Traffic Manager

Karsten; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Travel allowance or OV card

13th month

8% holiday pay

Daily lunch and coffee

Bike lease option

OpenUp wellbeing + office massage

Company outings discounts

Job summary

Karsten International is seeking a Traffic Manager to oversee end-to-end packaging and artwork workflows. You will coordinate design tasks, manage schedules and assets, and keep stakeholders informed throughout production cycles.

In this role you will liaise with Buyers, Sales, Quality and Production, ensuring timely delivery while maintaining high quality. The position sits within the Design team and reports to the Head of Studio, offering room to grow in a fast-moving FMCG environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in project coordination, project management, or traffic management.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, stakeholders and deadlines.
• Excellent planning, organizational and project administration skills.
• Fluent English, both written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end packaging project workflows, prioritizing and scheduling to ensure timely delivery.
• Coordinate tasks across the creative team based on skills and project requirements.
• Monitor progress, identify bottlenecks and risks affecting timelines or deliverables.
• Collaborate with designers, copywriters, production teams and external stakeholders for efficient execution.
• Serve as liaison between departments and licensors to align on requirements.
• Track scope, resources, timelines and budgets to meet agreed requirements.
• Provide regular status updates to Head of Design and clients, managing changes and shifting priorities.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and maintain alignment throughout artwork development.
• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and quality.

Skills

Project coordination

Stakeholder management

Planning

Communication

Education

HBO-level education or equivalent

Tools

MS Office (Excel)

Job description

Are you an experienced Traffic Manager or Artwork Coordinator looking to join one of the fastest-growing, most innovative FMCG companies in the Netherlands? Then we might be the perfect match!

Karsten International is continuously advancing to enhance and expand our global market position in the FMCG industry. To support these ambitions, we are seeking a skilled and motivated Traffic Manager to join our dynamic team.

As the Traffic Manager, you will be the steady force amidst the fast pace, maintaining focus as you manage multiple tasks across various ongoing projects. You will oversee the entire design life cycle, from initial briefing and gathering assets to ensuring the final artwork is sent to suppliers for production. Your role includes scheduling design tasks for copywriters, product, and packaging designers, while also keeping other departments informed on project progress. Additionally, you will track the approval process to guarantee timely delivery of packaging and artwork for production.

The tasks of a Traffic Manager include:

• Manage end-to-end packaging project workflows, priorities, and schedules to ensure timely and accurate delivery.
• Coordinate and assign tasks across the creative team based on skills, capacity, project requirements, and business priorities.
• Monitor project progress, proactively identifying bottlenecks, risks, and dependencies that may impact timelines or deliverables.
• Coordinate with designers, copywriters, production teams, and other internal stakeholders to ensure efficient project execution and clear communication.
• Act as a key liaison between departments and external stakeholders, including licensors, to align on project requirements, priorities, approvals, and deliverables.
• Track project scope, resources, timelines, and budgets to ensure projects are delivered according to agreed requirements.
• Provide regular project status updates to the Head of Design, internal stakeholders, and clients, and manage changes, concerns, and shifting priorities.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and ensure stakeholders remain aligned throughout the artwork and packaging development process.
• Identify, develop, and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, quality, and consistency within artwork development workflows.

Your team:

This role is part of the Design team and reports to the Head of Studio. You will serve as the bridge between Buyers, Sales, Quality, Production, and external partners.

Job requirements

Education and skills:

• 3+ years of relevant experience in project coordination, project management, traffic management, or a comparable role.
• HBO-level thinking and working ability, preferably supported by relevant education or substantial relevant work experience.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong planning, organizational, and project administration skills.
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.
• Strong working knowledge of MS Office, particularly Excel, and confidence working with project management and workflow systems.
• Comfortable coordinating across creative, commercial, and operational teams as well as with external stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to proactively follow up, Escalate issues, and keep stakeholders aligned.
• Structured, detail-oriented, proactive, and solution-focused way of working.

What you can expect from us:

At Karsten International you will join a supportive, ambitious team where we work hard, stay sharp, and enjoy what we do. We are growing fast, so there's plenty of room to share ideas, take ownership, and really make an impact. We communicate openly, help each other out, and keep things direct but respectful.

What we offer

• Plenty of space for personal growth, ownership and continuous improvement
• Excellent pension scheme
• Travel allowance or OV card, 13th month & 8% holiday pay
• Daily fresh lunch, fruit, and great coffee
• Bootcamp, yoga, football team
• Option to lease a bike
• OpenUp for mental well-being + massage at the office
• Discounts on great products & fun company outings
• Support with HSM visa and 30% ruling (if applicable)

Who we are?

Karsten International develops a wide range of products for daily use, from the latest gadgets to sustainable beauty products. In addition to working hard and delivering quality, enjoyment and collegiality are top priorities. The team consists of driven product developers, sales experts, logistics talents, online marketing specialists and graphic designers. Thanks to a broad international network and more than ten years of experience, we are winning the hearts of consumers all over the world with our products. You will be given every opportunity to contribute to this.

Our core values (woven into how we work together)

• Efficient & cost-conscious: We manage time and resources smartly, think critically and value what’s already in place.
• Ambitious with long-term focus: We take ownership, build lasting relationships and stay humble in our success.
• Striving for the best: We measure, learn, improve—and challenge each other to exceed expectations.
• Direct & respectful: We communicate openly and treat everyone with respect, regardless of background.
• We like to have fun: We enjoy what we do and create a positive, energetic work environment.