Teamleader - Food

Manuport Logistics (MPL); Antwerpen; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

International environment

Leadership role

Professional growth

Global logistics exposure

Continuous learning

Team events

Competitive salary

Job summary

Manuport Logistics (MPL) in Antwerp seeks an experienced leader to strengthen and guide our Food Team. You will coach a team of forwarding professionals, act as the operational expert, and ensure excellent service to customers in a dynamic logistics environment.

You bring extensive freight forwarding and food logistics experience, with hands-on reefer and temperature-controlled know-how. Dutch and English fluency is required as is strong people leadership.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in freight forwarding and international logistics.
• Leadership or senior forwarding experience.
• Expertise in food logistics and industry requirements.
• Hands-on experience with reefer shipments and temperature-controlled supply chains.
• Fluent in Dutch and English.
• Strong organizational and people skills; calm under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of ~10 forwarding professionals.
• Serve as operational expert and escalation point within the Food division.
• Support complex import/export files.
• Ensure smooth operations and high customer satisfaction.
• Monitor workload, priorities and resource planning.
• Drive collaboration between Operations, Sales and other stakeholders.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and development of team members.
• Monitor service levels, KPIs and compliance with food regulations.
• Provide guidance on reefer shipments and temperature-controlled logistics.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and efficiencies.
• Build strong relationships with customers and strategic accounts.

Skills

Freight forwarding

International logistics

Leadership

Coaching

Food logistics

Reefer shipments

Temperature-controlled

FAVV regulations

Dutch language

English language

People skills

Operational excellence

Prioritization

Job description

Ready for something different? Good, so are we.

This won’t be your typical logistics leadership role, and we’re not your typical forwarder. At MPL, we think beyond the container and always go one step further in everything we do. How? By living the mission, not just executing the job.

With a unique mix of logistics services, real and personal advice, we make things happen. Now, we're looking for an experienced leader to strengthen and guide our Food Team in Antwerp. If you're passionate about food logistics, enjoy coaching people, and still like being close to the operation, this could be your next challenge.

Job Requirements

At MPL, we turn knowledge into action. Who are we looking for?

• You have extensive experience in freight forwarding and international logistics.
• You have strong knowledge of both import and export operations.
• You have previous experience in a leadership, coaching or senior forwarding position.
• You have solid expertise within food logistics and understand the specific requirements of the industry.
• You have hands‑on experience with reefer shipments and temperature‑controlled supply chains.
• You have good knowledge of FAVV procedures, inspections and food export/import requirements.
• You are comfortable acting as the operational expert and supporting colleagues with complex cases.
• Communication is key. You're fluent in Dutch and English.
• You are a natural coach who enjoys helping others develop and succeed.
• You combine operational expertise with strong organizational and people skills.
• You remain calm under pressure and know how to prioritize in a dynamic environment.
• You are proactive, solution‑oriented and capable of making decisions.
• You embody our values of integrity, positivity and teamwork.

Job Responsibilities

You are not a manager watching from the sidelines. You lead from within the team, support your colleagues where needed and help them grow professionally while maintaining a high level of service towards our customers. Working closely with customers, suppliers, carriers and internal stakeholders, you ensure your team operates efficiently, proactively and with a strong customer focus.

At MPL, leadership isn't about hierarchy. It's about ownership, expertise and helping others become the best version of themselves.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading, coaching and developing a team of approximately 10 forwarding professionals.
• Acting as the operational expert and first escalation point within the Food division.
• Supporting the team with complex import and export files.
• Ensuring smooth operational execution and a high level of customer satisfaction.
• Monitoring workload, priorities and resource planning within the team.
• Driving collaboration between Operations, Sales and other internal stakeholders.
• Supporting recruitment, onboarding and development of team members.
• Monitoring service levels, KPIs and operational performance.
• Ensuring compliance with food industry regulations and customer requirements.
• Providing guidance on reefer shipments, temperature‑controlled logistics and FAVV‑related procedures.
• Identifying opportunities for process improvements and operational efficiencies.
• Building strong relationships with customers and supporting strategic accounts when required.
• Creating a positive, high‑performing and collaborative team culture.

Job Benefits

At MPL, we pride ourselves on being different. We don't settle for the status quo, we push boundaries and challenge one another to become the best versions of ourselves. We always work as a team, valuing every one of our team members.

• Vibrant international working environment;
• A key leadership role within one of MPL's specialized divisions;
• The opportunity to combine team management with operational expertise;
• High impact on both customer satisfaction and team development;
• Exposure to international food supply chains and global logistics networks;
• Continuous learning and professional growth opportunities;
• Fun team activities that keep us connected;
• Competitive salary package, plus additional benefits.

Ready to be different?