Crane Worldwide Logistics

Director of Operations, Managed Transportation Europe

Crane Worldwide Logistics  •  Rozenburg, NL (Onsite)  •  1 month ago
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Job Description

The Director of Operations – Managed Transportation Europe is responsible for leading and scaling multi-country operations with a strong focus on strategic account management, profitable growth, and team development.

This role goes beyond execution—owning client relationships, P&L performance, and talent pipelines—ensuring the business operates lean, scalable, and commercially driven while delivering best-in-class service.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Account Management & Growth

  • Own senior-level relationships across key European managed transportation accounts
  • Drive account expansion, retention, and margin improvement through proactive engagement
  • Identify upsell opportunities (capacity solutions, value-added services, outsourcing)
  • Partner with commercial teams to support RFPs, renewals, and new business wins
  • Act as executive escalation point, ensuring fast resolution and high client satisfaction

Operational Excellence (Lean & Scalable)

  • Lead day-to-day operations across multiple sites/markets ensuring consistent service delivery
  • Implement lean operating models focused on productivity, cost control, and scalability
  • Standardize processes across countries while allowing local market flexibility
  • Ensure contract compliance and operational execution at or above client expectations

P&L Impact

  • Drive margin expansion through pricing discipline, cost optimization, and efficiency gains
  • Monitor revenue, cost, and productivity metrics against budget and forecasts
  • Participate in financial planning, budgeting, and monthly performance reviews
  • Build a culture of data-driven decision making and accountability

Talent Development & Leadership

  • Build, lead, and develop high-performing operations and account management teams
  • Establish clear career paths, coaching structures, and performance management frameworks
  • Hire and develop top talent across Central and Western Europe
  • Foster a culture of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement
  • Develop future leaders to support rapid scaling of the business

Cross-Functional & Regional Leadership

  • Collaborate with Sales, Procurement, and Capacity teams to align execution with growth strategy
  • Support the build-out of nearshore / Central Europe operations teams
  • Act as a bridge between commercial and operational functions
  • Lead change management initiatives across markets

Key Metrics of Success

  • Account growth (revenue + gross margin expansion)
  • New Customer Integrations
  • Cost-to-serve reduction / productivity improvement
  • EBITDA contribution
  • Employee retention and internal promotions
  • Operational KPIs

Qualifications & Experience

  • 10+ years in transportation, logistics, or managed transportation environments
  • Strong background in account management and customer-facing roles
  • Proven experience managing multi-site / multi-country operations in Europe
  • Demonstrated P&L understanding and ability to scale profitably
  • Track record of building and developing high-performing teams
  • Experience in FTL brokerage, 4PL, or managed transport solutions strongly preferred

Core Competencies

  • Commercial mindset with operational discipline
  • Strong client-facing and relationship-building skills
  • Financial acumen and data-driven decision making
  • Leadership and talent development
  • Ability to operate in fast-scaling, entrepreneurial environments
  • Fluent English (additional European languages a plus)

What Success Looks Like in 12 Months

  • Key accounts stabilized and growing with clear expansion roadmap
  • Lean operating structure implemented across core markets
  • Strong team being built in Poland / Central Europe
  • Measurable margin improvement across portfolio
  • Recognized by clients as a strategic partner—not just an operator
Crane Worldwide Logistics

About Crane Worldwide Logistics

The vision of Crane Worldwide is to enable global trade for our clients with unparalleled excellence, foster a culture of achievement among our team members, and uplift the communities where we operate. Every day, we endeavor to create a positive influence and aspire to leave a lasting legacy in the logistics industry, improving the lives of people globally.

With a legacy in logistics, our people's expertise, deep industry knowledge, and can-do attitude make a difference to our global and local clients.

As a privately owned, family-run business, we have a flat structure that enables quick decision-making. This enables the team to provide the best solutions for our clients.

Partnerships make a difference, and through organic growth with our clients, we have developed a global footprint with local representation and continue to grow. We will invest where our clients need us to be.

Our technology platform was developed in-house with a holistic view of our clients' needs for real-time information.

We make a difference in the communities in which we operate. Our Crane Cares initiatives are deeply embedded into our corporate culture.

We are living in extraordinary times with constant change in global markets. Our flexible and dynamic approach, accompanied by our value proposition, presents our dedication to our clients through our Technology, Service, and People.

Industry
Transportation & Logistics
Company Size
1,001-5,000 employees
Headquarters
Houston, Texas
Year Founded
2008
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