Operations Manager – Cold Storage | Maasvlakte

Maersk Line Limited; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Maersk is seeking an experienced Operations Manager for our Cold Store site at Maasvlakte, Rotterdam. You will lead day-to-day warehouse operations across Frozen, Fresh/Chilled and Pharma, with strong emphasis on safety, quality, and customer service.

The role involves building processes, driving improvements, and developing the operations team as the site scales. You will work closely with the Site Manager and stakeholders to embed GDP and food safety standards, optimise planning, and ensure

Qualifications

• Extensive warehousing and logistics experience in operational environments, including customer-facing activities.
• Proven track record as a warehouse leader responsible for teams and operations.
• Experience in cold chain logistics (Fresh/Chilled, Frozen or Pharma) is preferred.
• Experience in regulated environments with GDP, food safety and quality requirements is highly preferred.
• Strong safety mindset with ability to translate requirements into standards on the floor.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily warehouse operations for Frozen, Fresh/Chilled and Pharma activities with focus on safety and reliability.
• Coach and develop supervisors and team leads; define clear ownership and accountability.
• Ensure compliance and quality performance with applicable GDP and food safety requirements.
• Embed standards into daily execution; address deviations and clarify responsibilities.
• Monitor KPIs and drive improvements; translate insights into practical actions.
• Plan and coordinate between shifts; manage resources, handovers, and priorities.

Skills

Warehousing leadership

Cold chain expertise

Safety & GDP knowledge

Operational excellence

People leadership

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder management

Process standardisation

English proficiency

Dutch language advantage

Job description

Maersk is a global leader in integrated logistics, connecting and simplifying global supply chains across more than 130 countries. We believe in collaboration, diversity and continuous learning, and we are committed to delivering safe, reliable and sustainable logistics solutions for our customers.

The Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced Operations Manager to lead operational teams at our Cold Store site at Maasvlakte, Rotterdam.

You will have end-to-end responsibility for the day-to-day warehouse operation, with a strong focus on safety, food safety, quality, compliance, people leadership, customer service and operational performance.

Our Cold Store is a relatively new operation combining Frozen, Fresh/Chilled and Pharma logistics, each with its own operational, customer and compliance requirements. From food safety and cold-chain integrity to Good Distribution Practice (GDP) requirements within Pharma, you will play a key role in ensuring these standards are embedded in daily operations.

This is not a role where everything has already been built and standardised. We are looking for someone with an entrepreneurial and hands-on mindset who enjoys running today's operation while helping to build and professionalise the operation for tomorrow.

Working closely with the Site Manager and other stakeholders, you will develop the operational organisation, create stable processes and drive sustainable improvements as the site continues to grow.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily warehouse operations, ensuring safe, reliable and efficient execution across Frozen, Fresh/Chilled and Pharma activities.
• Lead, coach and develop the operational organisation, including supervisors, teamleads and operational support staff, creating clear ownership and accountability.
• Ensure strong safety, food safety, quality and compliance performance, including adherence to applicable GDP and food safety requirements.
• Embed operational standards into daily execution, ensuring procedures are followed, deviations are addressed and teams understand their responsibilities.
• Monitor operational and customer performance, using data and KPIs to identify deviations, understand root causes and translate findings into practical actions.
• Drive continuous improvement, applying Lean principles, structured problem solving and process standardisation to improve safety, quality, productivity and service.
• Ensure effective planning and coordination between teams and shifts, including resource allocation, structured handovers and clear operational priorities.
• Maintain strong operational and inventory control through the Warehouse Management System, ensuring accurate transactions, stock integrity and timely follow-up of deviations.
• Work closely with Quality, Customer Service and other functions to meet customer requirements and maintain readiness for audits and regulatory inspections.
• Support the continued development and scaling of the site, helping establish the processes, standards and organisational capabilities required for sustainable growth.

What We Are Looking For

• Strong warehousing and logistics experience in operational environments, including customer-facing operations.
• Proven warehouse leadership experience, with several years of responsibility for leading and developing warehouse teams and operational leaders.
• Experience within cold chain logistics, particularly Fresh/Chilled, Frozen or Pharma operations, is preferred.
• Experience working within regulated environments and a good understanding of food safety, quality management and Good Distribution Practice (GDP) requirements is strongly preferred.
• Strong safety and compliance mindset, with the ability to translate requirements into practical standards and behaviours on the warehouse floor.
• Entrepreneurial and ownership-driven mindset, comfortable working in an operation that is still developing and where not every process has already been defined.
• Strong operational excellence and continuous improvement capability, using data, Lean methodologies and structured problem solving to improve performance.
• Strong people leadership capability, with a genuine passion for coaching, mentoring and developing others.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in an international matrix organisation.
• Structured, resilient and process-oriented, with the ability to balance daily operational execution with longer-term development.
• Excellent written and spoken English; good command of Dutch is considered a strong advantage.

What We Offer

You will join a dynamic and developing Cold Store operation where there is significant opportunity to make a visible impact.

You will have the freedom and responsibility to help shape the operation, develop the organisation and improve how we work. The combination of Frozen, Fresh/Chilled and Pharma logistics provides a challenging environment in which operational excellence, people leadership and customer focus come together.

If you are an experienced warehouse leader who enjoys taking ownership, developing people and building an operation, we would like to hear from you.

Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race, colour, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy or parental leave, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.

We are happy to support your need for any adjustments during the application and hiring process. If you need special assistance or an accommodation to use our website, or to perform a job, please contact us by emailing [e-mail] .