Transport Operations Manager

Role Purpose

The Transport Operations Manager – Manchester is responsible for managing the daily on‑site transport operation, including vehicle dispatch, driver coordination, loading safety, route execution, issue handling, and service performance.

• Manage daily transport operations at the Manchester site, including vehicle dispatch, driver allocation, route execution, and delivery progress monitoring.
• Coordinate with warehouse, sortation, planning teams, drivers, DSPs, subcontractors, and other internal stakeholders to ensure smooth transport execution.
• Monitor daily dispatch arrangements, including vehicle allocation, loading progress, departure readiness, and on‑time departure performance.
• Ensure vehicles are loaded safely before dispatch, including load weight, load distribution, load securing, vehicle capacity, and suitability of goods for the assigned vehicle.
• Identify and elevate overloading risks, unsafe loading, vehicle defects, documentation issues, dispatch delays, and other operational risks.
• Ensure vehicles are not released where unresolved safety, loading, weight, vehicle condition, route, documentation, or compliance issues remain.
• Conduct pre‑departure checks to confirm loading completion, load security, vehicle sealing where required, and driver route instructions.
• Monitor transport execution throughout the shift and respond quickly to traffic delays, vehicle breakdowns, driver absence, failed collections or deliveries, warehouse delays, and planning changes.
• Manage daily driver briefings and debriefings to ensure drivers understand route requirements, safety instructions, service standards, and operational risks.
• Track key operational KPIs, including on‑time departure, on‑time arrival, delivery performance, collection performance, dispatch delays, loading exceptions, and failed delivery reasons.
• Work closely with the Transport Manager / CPC Holder to ensure operations remain aligned with driver hours rules, tachograph requirements, Working Time Directive, Operator Licence obligations, and vehicle safety requirements.
• Maintain accurate operational records, including dispatch logs, loading records, vehicle arrival and departure times, driver allocation, vehicle usage, exception logs, and performance reports.
• Support incident, accident, near‑miss, loading issue, overloading risk, and service failure investigations by collecting operational facts and site evidence.
• Lead continuous improvement for dispatch efficiency, loading control, route execution, driver performance, communication flow, and issue resolution.
• Provide daily and weekly updates to management on key risks, service failures, dispatch performance, loading issues, root causes, and improvement actions.

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Logistics, Supply Chain, Transport Management, Business, Operations Management or a related discipline is preferred. Candidates with strong relevant transport operations experience may also be considered without a degree.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in transport operations, logistics dispatch, fleet operations, parcel delivery, e‑commerce logistics, 3PL, or distribution centre transport management.
• Minimum 2 years of people management or team supervision experience in a transport, warehouse, logistics or operational environment.
• Good understanding of UK transport operations and basic compliance requirements, including driver hours, tachograph rules, Working Time Directive, vehicle safety and overloading risks.
• Experience working with HGV, LGV, van fleets, DSPs, subcontractors, agency drivers or third‑party transport partners preferred.
• Experience in e‑commerce, parcel delivery, last‑mile, middle‑mile or high‑volume transport operations preferred.
• Strong on‑site…