Operations Manager, EMEA

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DHL Global Forwarding is committed to maintaining an environment that empowers every team member to make the greatest possible impact on our business. Our corporate culture is about personal commitment – to our business, to each other and to our communities. DHL is dedicated to being a great place to work. In addition to competitive compensation packages, our employees enjoy a range of programs, services and benefits that bring the best to their personal lives.

DHL Same Day is DHL Global Forwarding’s global time critical & white glove service. With our flexibility of services meeting the emergency shipment needs of a wide range of industries, whether it’s the extensive database of aircraft parts we maintain for our Aircraft On Ground clients, or expediting mission-critical parts globally for our Semiconductor and Automotive clients, or the ability to meet time-critical temperature-sensitive needs unique to Life Sciences and clinical trial logistics, DHL Same Day gets the shipment there, when it has to be, for any business or organization.

Overall Role Purpose

The Operations Team Manager is fully accountable for end‑to‑end customer service and operational performance across the EMEA region, ensuring service excellence, reliability, and continuous improvement. The role leads and develops regional operations and customer service teams, drives operational KPIs, manages critical customer relationships, and acts as the final escalation point for service failures. The position plays a key role in translating global and regional strategies into effective local execution while working within a matrix organization across Commercial, Product, Finance, and Global Operations. Key Responsibilities

§ Regional Operations & Customer Service Leadership § Own overall customer service and operational performance for Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) § Lead, coach, and develop Operations / Customer Service Supervisors, ensuring alignment on priorities, accountability, and performance § Ensure consistent execution of global and regional operational strategies, policies, and standards § Act as final escalation point for all operational and customer service issues within the region

§ Resource Allocation & Schedule Management § Plan, allocate and optimize operational resources to meet service commitments and demand fluctuations § Own schedule management, capacity planning, and workload balancing across teams § Assign customers to operational teams where required, ensuring optimal coverage for high-complexity and strategic accounts § Proactively address staffing gaps, productivity risks, and peak volume challenges

§ Operational Key Account Management & Hypercare § Act as Operational Key Account Owner for assigned top customers in the EMEA § Drive hypercare for strategic and high-risk accounts, jointly with supervisors and commercial teams § Build sustainable, trust-based relationships with key customers through proactive communication and service ownership § Partner with Commercial management on customer retention and growth

§ Service Failure Management & Root Cause Excellence § Lead comprehensive service failure management, including structured root cause analysis (RCA), definition of corrective and preventative actions (CAPA), implementation, follow-through and formal closure § Ensure recurring issues are eliminated through systemic improvements § Communicate transparently with customers during incidents and recovery phases

§ Performance Management & Data Driven Improvements § Own delivery of regional operational KPIs, including service level, responsiveness, quality, and customer satisfaction § Analyze operational data and trends to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities § Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency § Ensure KPI reporting accuracy, performance reviews, and action tracking

§ Cross-functional & Matrix Collaboration § Act as the operational interface between customers, commercial, product, finance, IT and global / regional operations § Collaborate effectively within a matrix organization, balancing regional needs with global alignment § Support implementation of global programs and transformation initiatives at regional level

§ Vendor & Partner Management § Monitor and manage subcontractor and supplier performance impacting customer service § Identify improvement actions and work collaboratively with internal and external partners to raise service quality Qualifications

§ Minimum 5 years of experience in a customer service or operations leadership role (team lead, supervisor, or manager) § Proven experience leading multi-layer teams within operations or customer service environments § Freight Forwarding, Logistics, or Supply Chain Management experience (mandatory) § Experience in time-critical, expedited, or white-glove logistics is a strong advantage § Demonstrated experience working in a matrix organization Education

§ University degree in Business, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, or equivalent professional experience § Postgraduate qualification is an advantage, but not mandatory Functional & Leadership Skills

§ Strong understanding of international logistics and end-to-end shipment processes § Proven expertise in service recovery and continuous improvement methodologies § KPI-driven mindset with strong analytical capabilities § Excellent people leadership, coaching and performance management skills § Strategic thinker with strong execution and prioritization abilities § High resilience, ownership mindset, and results orientation § Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills §Fluent in English (verbal and written); additional languages are an advantage