Henk Jan Ormel was a practicing veterinarian for many years in a mixed practice. From 2002 to 2012, he was a member of the House of Representatives. He then worked for ten years in Rome at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In 2024, Ormel was a Member of the European Parliament.
For the World Health Organization (WHO), he participates in country evaluations of the International Health Regulations. Furthermore, Ormel has chaired the Central Committee on Animal Experiments (CCD) since 2024.