COUNTRY MANAGER NL

Petit Forestier Group; Rotterdam; Hybrid; EUR 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Remote working option

Learning & development access

Diversity & inclusion

Job summary

Petit Forestier Group in Rotterdam seeks a Country Manager NL M/F to lead all activities across the Netherlands. You will shape strategy, drive profitability, and oversee operations, sales, and service across depots, clients, and teams.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in leadership, MBA preferred, strong Dutch and English, and a proven ability to transform businesses, with a focus on sustainable refrigeration and customer growth.

Qualifications

• Education & experience: At least 10 years’ experience in operational, commercial or general management leadership roles.
• Master’s degree (e.g., MBA) preferred, especially with a focus on operations, strategy, or logistics.
• Knowledge of the Netherlands market dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Act as a visible and hands-on leader across all locations in the Netherlands.
• Support local managers, drive day-to-day excellence and ensure alignment between frontline execution and strategy.
• Build accountability, pace and execution discipline across the country.
• Shape and execute the commercial strategy across all customer segments and product lines.
• Accelerate organic growth, develop client relationships and identify new business opportunities.
• Drive pricing discipline, customer retention and profitable growth.
• Lead local transformation priorities and support the deployment of Group projects and systems.
• Promote continuous improvement, simplification and strong process discipline.
• Engage teams in embedding change as a sustainable way of working.
• Inspire, coach and develop a high-performing local management team.
• Foster engagement, accountability and a culture aligned with Petit Forestier’s values and business goals.
• Strengthen succession planning and leadership capability across the organisation.
• Own the country P&L. Lead budgeting and forecasting cycles, analyse KPIs and implement corrective actions to improve profitability and efficiency.
• Ensure robust governance and compliance with Group standards.
• Optimise workshop operations, reduce outsourcing and improve fleet utilisation and service quality.
• Drive operational KPIs linked to availability, service levels and customer satisfaction.
• Build trusted relationships with key suppliers to secure optimal pricing and high service quality, supporting sustainable growth and operational reliability.
• Contribute actively to BENELUX leadership reviews and regional priorities.
• Share best practices and performance levers across Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
• Collaborate with central teams, peers and Group functions to support collective progress.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

P&L mindset

Data-driven decisions

Strategic agility

Cross-country deployment

Dutch-English fluent

Education

Master’s degree (MBA preferred)

10+ years experience in leadership roles

Job description

At the heart of a Group where every job has a meaning, we're looking for our future Country Manager NL M/F in Rotterdam, Netherlands. At Petit Forestier Group, every employee is a talent. Through your expertise and skills, you'll help us to improve quality of life by mastering the cold chain. Trust the only European multi-product refrigeration provider, Petit Forestier supports you to meet all your needs, from utility vehicles to trucks, display units and refrigerated containers. We are the only European provider present across the entire cold chain. Why join us? A dynamic and stimulating environment within the Group, with the ambition of becoming the world leader in sustainable refrigerated rental. A dynamic team ready to take on new challenges every day. Opportunities for development and continuous training, through an integrated E-Learning tool.

Working conditions

Primarily office-based in the Netherlands (Rotterdam). Regular travel across Dutch sites (depots, clients, team coaching) and BENELUX leadership meetings.

Key Responsibilities

Act as a visible and hands-on leader across all locations in the Netherlands. Support local managers, drive day-to-day excellence and ensure alignment between frontline execution and strategy. Build accountability, pace and execution discipline across the country. Shape and execute the commercial strategy across all customer segments and product lines. Accelerate organic growth, develop client relationships and identify new business opportunities. Drive pricing discipline, customer retention and profitable growth. Lead local transformation priorities and support the deployment of Group projects and systems. Promote continuous improvement, simplification and strong process discipline. Engage teams in embedding change as a sustainable way of working. Inspire, coach and develop a high-performing local management team. Foster engagement, accountability and a culture aligned with Petit Forestier’s values and business goals. Strengthen succession planning and leadership capability across the organisation. Own the country P&L. Lead budgeting and forecasting cycles, analyse KPIs and implement corrective actions to improve profitability and efficiency. Ensure robust governance and compliance with Group standards. Optimise workshop operations, reduce outsourcing and improve fleet utilisation and service quality. Drive operational KPIs linked to availability, service levels and customer satisfaction. Build trusted relationships with key suppliers to secure optimal pricing and high service quality, supporting sustainable growth and operational reliability. Contribute actively to BENELUX leadership reviews and regional priorities. Share best practices and performance levers across Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Collaborate with central teams, peers and Group functions to support collective progress.

Who Are We Looking For

Education & experience At least 10 years’ experience in operational, commercial or general management leadership roles. Master’s degree (e.g., MBA) preferred, especially with a focus on operations, strategy, or logistics. Knowledge of the Netherlands market dynamics. Experience in refrigerated solutions, contract hire, or service-based B2B sectors. Understanding of sustainability trends (e.g. alternative fuels) Qualifications & skills Leads from the front, values field proximity. Strong track record in operational leadership. Inspires confidence, ownership and accountability. Highly pragmatic, hands-on and action-oriented. Excellent communicator. Resilient, empathetic and decisive in the face of change. Strong stakeholder management capabilities. Strong commercial insight with strategic agility. Strong P&L and business performance mindset. Comfortable with systems thinking and data-driven decision-making. Demonstrated success in performance improvement and transformation. Process governance and cross-country deployment experience. Full professional proficiency in Dutch and English is required. French business proficiency is a plus.

What are we offering

You will join a passionate, collaborative team working to transform our operations and accelerate our growth across Europe. Learning & Development Access to our integrated e-learning platform and tailored leadership support. Benefits for Netherlands employees: Company car. The possibility of remote working, depending on operational needs and company policies. A friendly working environment with committed collaborative teams. Training opportunities to develop your skills and boost your career. You'll be part of a team that embodies the Group's values: passion, service, commitment and agility. Petit Forestier Group is committed to diversity, equality and inclusion for all its employees. The company also offers a wide range of internal opportunities, depending on employees' projects: geographical mobility (in France or abroad), internal promotion, change of profession. Petit Forestier Group, a job that makes sense. Petit Forestier Group, entreprise familiale depuis près de 120 ans, réunit 5 900 talents dans plus de 22 pays autour d’une mission commune : « Améliorer la vie par la maîtrise du Froid ». En préservant aliments, produits médicaux et autres biens sensibles qui sont essentiels à nos vies, nous offrons à chacun un métier porteur de sens.