Joining us as our Transport General Manager, you’ll be adding great value as you lead and shape our operation and Screwfix Network.
There’s lot of opportunity due to our growth and investment projects taking place, where you will have ownership and accountability for a large transport budget across UK and ROI, on an Open Book basis. You’ll be delivering to a retail estate circa of 930 Trade counters from our 3 main distribution centres, across your team of 300 drivers, and 535 assets (vehicles and trailers), along with office colleagues and management functions.
You’ll be owning the strategy, leading our customer relationship and operational activity through our management team. You’ll be focusing on safety, commercial, profit, retention and contractual objectives, ensuring we drive synergies and best-in-class service across the Network.
Due to the complex nature of the business, the size and scale of the contract and the sensitivity of the matrix management ownership of the account, there is a requirement for this role to be based on site in the Staffordshire and North West area for the majority of the time, unless traveling to other UK Outbases or attending key strategic meetings offsite adhoc.
Key Responsibilities
- Resource management and control, including fleet build & renewal strategy, people recruitment, development, engagement & retention to delivery customer volume within agreed KPIs.
- Safety, legal and policy compliance including fleet audit compliance, Ops Ex standards compliance and the deliver of a safe operation through the achievement of H&S standards and KPIs.
- Deliver operational solution to delight the customer within agreed KPIs, including Yard management, trunking to multiple Out-bases across the UK & NI, Outbase cross dock and despatch process and final mile store deliver, with added value backhaul to achieve budgeted targets.
- Budgetary controls to delivery agreed customer open book budgets & Wincanton wider business budgets and achieve KPI. Create, set and agree budgets and budget targets, including initiatives to maximise opportunity through CI initiatives.
- Set strategy for the contract to delivery objectives of the customer and the Wincanton business, communicate and cascade the strategic road map, broken down into specific measurable task at site level to ensure team are clear on objectives to support the delivery of the wider strategy and are empowered to do so, with meaningful, purposeful work.
- Directly manage national paragon planning team of 6 planners/managers and also manage a team that are responsible for all Trade Counter risk assessments including working with the customers property team to review new Trade counter sites and manage part of the sign off process for new stores.
- Directly manage the transport H&S team, training department and risk assessors. All transport processes (SSOW) managing safety with 4 driver trainers plus 3 store risk assessors. All training including external CPC training is conducted in house along with all recruitment both internal and external.
- Management of the selection, performance negotiating commercial terms for external out bases run by 3rd party companies including exporting to the ROI.
What will you bring to our team?
- Your proven experienced as a GM within a large Open Book transport contract, leading all aspects of delivering innovative performance, operational excellence and colleague leadership.
- Knowledge of support services / contracts business model (including 3PL).
- Demonstrable exemplary customer relationship management skills with the flexibility in style and approach to engaging with a number of senior customer partners, with varying requirements at the same time.
- Excellent commercial acumen - understands dynamics of ‘open/ closed book’ contracts & will work alongside the Account team that is focused on performance, with a significant experience of managing large, complex Open Book contracts over multiple sites.
- Well-developed interpersonal skills with an ability to influence at all levels.
- Clear evidence of owning relationship and engagement with Unions.
- Agile approach to strategy and planning with a proven experience of adapting operational plans to changing customer requirements whilst also achieving a commercial benefit.
- Understands team dynamics and composition and applies knowledge to develop high performing teams; ensure clear ownership & accountability with a focus on skills gap analysis and robust development plans to team have relevant capability and have an opportunity for progression.
What do we offer?
Our Culture & Benefits
In addition to generous remuneration, company car/allowance, we really value our people and offer a friendly, safety-first working environment, along with other benefits including company pension scheme, generous holidays, cycle to work scheme, employee benefits include, online discount platform, onsite parking and much more.
Our people are at the core of our business and what makes Wincanton great. That’s why we also provide significant opportunities for career development and progression, as well as training enrichment and multi-skilling, in a dynamic working environment.
Be a part of our values; We’re Thoughtful, We’re Aiming High and We’re Prepared.
Our Commitment
We are committed to providing equality of opportunity for all employees. We strive for an environment where all colleagues feel included, supported and valued, whilst feeling they can be their whole selves within our workplaces. We are proud that our colleagues represent us and our successes and we welcome your application.
Find out more: Wincanton champions a diverse workforce
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.
