Depot Operations Manager

apetito Limited; Crook; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary annual bonus

Pension scheme

Life assurance

33 days holiday

Job summary

Wiltshire Farm Foods, part of the apetito group, is seeking a Depot Manager to lead the Durham depot and report to the RSOM. You will drive day-to-day operations, ensure safety, compliance and financial targets, and coach the office and delivery teams to deliver outstanding service.

You will build plans for KPI recovery, manage route optimisation, and nurture strong client and colleague relationships across the UK. A UK driving licence and proven leadership experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Demonstrate a high standard of customer care.
• Telephone skills: handle calls effectively and professionally.
• Administration experience.
• Proven experience in stock control.
• Proven ability in managing and developing a team.
• People management experience (recruitment, sickness absence, performance management).
• Ability to understand and translate P&L accounts.
• Ability to prioritise workload.
• Computer skills: MS Office (Intermediate or above).
• Full UK manual driving licence.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day depot operations to hit KPIs and financial targets.
• Manage office team to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
• Oversee delivery team with adherence to Health & Safety policies.
• Deputise for the RSOM in their absence.
• Maintain route optimisation processes and depot standards.
• Support client and contract KPI delivery and profitability.
• Develop training and growth within the depot.
• Maintain strong communications with client staff and internal teams.

Skills

Customer care

Telephone skills

Administration

Stock control

Team management

People management

P&L understanding

Prioritisation

MS Office

UK driving licence

Tools

Navision (eMeal)

Job description

Overview

You will be working along side the RSOM to deliver an outstanding service to our customers at Wiltshire Farm Foods, Durham depot.

You will be responsible for the day to day running of the depot, ensuring we hit all of our financial and operational targets and being proactive through exceptional leadership to build plans for any KPI's that are off track.

The office manager will directly report to you and you will provide support to ensure the office team are delivering an exceptional customer experience. Additionally, you will manage the delivery team to ensure that all health and safety policies and delivery procedures are adhered to.

Salary £32,683 per annum + Bonus + Benefits

Who we are

Wiltshire Farm Foods, part of the apetito group, is the UK’s largest ready-meal supplier, cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK primarily to the elderly, their family members and healthcare professionals.

We're dedicated to making a real difference to our customers' lives, by bringing sunshine to their doors through our commitment to provide good old-fashioned service.

Our intense pride drives us to continuously innovate and improve, ensuring our products and service exceed our customers' needs.

This is all whilst being an ethical and sustainable organisation that believes in doing the right thing.

Responsibilities

Operations

• Ensure Health & Safety, Hygiene and Food Safety procedures & practices are adhered to and followed at all times
• Ensure adequate, cost effective resource levels are in place

• Maintaining stock levels to meet our customer demands
• Work with and support staff on a day-to-day basis to deliver profitability and service standards.
• Ensure all behaviours are in line with apetito’s Code of Conduct
• Maintain excellent operational standards throughout the Contract
• Adherance to all apetito procedures and deadlines
• Ensure all company vehicles are maintained as appropriate

• Be a key link between the teams onsite
• Deputise for the RSOM in their absence

• Maintaining route optimisation processes included routing

• Responsible for delivery of retail standards within the depot

Financials

• Support the RSOM to deliver company and client business objectives
• Agree contract KPIs, monitor performance against KPIs and drive/manage performance and profitability to ensure achievement
• Achieve budgeted sales and profitability, influence key P&L drivers and accurately forecast future financial performance

People

• Demonstrable leadership and coaching/ support provided to employees on a day-to-day basis to increase engagement and motivation
• Recruit, induct, develop, appraise and review contracted employees as appropriate to ensure successful sign-off probationary

• Develop training structures to ensure growth within the depot
• Identify and manage training and development needs of staff

Customer

• Champion and oversee excellent service standards
• Ensure all processes are communicated and followed by all personnel
• Promote and instil belief in customer service ensuring customer expectations are met and where opportunities arise, exceeded

• Ensure all new literature is delivery by the teamto customers

Communications

• Maintain excellent communications with client employees ensuring quality information is exchanged when appropriate ie feedback from Leadership Conference
• Deliver all client and company administration and reporting requirements
• Abide by client, company and legislative policies and procedures ensuring consistent compliance
• Maintain quality and standards of overall presentation, ensuring adherence to company and agreed contract standards
• Champion Employee Forums – promote attendance/engagement by Employee Representatives
• Create excellent inter-company relationships within departments (ie HR, Finance etc., ) and divisions

• Build and maintain a relationship with the larger team across the UK and Ireland, sharing best practice

About you

Essential:

• Demonstrate a high standard of customer care
• Telephone skills: able to handle calls effectively and professionally
• Administration experience
• Proven experience in stock control
• Proven ability in managing and developing a team
• Confident in people management activities e.g. recruitment, sickness absence, performance management and disciplinary procedures
• Able to understand and translate P&L accounts
• Experienced in prioritising workload
• Computer skills: confident users of all Microsoft Office Suite (Intermediate level or above)
• Full UK manual driving licence

Desirable:

• Transport & Logistics background
• eMeal (Navision) knowledge
• Contract Catering experience
• Fleet management experience
• Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate

Personal Qualities:

Essential:

• Effective engagement skills, both on a 1-2-1 basis and within a team
• Calm under pressure – resilient
• Flexible
• Able to work to tight deadlines
• Able to work self-sufficiently
• Excellent communicator
• Demonstrates a passion for customer care
• Motivated to achieve, has a “can do” attitude
• Pro‑active self starter who can prioritise effectively, balancing a commercial focus with an understanding of our business
• Strong team working skills at all levels, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence in delivery
• Results focused, persistent in pursuit of achievement

Desirable:

• From time to time, you will be required to visit our Trowbridge Factory and other depots & locations for meetings, training etc and other depots which may require overnight stays.

This role is not eligible for sponsorship under the skilled worker route as it does not meet the minimumrequirements set out under the UK Immigration Rules.

You must have held a UK manual driving licence for at least 2 years.

All offers of employment are subject to a Driving Assessment, Driving Licence checks and basic DBS checks.

As this role involves working with elderly and vulnerable customers, it is exempt from The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and requires a basic. DBS Disclosure.

The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provides that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account.

Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

Company Benefits

• Competitive salary – accredited Living Wage employer
• 33 days holiday per year, including bank holidays (which are considered a normal working day)
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme
• Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%
• Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary
• Free turkey or voucher at Christmas
• apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts

Our Values

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of.

We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well‑being for all our customers.

We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people.

We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in align­ment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040.

Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer.Learn more about apetito’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we’re on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.