THE ROLE
We are recruiting an Operations Manager within our transport operation. This is a hands-on management post at the centre of a 24/7 business you will run the shift end to end, lead the team on the ground and make the calls that keep customer deliveries on time.
Working a 4-on-4-off day pattern, you will be the senior decision-maker on site for the duration of your shift, with a Transport Supervisor, a Shift Planner and a Night Supervisor reporting directly to you. While you are on duty you will also have the customer service, day planning and subcontract desks under your direction. You will report to the Senior Operations Manager and work closely with your counterpart to give the operation a consistent handover, shift to shift.
WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING
· Take full accountability for the safe, legal and efficient running from start to finish.
· Lead, develop and support your shift team – Transport Supervisor, Shift Planner and Night Supervisor – setting clear expectations and holding the standard.
· Own the day's plan: agree the transport and pallet network plan with your Shift Planner, and flex it as the day changes.
· Direct the customer service, day planning and subcontract teams while you are the Operations Manager on duty.
· Deliver service performance against customer KPIs, and be the point of escalation when things do not go to plan.
· Control cost on shift – vehicle utilisation, fill, empty running and subcontract spend.
· Ensure compliance with drivers' hours, WTD, tachograph, O-licence and health and safety obligations.
· Manage the night trunking handover so that Monday to Friday pallet network trunking and weekend general haulage run cleanly.
· Handle day-to-day people matters on shift: absence, performance, return-to-work and driver briefings.
· Give a full, accurate handover to the alternative shift and to the Senior Operations Manager, with clear reporting on the shift's performance.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Essential
· Substantial general haulage experience – full loads, multi-drop and same-day work – gained in a busy operation.
· Strong, proven management skills: you have led a team of your own, set the standard and held people to it.
· Sound working knowledge of drivers' hours, working time and tachograph regulations, and of O-licence compliance.
· Able to motivate a shift team and deal with underperformance fairly and directly.
· Calm, decisive judgement under pressure, with the confidence to take the decision without waiting to be asked.
· Strong customer focus and clear, straightforward communication with customers, drivers and subcontractors.
· Comfortable with transport management systems and confident with day-to-day IT.
· Willing and able to commit to a 4-on-4-off day shift pattern, including weekends.
Desirable
· A National or International Transport Manager CPC.
· Experience of a pallet network operation and of overnight trunking.
· Experience of managing subcontract carriers and haulier spend.
· IOSH or NEBOSH health and safety qualification.
· A track record of improving service, cost or fleet utilisation in a comparable operation.
WHAT WE OFFER
· Salary of £40,000 per annum.
· A 4-on-4-off pattern giving you a genuine four days off in every eight.
Pay: £40,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
