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Operations Director
Operations Director
Hybrid - Fulltime
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Do you want to be our Operations Director?
As a leading global procurement service provider, GIS International is headquartered in Ghent with subsidiaries around the world close to its customers. GIS International has about 130 employees where values such as openness, respect, quality and diversity are central. GIS is a growth company with an international dimension and a multicultural workplace.
The Operations Director owns end-to-end supply chain performance at GIS International, from procurement and vendor management to logistics, warehousing, and customer delivery. This is a hands-on leadership role that combines operational rigor with genuine team development.
You will be expected to build, not just manage: co-constructing processes with your teams, developing individual capabilities, and creating an operations function that supports GIS's growth ambitions.
This role is 60% internal (team leadership, process structuring, cross-functional alignment) and 40% external (customer interface, supplier relationships, program-level operations).
Main tasks & Responsibilities
Team Leadership and Development (Priority 1)
- Build and sustain a high-performing operations team, close to the ground, accountable, and growing
- Coach and develop team members individually; actively create conditions for people to take ownership
- Bridge between field teams and management, translating strategic direction into operational clarity
- Manage conflict constructively; address performance issues directly and fairly
Operations and Supply Chain
- Own end-to-end supply chain: procurement, vendor management, logistics, warehousing, order fulfilment
- Drive VMI implementation and optimize inventory levels across programs
- Streamline processes using appropriate technology and digitalization, fit for our scale
- Ensure compliance with Incoterms, ISO processes, safety requirements and legal obligations
Performance and Continuous Improvement
- Define and track KPIs that matter: inventory turnover, cost savings, fulfillment cycle time, customer satisfaction
- Lead cost reduction initiatives (TCO approach) without compromising service quality
- Identify and implement operational improvements with the team, not for the team
- Maintain green-level customer satisfaction across GIS operations
- Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement to enhance performance and competitiveness
External Relationships
- Interface with key customers on operational matters, credible and solution-oriented
- Manage supplier and carrier relationships; lead contract negotiations
- Represent GIS operations in program-level reviews
Your Profile
Experience
- 10 to 15 years in supply chain, logistics, or operations, with direct team management throughout
- Background in mid-size organizations (50 to 300 people) where you had to make things work with limited resources
- Demonstrated experience building or restructuring an operations function, not just inheriting a mature one
- International exposure, ideally including emerging markets or multi-country operations
- Experience with ERP and supply chain systems and reporting tools
Leadership Qualities
- Leads through proximity, visible, accessible, trusted by the people you manage
- Develops others deliberately; you can name people you have grown and explain how
- Co-constructs solutions rather than imposing them; earns buy-in before demanding execution
- Resilient under pressure; maintains composure when things go wrong and finds a path forward
- Challenges upward when needed, with facts, not frustration
Mindset
- Brings answers, not just diagnoses; proactive on solutions, not only on problems
- Comfortable operating in an environment that is still building its processes
- High personal standards without creating a culture of fear around imperfection
- Curious about the business beyond operations, commercially aware and strategically grounded
Language Requirements
- English: Full professional proficiency (working language)
- French and/or Dutch: an asset given our Benelux base of operations
- Additional languages relevant to customer programs: valued
Cultural Fit
- Multicultural teamwork and clear communication in an international context
- Curious mindset towards problem solving and efficiency
- Energy and willingness to learn inside the industrial environment
- Ambassador of etiquette towards internal and external stakeholders
Job Location
We are looking for an Operations Director based in Ghent, Belgium.
What do we offer
We offer a diverse job in an international, multicultural environment with a competitive salary, extra legal benefits and a great team!
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