COO – Regional Operations — Fleet-Operations Network

The mandate

The network operates managed and partner fleets across European cities. New rules on platform work, local transport accountability, vehicle data and low-emission access are taking effect at different times. Operations currently combines regional control-tower processes with country and depot exceptions, many maintained outside core systems. The COO must create a federated model that satisfies local obligations and still allows vehicles, people and customers to move across markets coherently.

Approximately 950 employees and material partners fall within the remit across fleet planning, depots, maintenance, driver operations, control towers, safety and customer delivery. Legal interprets regulation and country managers hold local authority. The COO owns process design, capacity, control adoption and service. They must make clear where country variance is mandatory, where regional consistency is valuable and who decides when the two conflict.

The transition affects worker and partner relationships. Scheduling, earnings evidence, training, incident responsibility and appeals may require change. The executive must involve workforce and legal expertise without treating drivers as a compliance data set. Controls need to work at shift start, in poor connectivity and through third-party depots.

Cross-border fleet movement creates tax, licence, insurance and maintenance consequences. A vehicle valid in one market is not automatically deployable in another. The COO will establish status evidence and planning constraints so urgent capacity decisions do not rely on assumptions later found unlawful or uninsured.

The operating model must remain usable across language and system boundaries. Depot staff, drivers and partner supervisors may receive a regional rule through different local tools and training channels. The COO will define controlled translations, version acknowledgement and feedback routes, then test whether people make the same critical decision from the same case facts. A policy is not implemented because headquarters published it once.

Why this seat is open

The incumbent resigned for a role outside the sector during regulatory design and will provide only a short handover. This urgent replacement inherits capable country teams but unresolved regional authority. The board wants a permanent executive in place before the first major implementation date; interim controls remain meanwhile.

What you will own

• Translate confirmed country obligations into roles, process, systems, evidence and operating cost.
• Design regional, country and depot decision rights for dispatch, workforce, incidents and compliance exceptions.
• Create deployable vehicle and driver status records across licence, insurance, training and local rules.
• Rebuild planning and shift processes to meet worker requirements and service demand.
• Govern maintenance, depot and fleet partners through evidence, audit and remedy rights.
• Protect customer service and safety during phased implementation.
• Establish operational regulator readiness based on ordinary work rather than rehearsed inspection packs.
• Develop country and regional operations leaders with clear succession and escalation judgement.

The first 12 months

In 90 days, map obligations and exceptions across priority countries, observe depot and control-tower work and quantify service and cost consequences. Put interim protection around critical worker, licence and insurance gaps. Agree target authority and a phased implementation sequence with country leaders.

By month six, pilot the model in two contrasting markets, test it at peak volume and correct friction before expansion. Implement vehicle and driver status controls, train managers through observed competence and revise third-party contracts. Country exceptions should have legal basis, owner and review date.

At twelve months, achieve 98% complete dispatch evidence, reduce preventable regulatory or documentation failures by 80% and keep control-related delay below agreed service tolerance. Priority markets should meet implementation dates without a material safety event. Regional fleet utilisation should improve five points, while substantiated worker-process complaints decline and independent assurance finds no repeated critical failure.

What the board will measure

• Regulatory readiness supported by live operating evidence in each market.
• Service, safety and workforce outcomes through change.
• Consistent regional control with justified, governed local variation.
• Vehicle and driver deployability visible before scheduling.
• Partner compliance and remedy without fictional transfer of accountability.
• Regional leadership capable of sustaining the model after programme support leaves.

The person

You have 22–28 years in regional fleet, mobility, logistics, aviation or another regulated European operations network. You have implemented divergent country requirements within one operating model and managed workforce consequences directly. You spend time in depots and control rooms and can still engage regulators and a board.

Your experience includes at least 700 employees and partners and an operating or asset portfolio above €500 million. You can describe the local variation you preserved, a control that failed under peak demand and how worker evidence changed implementation. European labour and transport exposure is essential.

The role is onsite in Amsterdam with extensive regional travel and reports to the Group Chief Executive or designated sponsor.

Compensation and terms

Base pay is €330,000–450,000 plus annual incentive and long-term incentive measured through readiness, service, safety, workforce, utilisation and leadership. This permanent onsite Amsterdam role reports to the Group Chief Executive or named sponsor and requires substantial travel. Notice up to six months can be considered against implementation deadlines.

Confidentiality

The operator, countries, regulatory interpretations, workforce plans and fleet partners are restricted. Detail follows relevance, conflict checks and signed confidentiality. Scale and situation are intentionally blended; candidates must not seek identity through regulators, unions, depots or industry contacts.