Director of Operations, Managed Transportation Europe
Rotterdam - Netherlands
Job Summary
The Director of Operations Managed Transportation Europe is responsible for leading and scaling multi-country operations with a strong focus on strategic account management profitable growth and team development.
This role goes beyond executionowning client relationships P&L performance and talent pipelinesensuring the business operates lean scalable and commercially driven while delivering best-in-class service.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Account Management & Growth
- Own senior-level relationships across key European managed transportation accounts
- Drive account expansion retention and margin improvement through proactive engagement
- Identify upsell opportunities (capacity solutions value-added services outsourcing)
- Partner with commercial teams to support RFPs renewals and new business wins
- Act as executive escalation point ensuring fast resolution and high client satisfaction
Operational Excellence (Lean & Scalable)
- Lead day-to-day operations across multiple sites/markets ensuring consistent service delivery
- Implement lean operating models focused on productivity cost control and scalability
- Standardize processes across countries while allowing local market flexibility
- Ensure contract compliance and operational execution at or above client expectations
P&L Impact
- Drive margin expansion through pricing discipline cost optimization and efficiency gains
- Monitor revenue cost and productivity metrics against budget and forecasts
- Participate in financial planning budgeting and monthly performance reviews
- Build a culture of data-driven decision making and accountability
Talent Development & Leadership
- Build lead and develop high-performing operations and account management teams
- Establish clear career paths coaching structures and performance management frameworks
- Hire and develop top talent across Central and Western Europe
- Foster a culture of ownership urgency and continuous improvement
- Develop future leaders to support rapid scaling of the business
Cross-Functional & Regional Leadership
- Collaborate with Sales Procurement and Capacity teams to align execution with growth strategy
- Support the build-out of nearshore / Central Europe operations teams
- Act as a bridge between commercial and operational functions
- Lead change management initiatives across markets
Key Metrics of Success
- Account growth (revenue gross margin expansion)
- New Customer Integrations
- Cost-to-serve reduction / productivity improvement
- EBITDA contribution
- Employee retention and internal promotions
- Operational KPIs
Qualifications & Experience
- 10 years in transportation logistics or managed transportation environments
- Strong background in account management and customer-facing roles
- Proven experience managing multi-site / multi-country operations in Europe
- Demonstrated P&L understanding and ability to scale profitably
- Track record of building and developing high-performing teams
- Experience in FTL brokerage 4PL or managed transport solutions strongly preferred
Core Competencies
- Commercial mindset with operational discipline
- Strong client-facing and relationship-building skills
- Financial acumen and data-driven decision making
- Leadership and talent development
- Ability to operate in fast-scaling entrepreneurial environments
- Fluent English (additional European languages a plus)
What Success Looks Like in 12 Months
- Key accounts stabilized and growing with clear expansion roadmap
- Lean operating structure implemented across core markets
- Strong team being built in Poland / Central Europe
- Measurable margin improvement across portfolio
- Recognized by clients as a strategic partnernot just an operator
Required Experience:
Director
About Company
Crane Worldwide Logistics provides top-class logistics solutions. Whether you're looking for Supply Chain Management, Freight Forwarding, Air Freight, Ocean Freight (FCL & LCL), Rail Freight, Trucking, Shipping, Warehousing, or Customs Brokerage, we are your nearby 3PL provider. Get a ... View more