Lead Toyota's logistics operations in Germany, ensuring top-notch safety, quality, and efficiency while driving continuous improvement and managing a dynamic team in a key logistics hub located in Cologne.

TOYOTA is one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers and a leading global corporation. Founded in 1937. Toyota now sells vehicles in 170 countries and employs over 350.000 people. Based in Brussels, Belgium, and staffed by 2.700 people and more than 60 nationalities, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) handles the wholesale marketing of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, parts & accessories, and manages Toyota’s European R&D, manufacturing, and engineering operations.

We are excited to be transforming into a mobility company focusing on bringing even more happiness to our customers through various mobility solutions.

Every day we ship thousands of components, accessories and vehicles across the whole of Europe. Our supply chain operations ensure that our factories, retailers and customers receive their products in the right place and at the right time.

From the beginning of a car’s lifecycle to its disposal, Toyota’s sophisticated supply chain network focuses on reducing the environmental impact of our products and activities. For our production parts, multiple cross-docks and consolidation points across the region support the supply of components to our manufacturing plants. Vehicle Logistics Groups in our European hubs, cross-docks and port operations ensure our customers get their vehicles on-time, in-time, every time. For after-sales activities, we have an extensive supply chain to organise and support service parts and components.

The Service Parts Supply Chain Group operates 18 central distribution warehouses throughout Europe. Using a hub & spoke distribution method, they ship thousands of components and accessories every day to over 3300 retailers throughout Europe and affiliates across the globe.

Team description

The warehouse employs approximately 70 people (both Office and Warehouse) and stores some 50,000 part numbers with an inventory value of €6M. The warehouse receives parts both from Toyotas central European warehouse (TPCE) in Belgium and directly from supplier. It supplies parts overnight to 539 Toyota and Lexus dealers in the Germany and act also as back-up for Toyota central European warehouse (TPCE) to store part of the central stock for the European market.

The role encompasses all aspects of the daily management of a stand-alone operation - Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and includes facility maintenance, legal compliance, finance, and HR.  As TME’s representative in the location the role necessitates establishing and maintaining relationships with the national sales company, dealers, logistic partners, together with community, local authorities, unions, and regulatory bodies.

In line with Toyota philosophy the depot manager is expected to lead continuous improvement of his operations utilising latest TPS thinking, benchmarking and yokoten of best practice. The position reports into the regional Senior Manager (based in TLSDE) is also expected to contribute as part of a team with the 18 other depot managers to drive up Toyotas total performance.

Your responsibilities

Depot Health & Safety management

• Create and foster safety interdependence culture, lead by example
• Create a zero risk work environment through proactive risk management
• Health & Safety Assessments
• Analyse safety issues, uncover root causes and define countermeasures to avoid re-occurring incidents/accidents
• Promote and implement best practises.

Quality

• Deliver ‘best in class’ quality to our customer
• Ensure high quality standards up to our dealer, including forwarder activities.
• Define root-causes and implement countermeasures to improve quality through using 5 step approach
• Foster customer first environment
• Define quality KPI’s and priorities for kaizen
• Report & follow up quality results on daily, monthly, yearly base.

Operations management

• Deliver ‘best in class’ operations by using the Toyota Way and the Toyota Production System
• Work out a mid-term business plan
• Strategic planning of resources: yearly manpower & equipment planning
• Set up operational KPI’s (efficiency, equipment, material) and follow up
• Gemba management, warehouse process knowledge & management
• Create smooth operations through in & outbound flow control & planning.

People management

• Local implementation, follow up and translation of TME HR-processes: Bonus, Career planning, disciplinary process, Development action plan & Improvement plans, Mid year review 
• Day to day management of total office and warehouse staff
• Set up succession planning for office & warehouse associates
• Negotiation and CLA with local unions / works council. Understanding of legislations.

Cost management　

• Lead and drive cost reduction activities
• Create and control a yearly budget
• Daily/monthly follow up.  Plan and implement cost reduction activities. 

Compliance

• Ensure the validity of ISO14001 for the company and plan activities according to the 5 year Toyota environmental plan.
• Comply with local legislation and Pan-European Toyota rules.
• Hazardous material compliance, knowledge & follow up
• SOX compliance: Monitor & safeguard SOX policies.

Facility management

• Site management & Building maintenance
• Emergency response management, evacuation procedures, organisation & coordination.

• You are fluent in German and English
• University degree or equivalent.  >5 year experience in logistics, production and/or shop floor management
• Good communicator
• Budget planning and control experience
• Good understanding of Supply Chain Management and basic knowledge on Toyota Production System
• Factual and analytical thinking
• Developing action plan and building consensus
• Perseverance
• Monitoring own and others performance
• Long term development of others.

Place of employment

• Toyota Parts Logistics Germany, Cologne 

We offer a dynamic multicultural work environment with broad opportunities to learn every day and exciting career pathways that help you explore different disciplines or areas of expertise.

At Toyota Motor Europe, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all. All our recruitment decisions are based on the individual and their qualifications along with the job requirements. The selection process is without regard to nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, ethnicity, disability or other personal characteristics. We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination as our individual experiences and overall diversity is our key strength. Together we have the power to make a positive change and go beyond the ordinary.

If you need any specific consideration for the interview process due to disability or any other reason, please let the recruiter know.