Controller / Planner

EMED Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Assurance

Pension Scheme

EAP

Job summary

EMED Group in London (NW10 6RJ) is seeking a Controller/Planner to schedule and control pathology specimen collections and deliveries, align resources to booked journeys and maintain KPI performance. You will coordinate courier resources and collaborate with hospital staff to optimise vehicle and staff utilisation while ensuring service quality.

The role follows a 4-on, 4-off rolling rota with 12-hour shifts from 07:00 to 19:00, including weekends and bank holidays.

Qualifications

• Experience in a regulated, time-critical operational environment.
• Desirable: logistics/control/dispatch/route planning experience.
• Good knowledge of North West London geography for planning routes.
• Proficiency with IT systems and scheduling platforms.
• Experience working to KPIs/SLAs/targets and data-driven decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; professional telephone manner.

Responsibilities

• Review and plan daily bookings using the scheduling system and allocate resources within contractual timeframes.
• Coordinate operational teams for timely collection and delivery of pathology specimens from GP surgeries and hospital locations.
• Maintain accurate collection location records and uphold data quality.
• Support service performance improvements and patient care standards.
• Handle enquiries promptly and professionally, taking initiative as needed.
• Liaise with EMED staff and external service providers to ensure efficiency.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders, including hospitals, GP practices, and ward staff.
• Monitor vehicle movements and overall service performance; ensure adherence to standards.
• Prioritise urgent and time-critical collections to meet delivery requirements.
• Respond quickly to disruptions with contingency actions to minimise impact.
• Maximise resource efficiency, minimise mileage and delays, and ensure safe, cost-effective journeys.

Skills

Route planning

Logistics operations

Scheduling software

Data quality

Communication

Problem solving

Tools

Scheduling system

IT systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Controller/Planner

Central Ops - North West London

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Controller/Planner to join our team based in London, Hammersmith and Fulham.

We are looking for organised, analytical individuals with a passion for route planning and logistics. As a Controller/Planner, you will plan and control a pathology specimen collections and deliveries. scheduling booked journeys to meet set KPI, urgent AD HOC bookings

The role involves efficiently managing courier resources to meet the needs of booked journeys, as well as collaborating with hospital staff and departments to optimise vehicle and staff utilisation and protect KPI performance throughout the day.

This is a Full time, permanent position. This role is based in-person from our office in NW10 6RJ,

The role follows a 4-on, 4-off rolling rota of 12-hour shifts, with hours between 07:00 and 19:00. Weekend and bank holiday working is required as part of the rota, so applicants should only apply if they are able to work these shifts and hours.

£14.80 per hour

• Life Assurance - providing colleagues and their family financial peace of mind and protection to the value of £5,000.
• Company sick pay covering full salary for 20 days after 2 years' service.
• 24/7 online/telephone GP Consultation and access to prescriptions.
• 2nd opinion medical support following diagnosis or where a colleague is on a treatment pathway.
• Hospital cash plan benefits with sickness protection scheme.
• Cash-plan benefits, providing colleagues the option of protecting themselves in case of illness and recuperation, including dental, optical, chiropody.
• Access to mental health consultations.
• Access to physiotherapy consultations.
• Access to legal advice on domestic issues e.g. motoring offences, wills and probate, and personal injury.
• Financial guidance re retirement planning, tax savings and state benefits.
• Long Service Recognition Scheme - recognising colleagues for their continued service after 5 years and at 5-year intervals with an increase in annual leave.
• Values-based Internal Recognition Scheme with financial reward, which will lead to an annual recognition event.
• Refer a Friend recruitment incentive scheme with financial rewards.
• The EMED foundation, to provide support to colleagues and our local communities.
• Pension Scheme.
• Blue Light Card.
• Uniform provided.
• EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) to support a range of health and wellbeing requirements.

Main Duties

• Review and plan daily bookings using the dedicated scheduling system, ensuring appropriate resource allocation, informing subcontractors where required, and scheduling all journeys within agreed contractual timeframes.
• Coordinate and manage operational teams to ensure the timely and efficient collection and delivery of pathology specimens from GP surgeries and hospital locations, consistently meeting contractual performance targets.
• accurate and up-to-date collection location records, ensuring excellent data quality and housekeeping standards within the operational system.
• Support the continuous improvement of service performance and quality, ensuring high standards of customer and patient care.
• Handle all internal and external telephone enquiries promptly, professionally, and efficiently, taking appropriate action and demonstrating initiative when required.
• Liaise effectively with EMED staff and external service providers, ensuring professional communication and operational efficiency.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with key stakeholders, including Hospital Liaison Officers, GP practices, nursing homes, hospital clinics, and ward staff.
• Monitor vehicle movements and overall service performance throughout each shift, ensuring operational effectiveness and compliance with service standards.
• Prioritise urgent, emergency, and time-critical pathology specimen collections to ensure service delivery requirements are met.
• Respond quickly to operational disruptions, implementing contingency plans and corrective actions as necessary to minimise service impact
• Maximise the efficient use of resources by coordinating pathology collections and deliveries effectively, reducing unnecessary mileage and delays, and ensuring all journeys are planned safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

Successful candidates will have:

• Experience working in a regulated, complex or time-critical operational environment.
• Previous experience in logistics, control, dispatch, route planning or a similar operational role is desirable.
• Good geographical knowledge of North West London and the surrounding areas, with the ability to support effective route planning and respond to operational changes.
• Confidence using IT systems, scheduling platforms and Microsoft Office applications. Full training will be provided on company systems.
• Experience working to KPIs, service level agreements or performance targets, with the ability to monitor activity, prioritise work and take corrective action when required.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with a professional telephone manner and the ability to engage effectively with colleagues, customers and external stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, multitask and remain focused in a busy operational environment.
• A calm and proactive approach to problem-solving, with the confidence to use initiative and make timely decisions under pressure.
• Meticulous attention to detail, with a strong focus on accuracy, data quality and confidentiality.
• A commitment to delivering a high-quality, customer-focused service that supports patients, healthcare partners and operational teams.

Our Values

• Collaborative - We work as one team, with a shared purpose to meet the needs of our patients, passengers, colleagues, customers, communities and the planet.
• Agile - We listen, learn and adapt to improve the business, each other and ourselves.
• Reliable - We do what we say we will do, take responsibility and behave with integrity.
• Empowered - We are confident and committed to taking responsibility for delivering the highest quality service.

About Us

EMED Group is an established healthcare logistics provider that enables access to health and social care through our four specialist divisions. We are one of the largest healthcare partners to the NHS with 4,000 colleagues across over 60 bases UK-wide.

EMED Group is committed to pro-actively improving the wellbeing of our communities by providing access to vital health and social care services across the UK.