Mainfreight Development Programme

Mainfreight Development Programme

Management Traineeship Ostend

Warehousing | Ostend, Belgium

MAINFREIGHT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Your journey

Right from the start, you will get to work in an operational role and on projects whilst benefiting from a clearly defined structure of training and coaching. You will fulfill two or three different roles during the three year traineeship programme. Each role has its own specific responsibilities and challenges. From driving a forklift and handling shipments, to doing sales calls, visiting customers, and leading a team, you will get experience across our supply chain management activities!

While rotating in different roles, you can follow an international career path around Europe or local one within your home country. We realise your ambitions and interests may change while you are developing and growing, so you do not have to choose from the start, as you will create your own path along the way!
 

Our offer

Along with learning on the job, you will be involved in a variety of opportunities. You'll be involved in improvement projects, attend yearly leadership courses, and team building activities. If that isn't already enough, you will also participate and at times organise quarterly trainee sessions which are designed to be inspirational, inclusive, and visionary. Networking is a key part and you will meet branch managers and the European leadership team at these sessions. You will receive ongoing support and coaching from the coordinator of our trainee programme. These coaching sessions will help you identify your strengths, improvement areas, and how to deal with the challenges you will face in your career at Mainfreight.

We have a ‘promote from within’ philosophy which means we are committed to developing you so you can progress in your career here. After the three year programme we will continue to invest in you! Former trainees of the programme have taken on a variety of opportunities including Operations Manager, Air & Ocean Branch Manager, finance, IT, and moving internationally. The world is truly your oyster at Mainfreight!

What we look for

Every decision we make at Mainfreight today, we do so while looking at the next 100 years. We look for people who understand the long term benefits of learning from the ground up and gaining a broad base of experience. We also look for people who:
  • Recently graduated with a bachelor or masters degree
  • Hold a European passport
  • Are passionate about starting a career in the supply chain industry
  • Speak proficient English and have a high command of either Dutch, French, German, Romanian, Polish, Italian, or Spanish

Frequently Asked Questions

What we do?

As a part of Mainfreight, you can expect to be helping some of the world’s largest brands become more competitive and efficient. Being a strategic supply chain partner means Mainfreight helps customers get their products from the manufacturer to the end-user in the smartest, most cost-effective way.

Our business can be broken down into three core areas:

Who we are?

It all started in 1978 with a couple of free-thinking entrepreneurs who didn’t care much for rules. As a start-up they challenged the establishment and always took care of their own. Years later, that rebellion and people-first philosophy is still deeply ingrained in our DNA. In 2011 Mainfreight acquired the business of Wim Bosman Group providing further opportunities to expand Mainfreight's international global network with branches throughout Europe.

We have a 100-year vision, that means every person and every decision we make today will leave an imprint on this company now and for 100 years to come. This long-term vision guides us as a business and determines both our decisions and actions every day.

As we extend our operations across the major trading nations of the world, we continue to stand out for the right reasons. It is our uncompromising quality, agility and unique culture which sets us apart.

What is the working culture like?

We are a very flat structured organisation. We have open plan offices and management sit in amongst the team. We do not use the “s” word (staff) and refer to everyone as Team – everyone has a part to play in moving Mainfreight forward and meeting our targets and goals.

We believe in working hard but we also have fun and a laugh while we do it. Our team is empowered to make decisions and have a say in how we do things.

How will my career progress?

Our philosophy is to recruit and ‘grow’ our own people, rather than hire people from other businesses. That is why we invest in and manage the long-term growth and development of our people, right from the start.

Once you have learnt the fundamentals of Mainfreight on the operations floor, you will move into other areas of the business where you will get the right mix of autonomy and support. We believe that smart people can learn the specifics of any role so our focus is on helping you develop personal and professional skills that will allow you take on any role in the business. 

We are an ever-changing business and we are constantly reviewing new ways to help our team develop the world-class skills that will lead our business into the future.

What Training and Development do you offer?

We understand that our biggest asset is our people and that our growth as a business is only limited by our ability to grow our own people. Our training and development strategy reflects this with structured induction, training and development. The Mainfreight difference is that we focus on helping you develop the professional and personal strategies, tools and life skills to step into any role in the business, anywhere in the world.

Our ongoing team development programs around the world currently includes:
  • A full induction program
  • Learning the business from the operations floor-up
  • Structured leadership programmes
  • Personal development courses





Elif-Bilici-2022-blauw-1.jpg
Elif Bilici | Recruiter Mainfreight Development Programme
T: +31 314 672 777
E: careers.eu@mainfreight.com

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