Warehouse Manager EU

Are you a seasoned Operations Executive who excels at driving high-performance logistics across multiple sites? Do you have a proven track record in motivating supervisors and team leaders to reach peak productivity? Join Vanderlande and orchestrate the operational execution of our European distribution hubs.

This is a unique opportunity to lead the operational execution of our Physical Distribution capability within Europe. In this role, you will oversee the European Distribution Center in Veghel (NL) and the Distribution Center in Santpedor (ES), optimizing the entire European warehouse footprint and driving shop floor efficiency, throughput, and operational excellence across all physical warehouse departments.

By guiding and developing your operational leadership team, your hands-on drive will directly optimize global OTIF and structurally realize a sharp Cost of Organization, while securing a safe, compliant, and highly productive environment.

What you will do

As the end-to-end operational owner of Physical Distribution across our European facilities, you are fully responsible for the daily outcomes, performance, and strategic alignment of Physical Distribution across our European facilities. You lead a large warehouse population through a structured layer of Team Leaders and Supervisors who report directly to you. This role demands strong strategic oversight of resources, excellent floor leadership, trust-building with employees, and a clear focus on workforce balancing to meet strict delivery targets.

Reporting directly to the Global Director Physical Distribution Excellence, you act as a key strategic business partner to the Global Planning, CI & Analytics Manager and the Global Shipping Manager. You ensure that tactical improvement programs and shipping schedules are seamlessly converted into warehouse execution. In addition, you are responsible for local QHSE compliance, facilities, and the overall operational financial and budget position for Physical Distribution EU.

Your tasks and responsibilities

During your assignments your responsibilities and activities will be to:

• Lead, coach, and guide the Team Leaders and Supervisors overseeing the Inbound, Stock, Pick-Pack, and Outbound operations in Veghel and Santpedor.
• Implement, embed, and drive the Toyota Production System / Vanderlande Production System (TPS/VPS) principles on the shop floor to structurally eliminate inefficiencies and boost daily productivity.
• Proactively manage and balance the workforce across departments to align capacity with fluctuating demand and maintain efficiency in labour costs.
• Secure and execute daily and monthly On-Time-In-Full (OTIF) delivery targets across both European distribution centers.
• Act as the ultimate responsible owner for local QHSE compliance, ensuring a zero-harm culture and full adherence to safety regulations.
• Oversee local facilities management and the operational budget for the European Physical Distribution hubs.
• Partner closely with the Global Planning, CI & Analytics Manager and the Global Shipping Manager to align warehouse capacity with forecasting and transport requirements.
• Foster a continuous improvement mindset on the floor, translating complex optimization concepts into practical daily work instructions for the teams.

What you bring

• Master’s degree (WO) or Bachelor’s degree (HBO) with strong analytical capability, preferably in Supply Chain, Logistics, or Business Administration.
• 8+ years of work experience, including experience as an Operations Executive within high-volume Physical Distribution or large-scale fulfillment center management, preferably in a project business environment.
• Extensive leadership experience, specifically in managing and developing intermediate layers such as Team Leaders and Supervisors in an international corporate environment.
• Experience implementing and driving structured production systems such as TPS/VPS on the shop floor.
• Solid background in managing localized operational business support, specifically local QHSE, facility management, and site budgeting.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to act as an equal peer to corporate managers and global counterparts.
• A pragmatic, metric-driven mindset with a high sense of urgency to secure demanding OTIF targets and lower the Cost of Organization.

You should apply when you are:

• A natural people leader who sees the person behind the work and excels at motivating, structuring, and guiding large operational teams through intermediate leads.
• Highly stress-resistant and able to maintain clear oversight across multi-site operations in Veghel and Santpedor.
• A strong organizer who naturally prioritizes safety, operational quality, and productivity on a daily basis.
• A collaborative peer who values strong alignment with global counterparts to maintain standardized ways of working.
• Self-confident, proactive, and independent in managing day-to-day warehouse challenges, while knowing when to escalate or ask for help, feedback, or reflection.

What we offer

We offer a position in an international and professional working environment with room for personal development and growth.

• 40 vacation days (20 statutory days and a flexible budget worth 20 days)
• Flexible working hours
• A hybrid workplace (40% working from home and 60% in the office)
• A Health & Wellbeing budget worth € 300 per calendar year.
• Commuting allowance, including full reimbursement of travel by public transport
• Working from home allowance
• Collective pension scheme and discount on additional health insurance
• On-site company health centres with a gym, physiotherapists and occupational therapists
• Vanderlande Academy and training facilities to boost your skills
• A variety of Vanderlande Network communities and initiatives