Head of insurance Jobs in Köln

CHEP helps move more goods to more people, in more places than any other organization on earth via our 347 million pallets, crates and containers. We employ approximately 13,000 people and operate in 60 countries. Through our pioneering and sustainable share-and-reuse business model, the world’s biggest brands trust us to help them transport their goods more efficiently, safely and with less environmental impact.

What does that mean for you? You’ll join an international organization big enough to take you anywhere, and small enough to get you there sooner. You’ll help change how goods get to market and contribute to global sustainability. You’ll be empowered to bring your authentic self to work and be surrounded by diverse and driven professionals. And you can maximize your work-life balance and flexibility through our .

Job Description

The Global Head of Engineering is a senior executive role responsible for defining and leading Brambles' global engineering strategy, enabling world-class pallet pooling and supply chain operations across more than 60 countries. As the most senior engineering leader globally, the role sets the strategic technical direction, drives innovation, and ensures engineering capabilities are aligned to business growth, operational efficiency, safety, and sustainability objectives.

Operating as a key partner to the Head of Global Supply Chain and regional supply chain leadership, the role leads the transition toward advanced automation and “Plant of the Future” capabilities, while ensuring consistent engineering standards, governance, and best practices are embedded across regions. The role balances global standardisation with regional flexibility to deliver scalable, cost-effective, and resilient engineering solutions.

With accountability for global engineering strategy, major capital programmes, and engineering capability development, the Global Head of Engineering delivers step-change improvements in asset reliability, operational uptime, safety performance, and cost-base disruption through innovation, automation, and disciplined investment governance.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide global technical and engineering leadership across Brambles, ensuring engineering strategy, standards, and execution are aligned to supply chain objectives, safety requirements, and sustainability goals.

• Develop and execute a global engineering strategy to support business growth, operational excellence, automation, and long-term cost base optimisation.

• Lead and inspire a diverse, multinational engineering organisation, building strong succession pipelines, capability uplift programmes, and a high-performance culture.

• Own and govern the global automation and “Plant of the Future” roadmap, overseeing major capital investments, technology deployments, and new facility builds.

• Establish and enforce global engineering standards, safety protocols, and best practices, ensuring consistent application across all regions and sites.

• Partner closely with Regional Supply Chain Leaders to tailor engineering solutions that meet local operational needs while maintaining global scalability and compliance.

• Champion safety, risk management, and regulatory compliance across all engineering activities, with a clear focus on Zero Harm outcomes.

• Drive sustainability outcomes through engineering innovation, including energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and environmentally responsible asset design.

• Provide governance over the global engineering portfolio, ensuring robust demand intake, prioritisation, and ROI-focused decision making.

• Act as a thought leader in digital engineering, automation, IoT, and asset management technologies to improve visibility, reliability, and performance of engineering assets.

• Manage and allocate the global engineering budget, with authority over major capital investments and accountability for financial discipline.

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with OEMs, automation providers, and engineering service suppliers to drive innovation, performance, and value.

About the Person

• Highly credible, senior engineering leader with the ability to influence and operate effectively at executive level within a complex, global matrix organisation.

• Visionary and strategic thinker with a strong track record of driving automation, innovation, and large-scale transformation across supply chain or industrial environments.

• Proven people leader capable of leading large, geographically dispersed engineering organisations while fostering collaboration, engagement, and accountability.

• Comfortable managing a broad, high-impact portfolio of global initiatives, balancing strategic priorities with disciplined execution.

• Excellent communicator, able to translate complex technical and engineering concepts into clear, compelling insights for senior commercial and operational stakeholders.

• Action-oriented and resilient, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, challenge the status quo, and drive continuous improvement at scale.

• Financially astute, with experience managing large engineering budgets and making investment decisions with a strong ROI focus.

• Passionate about safety, sustainability, and engineering excellence, with the leadership presence required to set global standards and lead change.

Experience and Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical or related discipline).

• Master’s degree or MBA preferred.

• Relevant certifications in safety, project management, automation, or logistics are advantageous.

Experience:

• Significant senior leadership experience in engineering within logistics, supply chain, manufacturing, or industrial environments.

• Proven delivery of large-scale, global engineering and automation programmes, including capital-intensive projects and technology transformations.

• Demonstrated success in leading large, multi-site, multicultural engineering teams across international operations.

• Strong experience in global governance, engineering standards, and operating models within complex regulatory environments.

• Track record of building high-performing teams, developing talent, and embedding sustainable engineering capability for long-term growth.

Remote Type

Fully Remote

Skills to succeed in the role

Coaching, Disruptive Thinking, Driving A Customer Centric Culture, Enterprise Mindset, Feedback, Inclusive Leadership, Inspirational Leadership, Organizational Changes, Setting Direction, Strategic Talent Planning, Strategic Thinking, Vision Setting

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to developing a diverse workforce in which everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has the opportunity to contribute to business success while realizing his or her potential. This means harnessing the unique skills and experience that each individual brings and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.