Fast Track to Leadership Traineeship (September 2026) - Technical program
In a nutshell
Please note our early bird selection deadline is Monday 20th April and final application deadline is Sunday 24th May.
Are you (almost) graduated and looking to make a significant impact in a dynamic, fast-growing environment? Join us on a journey to shape the future of grocery shopping!
During this Fast Track to Leadership program, you’ll dive into all operational aspects of Picnic with a specific focus on automation, maintenance and engineering projects.
We’ll coach you to become a true leader in one of our Fulfilment Centers where you’ll supervise teams of 100+ people per day. You’ll learn how operations and engineering come together to keep things running smoothly. Over time, you’ll take ownership of engineering projects that drive efficiency across our sites and supply chain — with the freedom to experiment, learn, and even make mistakes along the way!
You will develop your soft skills through training sessions and on the job learning, related to topics such as: providing constructive feedback, getting to know your own leadership style, and managing projects from A to Z. Next to that you will improve your hard skills by the use of our tech and analytical tools.
What you’ll do
Traineeship Year 1: Building expertise and leadership skills
Onboarding: One-month immersive training with fellow trainees, workshops, real improvement cases, and site visits to expand your network and supply chain knowledge.
Operational Management: Rotate through leadership roles in Fulfilment, receive mentorship, and take ownership of operations within two months..
Analytics: Use floor insights to lead improvement projects, boost efficiency, and optimise planning.
Leadership: Become a team lead at your FC, receive training on delivering feedback, recruit new employees, and develop your people skills.
Technical track: Work in one of our Automated or Maintenance teams. Develop and implement improvement projects, collaborating with teams within Picnic to advance our technological advancements.
Traineeship Year 2: Leading for impact
International experience: Opportunity to work at an international Fulfilment Centre (e.g., Paris, Berlin, Hamburg), sharing insights and learning from global teams.
Taking ownership: Engage in larger technical projects covering various aspects of our supply chain, such as supporting the launch and ramp up of new automated Fulfilment Centres and working on engineering or maintenance projects to make them even more efficient. Leverage your insider knowledge and data-driven project management skills to elevate Picnic's supply chain to the next level.
Future Opportunities: upon completing the Fast Track to Leadership program, you can step into the role of an experienced Operations Manager or Project Engineer, and work on designing and improving our warehouse systems!
About you
You are a Master's degree graduate with a specific interest in Engineering
You have 0-2 years of full-time work experience
You gained your first leadership experience with for example a board year, committee work, or voluntary projects
You're fluent in English
You possess strong analytical skills making you able to quickly grasp numerical data
You're ready for a hands-on, operationally-focused, technical role
You do not shy away from early morning supervisor shifts
You're eager to make an impact and grow in an innovative company
You have an EU working permit
Picnic Perks
You'll receive a competitive compensation package, including:
25 vacation days per year to recharge your batteries
The option to lease a car
Breakfast and lunch (or dinner at the FC) as well as delicious snacks and drinks available at all Picnic locations
A flexible company pension plan called “Doenpensioen” at a.s.r.
Picnic laptop and smartphone
An awesome scale-up atmosphere with the freedom to drive your own projects and the opportunity to have an impact!
The chance to work in an international environment with motivated team members & legendary company events
Many internal learning and development possibilities as well as professional soft skill & leadership trainings at a specialized external party
Important dates
Start Traineeship: September 2026
Application deadline for our early bird selection day: Monday 20th April 2026
The early bird selection day takes place on Tuesday 12th and/or Wednesday 13th May
Final application deadline: Sunday 24th May
The second selection day takes place in Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th June 2026
The application process
Apply with your resume (CV) and your video pitch
Instructions video pitch:
Introduce yourself in a short video in English and let us know why you are the best match for this position! Please share a link to the video with us (YouTube, WeTransfer, Drive etc.).
Keep it short and spontaneous, max. 2 minutes
No fancy editing skills required: Grab your phone or webcam and let's do this!
Introduce yourself and tell us why you should be one of the Fast Track participants
Explain to us why you are motivated to work in a warehouse environment!
E-mail us if you have any questions regarding the video
Online assessment and video pitch (if you hadn't sent it already)
Virtual interview
Selection Day
If selected you will receive your offer by the middle of June, then you can enjoy your summer and start fresh with Picnic in September 2026! 🚀
Do you have any remaining questions, or would like a coffee chat with a current Fast Track to Leadership Trainee? Feel free to contact recruiter Kate via email (kate.conboye@teampicnic.com) or LinkedIn.
Want to do some additional research?
Check out the Fast Track from the viewpoint of some of our current and past Trainees here or check out our Youtube page so you can get a good impression of what it is like to work at Picnic.
For this program, you will receive a full-time job offer based one of our Fulfilment Centres in The Netherlands (Utrecht, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Zwolle, Heerenveen, Geldermalsen).
