Role summary
The Vice President Operations, Europe leads and optimizes Americold’s operational performance across Europe, with a strong emphasis on supporting food retail customers. This role requires deep experience in multi-temperature logistics, grocery/food retail distribution, and high-velocity operational environments. The VP drives operational excellence, strengthens customer partnerships, and ensures Americold’s European network delivers consistent, efficient, and high-quality service. Preferred candidate locations include Spain and the Netherlands.
Key responsibilities
Operational excellence and efficiency
* Lead optimization of warehousing and transportation operations, focusing on food retail service requirements.
* Implement operational standards and best practices for high-throughput, multi-temperature environments.
* Use data, automation, and continuous improvement to enhance productivity, reduce waste, improve site contribution, reduce shrinkage, and strengthen operational discipline.
Leadership and team development
* Lead Directors of Operations across Europe, ensuring alignment with global operating models.
* Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
* Strengthen leadership capability through coaching and succession planning.
Customer focus and growth
* Partner with commercial teams to align operations with food retail customer needs.
* Build strong relationships with grocery retailers and food producers.
* Support business development by shaping operational solutions for new and existing customers.
Financial and operational performance
* Own the P&L for the European region.
* Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance.
* Monitor KPIs related to service, safety, quality, productivity, and cost.
Strategic planning and market expansion
* Develop long-term operational strategies supporting Americold’s growth in Europe.
* Identify opportunities for network optimization, automation, and capacity expansion.
* Evaluate new technologies and innovations relevant to food retail logistics.
Change management and continuous improvement
* Lead transformation initiatives that improve performance and standardization.
* Embed Lean and continuous improvement practices across Operations.
* Ensure effective communication and change adoption.
Sustainability and compliance
* Ensure compliance with regulations and Americold policies.
* Strengthen safety culture and adherence to food safety and temperature-control requirements.
* Support sustainability initiatives aligned with Americold’s ESG goals.
Qualifications & experience
* Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred.
* Preferred fields: Supply Chain Management, Logistics Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, or Business Administration with a supply chain focus.
* Minimum 12 years in operations or supply chain leadership, including 5 years in senior multi-site roles.
* Strong background in food retail logistics, grocery distribution, cold-chain operations, or FMCG supply chains.
* Experience leading operations across multiple European countries, ideally Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, UK and others.
* Proven P&L ownership.
Skills & Competencies
* Strong operational leadership with strategic capability.
* Deep understanding of food retail service requirements.
* Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making.
* Experience with automation, WMS/TMS, and continuous improvement.
* Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
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