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