Commercial & Innovation, Finance & Procurement, and Transformation & Technology. Eight months each.
NextGen Leadership Program
with Q8 Retail
Be where it all happens!
Energy. Geopolitics. The economy shifting under everyone’s feet. You follow it. You have opinions. And somewhere in the back of your head, a thought keeps coming back:
I want to be in the room where this gets decided, not the comments section.
Read on. Because we’re looking for the future leaders of Q8. A paid two-year program that drops you straight into the middle of it all. Designed to develop you into a manager by the end.
Ready to change things from within?
Your future job
Picture Q8 in 2031. A mobility hub outside Mechelen. EV chargers humming. An app that knows your usual breakfast order. Fresh wraps from Delhaize while the car charges. A loyalty platform that connects how you fuel up, how you eat, how you drive.
None of that builds itself.
Someone has to do the math on where the next chargers go, and which ones actually pay back.
Someone else has to figure out what a Q8 shop sells when fewer people pull in for petrol.
Someone keeps the tech standing while every department fights over what comes first.
Someone keeps it profitable enough to fund the next move.
That’s the work you’re stepping into.
As a future leader at Q8, you’ll:
Rotation
Three assignments
(in two years)
Each one more complex than the last. By the end, you’ve seen Q8 from angles most managers never get to.
This is how you'll rotate
Click to scroll to an assignment
First assignment
Get the business
You start in your mentor’s department. Figure out how Q8 actually works. The business model, the partners (Delhaize, Starbucks, Panos), who moves what along the chain. You build your network while you find your footing.
Second assignment
Support the change
New department, new scope. You’re not a newbie anymore. You contribute. You optimise. Think about how things can be done differently. Bringing the outside-in view that the inside sometimes misses.
Third assignment
Drive transformation
You become the go-to person on a project that helps drive the transformation forward. You set the direction. You take others with you. Not as a manager yet, but you’ll feel the human side of leading anyway. Working with others and getting them on board. All the skills you’ll need for the role waiting on the other side of the program.
By assignment three, you’re not learning Q8 anymore. You’re shaping a piece of it. It’s the most demanding part of the program and the most rewarding — the moment the trainee role starts to look a lot like the manager role.
Where you'll do this
All of this, across three different departments. Here’s what they look like from the inside.
Commercial
“You’re in the kitchen where it all happens.”
This is where Q8 meets the customer. Sales, marketing, retail operations, partnerships with Delhaize, Starbucks and Panos. The dealer network. The shops. The stations. Everything that makes someone pick a Q8 station over the one across the street.
Example projects: Figure out which highway service stations Q8 should bid for over the next 5-10 years. Dig into shop sales data to understand who buys what, where, and turn that into smarter store decisions. Help roll out a new CRM system across marketing.
Finance & Procurement
“You get the bigger picture, so you can steer the business in the right direction.”
Don’t let the name fool you. This is where the numbers tell the real story. Where the revenue actually comes from. Who earns what along the chain. Procurement decisions that move millions in either direction. The financial logic that decides which transformation projects get green-lit and which don’t. It’s strategy with a calculator.
Example projects: Find millions in savings by rethinking how Q8 spends across hundreds of suppliers. Build the dashboards that show leadership how the business is really doing. Help decide which banks Q8 works with and how it manages its cash.
Transformation & Technology
“You turn the roadmap into projects, with the right technology behind them.”
Strategy is a slide deck until someone makes it run. That happens here. IT, PMO, the transformation programs. The architecture that has to keep up with EV expansion, AI, and a digital reinvention of how Q8 operates day-to-day.
Example projects: Map out where Q8’s IT budget actually goes, and find where it can do better. Spot a real opportunity for AI and build a working pilot, from knowledge assistants to contract review. Manage a digital product from idea to launch.
The people in your corner
Your mentors
Three Q8 directors. We asked them why they invest in young talent, and what they expect in return. Flip to find out.
Commercial
"Investment in the next generation is crucial to bring a fresh perspective on board, to help build the energy transition and the future of Q8."
What I expect: Drive, passion, a hands-on approach, eager to make impact fast.
Finance & Procurement
"The energy world is changing at lightning speed. New generations bring fresh ideas, digital skills and a different take on sustainability, innovation and collaboration. By investing in young people today, Q8 creates the expertise and leadership it will need tomorrow."
What I expect: Curiosity, initiative and the will to keep learning. The nerve to think critically and take responsibility. And the ambition to grab every chance to develop yourself.
Transformation & Technology
"Hiring young talent is essential, given that our sector is in full transformation. They bring a fresh perspective, new digital and technological skills, and a strong affinity with sustainability and innovation. They challenge existing ways of working and help us evolve faster toward cleaner energy like EV and biofuels."
What I expect: A strong base in technology, data and AI, with the drive to go deeper. Plus the adaptability to collaborate across teams in a changing, international environment.
This isn't your dream job if...
You want to specialise in one domain. We don’t hire specialists. We hire those who dream of growing into a leadership role.
You need every process written down before you can start. Q8 is mid-transformation. Some of it is still being figured out. That’s the job.
Numbers make you nervous. Numbers, data and digital topics are a core part of the roles you’ll get into.
Self-reflection isn’t your thing. Two years of coaching, peer feedback, and looking honestly at yourself. That’s part of the deal.
What exactly is Q8?
More than you'd guess from the logo above the pump.
- A company actively transforming. EV expansion, mobility hubs, food partnerships, retail reformatting. All happening now!
- A multi-disciplinary playground. Commercial, finance and tech all need each other.
- Short lines, fast decisions, C-level you'll actually meet. All backed by the budgets, platforms and Benelux footprint of a much bigger player.
- Owned internationally, out of Kuwait. You’ll become part of Q8 Retail in Benelux.
- Existing in the Netherlands with their brand Tango. First in the country with an automatic petrol station, 25 years ago. Today? Exploring a brand‑new shop concept.
Ready to change things from within?
We’re hiring 4 future leaders. People who can hold commercial, technology and finance in one head and build something out of all three.
If that’s you, apply.
Startdate: September
The selection process
1
Apply and screening
Everything starts with applying. Once that’s done, we’ll screen your cv & motivation.
2
Tests uncovering how you think
Swipe, Drive and Brain (via AssessFirst). A read on how you think, what drives you, and how you handle complexity. You get a personal report straight after.
3
A game revealing your true potential
We want to see you in action. You'll join an online mystery game with other candidates, designed to surface the soft skills no CV ever does.
4
A deep dive into your motivation and personality
Online. Why this program, why Q8, and a few things on your CV worth a talking about. We’ll pick some things out of your personality test to get to know you even better.
5
Company assessment
Next up, a visit to Q8! Show off your business sense in a case, share more about yourself in an interview, and take part in a roleplay. A day full of feedback, learning, and insights. Lunch is on us!
6
Proposal
If you’ve made it this far, you’re not just another trainee. Ready for a traineeship unlike any other? Your contract proposal will be waiting for you.
