Head of Operations - Europe

As Head of Operations - Europe, you will lead the European Operations agenda for DLL by safeguarding operational service levels toward partners and end users, driving consistent execution across clusters, and ensuring Operations supports Europe’s commercial, customer and efficiency ambitions.

Europe operates through a cluster structure, with operational teams embedded close to customers, partners, and local business needs. Your role is therefore to orchestrate, guide and enable operational performance across Europe — ensuring clusters have clear operational priorities, consistent service expectations, strong performance management and the right capabilities to deliver reliable, efficient and customer-focused outcomes.

At the same time, this is not only an orchestration role. You will also directly lead and govern selected European Operations capabilities that require a market-wide view, including Operational Excellence, non-IT portfolio management, operational performance steering, CX (customer experience) and European coordination of FEC-related operational activities. You will be accountable for identifying, assessing and managing risks within your area of responsibility, ensuring risks are understood, mitigated, and remain within approved risk appetite.  You will lead the centralized European OpX capability and ensure it supports efficiency gains, standardization and continuous improvement across clusters. Its role will be key in supporting the digital transformation of Europe system landscape through the definition of target processes. 

As the organization is moving towards centralization, you will support a business perspective of standardization and digitalization of operations across the market, as well as lead the European offshoring projects. 

You will report to the General Manager - Europe and will be a member of the European Market leadership team. You will help create coherence across Europe by balancing cluster autonomy with European consistency, global Operations guardrails and disciplined execution.

In this role, you will act as the Operations integrator for Europe. You will ensure service levels, turnaround times, customer service performance, operational KPIs, OpX deployment, non-IT project portfolio management and cluster performance dialogues are connected across Europe and aligned with European market priorities.

You will also work closely with European Commercial, Risk, Finance, Digital and HR to ensure operational delivery supports partner and customer experience, commercial execution, scalability, control and efficiency.

You will lead with clarity, collaboration and enterprise perspective — helping Europe move toward a more consistent, performance-driven and customer-focused operations model.

 

Your Mission

• Safeguard the right service levels toward DLL’s partners and end users by ensuring strong operational performance across payouts, customer services and other core Operations activities.

• Set challenging targets for core European Operations KPIs and drive execution with clusters in line with agreed plans.

• Establish and run performance dialogues with clusters based on operational KPI results, service levels, trends, risks and improvement opportunities.
• Drive European Operations performance across a focused set of operational KPIs, including turnaround time, service quality, productivity, efficiency, customer service performance and other agreed measures.
• Lead the development and execution of the European OpX deployment model, using a centralized market OpX team to support efficiency gains, standardization and improvement across clusters.
• Ensure the European OpX team works closely with clusters and clusters to identify, prioritize and deliver improvement initiatives with measurable business impact.
• Enable clusters to deliver agreed value from business-case-related initiatives by supporting strong execution, follow-up and benefit realization.
• Deliver cost efficiencies through automation, offshoring projects delivery 
• Own the non-IT project portfolio for the European market, ensuring clear prioritization, delivery discipline, dependency management and visibility of progress.
• Provide leadership and direction to the European OpX team, Portfolio Management, CX and other Operations capabilities reporting into the role.
• Coordinate European FEC-related operational activities, ensuring clear handshakes between clusters, local first-line teams, FEC stakeholders and relevant control functions where financial crime requirements impact operational processes or customer journeys.
• Functionally steer the Heads of Operations across European clusters through clear expectations, performance routines and escalation routines.
• In coordination with Head of Digital Europe and Head of Risk Europe, lead and oversee European operational resilience framework, ensuring critical services remain continuously available by identifying risks, strengthening controls, and coordinating response and recovery across all operations.

• Ensure strong cooperation with the CCO domain and CX teams to improve cluster delivery of services and enhance partner and end-user experience.

• Clarify handshakes between European Operations, clusters, Global Business Center, Commercial, CX, Risk, Finance, Digital and HR where operational delivery depends on cross-functional coordination.
• Support standardization and simplification of operational ways of working across Europe, while allowing appropriate flexibility for local cluster requirements.
• Foster a culture of accountability, service excellence, continuous improvement and disciplined execution across the European Operations organization.

 

Skills and Capabilities Required

• Senior operations leadership experience across multiple clusters or business areas.
• Strong ability to orchestrate performance through teams that do not all report directly into the role.
• Experience leading operational teams or capabilities in a complex, multi-market environment.
• Strong understanding of operational service delivery, turnaround time management, customer service performance, and operational KPI steering.
• Experience with Operational Excellence, Project and Portfolio Management, process standardization or efficiency programs.
• Ability to translate operational performance data into clear actions, priorities, and improvement plans.
• Strong stakeholder management across European clusters, Commercial, CX, Risk, Finance, Digital, HR, and Global Operations.
• Ability to balance European consistency with cluster-level autonomy and local customer or partner needs.
• Strong understanding of operational governance, performance dialogues, issue escalation, and benefit realization.
• Experience managing a portfolio of non-IT projects, including prioritization, delivery tracking, dependency management, and value realization.
• Ability to simplify complexity and create clear operational priorities across a diverse geography.
• Strong people leadership and influencing skills, including coaching senior operational leaders.
• Customer- and partner-focused mindset, with a strong focus on service quality, speed, reliability and operational discipline.
• Data-driven approach to performance steering, operational decision-making, and continuous improvement.
• Experience in financial services, leasing, vendor finance, or commercial finance is valuable.
• Ability to lead through change while building trust across clusters, markets, and global functions.

 

All members enjoy

• Work-Life Balance: Flexible working, including hybrid, designed to support you at every stage of life.

• Global and Inclusive Culture: A global and inclusive culture where your unique background and perspectives are valued.

• Two volunteering days: Two working days to contribute to charities and your community. 

• Comprehensive Benefits: Health, wellness, financial programs and industry leading holiday package.

• Professional Growth: Access to training, mentorship, tuition reimbursement, and career development programs tailored to your goals. 

• Click this link to look at the benefits in your region.

 

Choose Wellbeing

At DLL, we recognize that investing in member wellbeing is essential for creating an inclusive and supportive work environment. This not only promotes personal and professional growth but also boosts productivity, engagement, and overall success. We focus on the following:

• Supporting Members During Moments That Matter: We provide dedicated support resources to help you navigate significant events in your work, your lifestyle, and your personal moments.
• Implementing Global Wellbeing Programs: We carefully select and implement programs that enhance our members’ experience.
• Embedding Wellbeing in Everything We Do: We integrate wellbeing into all our practices and policies to ensure it is a fundamental part of our culture.

 

Good to know: 

• The selection process may involve an assessment.

• For more information, please contact Willem Hessels Regional Talent Acquisition Manager via [email protected]

 

DLL is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection processes and an inclusive work environment. 

We’re dedicated to ensuring our hiring process is accessible to all. If you require accommodation at any stage, please inform your HR Partner.

DLL, a great place to build your career

DLL is a global asset finance company that partners with manufacturers, dealers, distributors, and end users to facilitate access to equipment and technology. Headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, we operate in over 25 countries, offering financial solutions across various industries. We are also a 100% subsidiary of our parent company Rabobank, one of the world’s largest financial companies. Join our community of over 6.000 members from 75 nationalities! At DLL, our unique culture — shaped by our values (We put our customers first -Together we achieve more-You can count on me - I challenge myself and others to grow) and behaviors that define us — is at the heart of everything we do.

We offer exciting job opportunities where you feel welcomed, respected and empowered to be your authentic self and share your best ideas. At DLL, we believe in the strength of our diverse perspectives and experiences, which make our global community thrive.

You’ll receive competitive pay, generous benefits, health and wellbeing support, and manage your work-life balance through our hybrid working flexibility.

Our global operations offer you a variety of development opportunities and we encourage you to take on new challenges across our departments, businesses and regions.

Our company strategy emphasizes our commitment to sustainable business and making social impact is part of that as well. Together, we’ll “Partner for a better world” to make a positive impact. Joining DLL, means joining a company that consistently scores higher than the industry average in Employee Engagement surveys. This is also being acknowledged through many Great Place to Work certificates. People who work at DLL, like DLL. 

Join us in Partnering for a better world!