Fruit and Vegetable Operations Lead

Picnic Technologies; Geldermalsen; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tech Academy

Language courses

Team events

Sustainable mission

Job summary

Picnic is seeking a Fruit and Vegetable Operations Lead to safeguard product taste and quality from field to fork, driving a scalable, high-performance operation across warehouses and fulfilment centers. You will design and implement rigorous quality control procedures and lead a team to ensure compliance with food safety regulations.

The role requires 5+ years in a grocery/retail leadership position, deep knowledge of produce quality standards and grading, and strong stakeholder management.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a leadership role in grocery/retail with knowledge of fruit and vegetables.
• Strong knowledge of produce quality standards and grading systems.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to address quality issues.
• Experience designing and executing quality strategies across stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Quality performance management of suppliers to improve quality and consistency.
• Regular inspections of products for freshness and compliance with specs.
• Develop and implement Picnic's quality control processes for fruits and vegetables.
• Lead and train the quality team across warehouses and fulfilment centers.
• Collaborate with buyers, category management, and customer service on quality issues.

Skills

Leadership

Quality standards knowledge

Attention to detail

Communication

Travel willingness

Fluent English

Job description

As we continue to expand our operations, we are seeking a passionate and experienced Fruit and Vegetable Operations Lead. You will safeguard product taste and quality from field to fork, turning quality into a primary driver for our growth. Together, we will set the standard for a scalable, high-performance operation.

Join us in our mission to deliver the highest quality products and redefine the grocery shopping experience for our customers!

In a nutshell

As our Fruit and Vegetable Operations Lead, you will play a vital role in ensuring that our customers consistently receive top-quality fruit and vegetables. Your responsibilities will include implementing and maintaining rigorous quality control procedures throughout our fruit and vegetable supply chain, from sourcing to delivery. This role requires a keen attention to detail, strong communication skills, leadership skills and a deep understanding of industry-standard quality benchmarks.

What you’ll do

• Quality performance management: Monitor and evaluate the performance of our products suppliers, providing feedback and guidance as needed to improve quality and consistency.
• Quality control: Conduct regular inspections of products to assess freshness, quality, and compliance with specifications.
• Be a fruit and vegetable expert: Stay informed about industry trends, developments, and emerging technologies related to product quality.
• Process implementation: Develop and implement Picnic's quality control processes for vegetables and fruits, including product specifications, inspection criteria and quality assurance across our warehouses and Fulfilment Centres.
• People leadership: Train and educate Picnic's quality team members on quality control procedures, product specifications, and best practices for handling and storing products.
• Supplier management: Collaborate with Picnic's suppliers to establish and maintain quality standards, resolve quality issues, and ensure compliance with food safety regulations.
• Stakeholder management: Work closely with cross-functional teams at Picnic, including buying, category management, and customer service, to address quality-related issues and implement corrective actions.

About you

5+ years of experience in a leadership role within a grocery / retail environment with knowledge of fruit and vegetables.

Strong knowledge of produce quality standards, grading systems, and industry best practices.

Attention to detail, with the ability to identify and address quality issues effectively.

Designs and executes comprehensive quality strategies while driving alignment across stakeholders.

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Strong communication and relationship management skills

Willingness to travel in the Netherlands, occasionally France & Germany

Fluent in English, Dutch fluency is preferred.

Picnic perks

• Every expert was once a beginner!
  You'll get plenty of opportunities to challenge yourself and grow, including the Picnic Tech Academy, Lunch & Learn sessions, and tailored soft skills training. We also offer free professional weekly language courses.
• Make a difference
  You'll work in an awesome scale-up environment with the freedom to drive your own projects and create a visible impact. Our fully electric vehicles and sustainable business model mean you'll also be contributing to making the world a better place!
• Teamwork makes the dream work
  With more than 80 nationalities across 3 countries, you'll be part of a diverse company with plenty of cool stuff to get involved with, from board game evenings to after-work drinks to our company ski trip and more!
• Stay healthy
  Mental health is important. As well as having the option to speak with Picnic colleagues who act as confidential advisors, our collaboration with OpenUp gives you easy access to professional psychologists, along with workshops and materials. There are plenty of sports communities and events to get involved with, from tennis to yoga to climbing!
• Attractive package
  We offer competitive compensation and a pension plan that looks out for your future self.
• Commitment to equal opportunities
  Picnic is an equal opportunity employer- this means that all decisions regarding applications will be based on qualifications and merit. Applicants will be regarded independently of age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, skin color, civil status, religious beliefs, physical or mental disability, or any other factors protected by law.

At Picnic, we celebrate and value our differences and are committed to building a safe and inclusive working environment where everyone can be themselves.

A bit about us

When you join Picnic, you're joining the shopping revolution, delivering groceries to millions of people across Europe, and we're growing fast. Think super fresh products and personal service but in a modern, sustainable way. The people in Supply Chain make it all work - from designing strategies and implementing improvements to ensuring smooth and safe daily operations. 18000 colleagues, hundreds of thousands of daily orders, and millions of loyal Picnic fans, ready to join the ride?

Recruitment Process

1. CV screening
2. Online assessment
3. Phone screening
4. Interviews
5. Assessment day
6. Offer

Commitment to equal opportunities

Picnic is an equal opportunity employer- this means that all decisions regarding applications will be based on qualifications and merit. Applicants will be regarded independently of age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, skin color, civil status, religious beliefs, physical or mental disability, or any other factors protected by law.
At Picnic, we celebrate and value our differences and are committed to building a safe and inclusive working environment where everyone can be themselves.

Our Mentality

At Picnic, we build from scratch with an owner's mindset. We dive into the unknown, taking end-to-end responsibility for every outcome, going the extra mile to tackle complex challenges. We turn insights into action, working as a team to get things done. We move fast, never compromising on quality or long-term impact. With grit and commitment we build what has never been built before!