Fruit and Vegetable Operations Lead

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

Benefits offered by this job

Picnic Tech Academy

Lunch & Learn sessions

Tailored soft skills training

Language courses (free)

Job summary

Picnic, the Netherlands-based online grocery, seeks a Fruit and Vegetable Operations Lead to safeguard quality from sourcing to delivery and to drive scalable, high-performance operations.

You will implement quality-control processes, lead a team, collaborate with buying, category management and logistics, and travel within the Netherlands, with occasional trips to France and Germany.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a leadership role in 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.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and evaluate the performance of our product suppliers, providing feedback to improve quality and consistency.
• Conduct regular inspections of products to assess freshness, quality, and compliance with specifications.
• Stay informed about industry trends, developments, and technologies related to product quality.
• Develop and implement Picnic's quality control processes for vegetables and fruits across warehouses and fulfilment centres.
• Train and educate Picnic's quality team on procedures, specifications, and best practices.

Skills

Leadership

Produce quality standards

Quality control

Quality strategy design

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Travel willingness

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

• Monitor and evaluate the performance of our products suppliers, providing feedback and guidance as needed to improve quality and consistency.
• Conduct regular inspections of products to assess freshness, quality, and compliance with specifications.
• Stay informed about industry trends, developments, and emerging technologies related to product quality.
• 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.
• Train and educate Picnic's quality team members on quality control procedures, product specifications, and best practices for handling and storing products.
• Collaborate with Picnic's suppliers to establish and maintain quality standards, resolve quality issues, and ensure compliance with food safety regulations.
• 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.