Competence Development Manager

Are you ready to shape the capabilities of an entire refinery workforce? In this high-impact role, you will drive competence development across both our existing refinery and our new refinery currently under construction, ensuring our people are ready to operate safely, efficiently, and successfully. Join Neste and play a key role in supporting one of the industry's most exciting growth projects!

To drive our mission, we are looking for a

 

Competence Development Manager

to lead our team in Rotterdam (Maasvlakte).

Reasons to join

We operate in an inspiring and evolving business environment as a global leader in renewable fuels. We contribute to Neste’s success by living our values every day: we care, we have courage, we cooperate.

We prioritize safety at all times and in every location. We strive to create a positive and impactful work environment.

Transformation brings new possibilities and fosters our courage and curiosity. As a global  company, we support personal development with versatile learning and career opportunities. Collaboration is key, and we believe in flexible, smart ways of working.


Main tasks and responsibilities:

New Refinery (currently under construction)

• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of the competency framework supporting the new refinery project.

• Ensure employees acquire the knowledge, skills, and certifications necessary to safely operate new processes and equipment.

• Monitor competence development progress and provide regular reporting to project and site leadership.

• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Technical, and Project teams to identify capability gaps and define development actions.

Existing Refinery Operations and future new Refinery operations after completion of the project

• Develop and execute the competence development strategy over both new and existing areas aligned with business objectives and future workforce needs, while partnering with site leadership to identify future capability requirements and build development plans that support business transformation.

• Lead the alignment of the existing refinery and the new refinery from a capability standpoint. This includes establishing a unified framework of common competencies, building a standardized training delivery method, and driving the consolidation of both teams' training platforms into a unified Learning Management System.

• Establish and maintain competence frameworks, role profiles, learning pathways, and assessment methodologies across the organization.

• Drive the continuous improvement of knowledge management and learning practices to support operational excellence, organizational growth, and the rapid integration of new projects and processes.

• Ensure effective implementation of our new Learning Management System, while driving adoption across the company.

• Coordinate competence development initiatives across the site to ensure employees possess the skills and knowledge required to safely and effectively perform their roles.

• Owning the departmental spend vs approved budget.

Keys to success in this role

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in a human-centric or business-related field.

• Experience in competence development, capability building, technical training, or learning & development within an industrial or operational environment.

• Minimum 5 years of people leadership experience, including coaching teams, driving change, and supporting organizational growth and transformation.

• Experience developing and implementing competence frameworks, qualification programs, learning pathways, and capability-building initiatives for technical and operational populations.

• Strong stakeholder management, communication, presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills across all organizational levels.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate business needs into practical solutions and measurable results while managing multiple priorities.

• Knowledge of Learning Management Systems, and adult learning methodologies, combined with a continuous improvement mindset.

• Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach, able to deliver results in a dynamic and changing environment.

What can you expect in return? 

• A fixed term one year contract with the intention to extend to permanent.

• A competitive salary, supplemented with a 13th-month payment and a bonus scheme.

• 25 vacation days, plus a personal budget equivalent to 18 additional vacation days.

• An attractive pension plan with only 1,5% employee contribution.

• travel expense reimbursement.

• A healthcare allowance.

Let’s get you started

We look forward to receiving your CV and application with a salary request by 17th June 2026. Please note that the vacancy may close earlier if we find a suitable candidate before the closing date. If you have any questions regarding the process or the position, please get in touch with Debbie Veldmeijer on debbie.veldmeijer@partners.neste.com.

Due to security and confidentiality, please submit your application through our recruitment system. Applications sent via email will not be considered. 

We will contact you within 2 weeks after uploading your application. The recruitment process will include interviews and a possible aptitude assessment.

Neste in brief

Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) is the world's leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with production on three continents. The company’s renewables production capacity is expected to reach 6.8 million tons annually in 2027. Neste also produces high-quality oil products at its Porvoo refinery in Finland. The company has a network of nearly 1,000 fuel stations with expanding service offering, such as EV charging, in Finland and in the Baltics.

Neste’s strategy focuses on growth in renewable fuels, which help its customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Neste is included in many international indices for its sustainability performance. In 2025, Neste's revenue stood at EUR 19.0 billion. Read more: neste.com