egg’s fluid was enough to see whether it held a boy or a girl. One done, only 13 billion to go.

As you can imagine, we needed a machine.

The first steps into industrialisation were taken and a huge impact on animal welfare was lurking. In 2020, our first machine was up and running. We named her Ella. What a beauty.

Taking a huge leap to today’s In Ovo: we’re a team of over 60 people, 3 Ellas and millions of saved chicks. We are engineers, operators, scientists, office people and everything in between. The go-getters of the poultry industry who roll up their sleeves to improve animal welfare. And Ella is just the beginning.

We believe that animals deserve a dignified place in a sustainable food industry. And we need way more people to fulfil our mission of improving the lives of 5 billions animals by 2030.

Are you with us?