Depot Operations Manager (WFF)

Apetito-Wiltshire-Farm-Foods; Wellingborough; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Living Wage employer

33 days holiday incl. bank holidays

Discretionary annual bonus

Pension scheme (employer matched)

Life assurance (1x salary)

Christmas turkey/voucher

Apetito perks scheme

Job summary

Wiltshire Farm Foods is recruiting a Depot Manager to lead the Northants/Leicester depot. You will oversee the office and delivery teams, ensuring Health & Safety compliance, budget achievement and customer experience excellence. The role requires some Saturday work, early starts and 40 hours per week.

Reporting to the Retail Sales & Operations Manager, you will drive KPI performance, manage staff, and maintain route efficiency and stock levels to meet customer demand across the depot.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership and coaching to drive engagement
• Proven ability to manage teams, performance and probationary reviews
• Strong stock control, administration and reporting skills
• Excellent customer care skills and communication abilities
• Full driving licence is essential

Responsibilities

• Lead depot operations to meet financial and service targets
• Manage delivery team, route planning and vehicle maintenance
• Ensure health & safety, hygiene and food safety procedures are followed
• Drive profitability by controlling costs and optimizing resources
• Maintain KPI reporting and liaise with RSOM/clients to meet expectations
• Mentor and develop office staff to deliver exceptional customer experience
• Uphold company policies, codes of conduct and contract standards

Skills

Leadership

Stock control

People management

Customer care

Administration

Driving licence

Tools

Navision

Job description

Overview

You will be working along side the Retail Sales & Operations Manager (RSOM) to deliver an outstanding service to our customers at Wiltshire Farm Foods, Northants/Leicester 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.

40 hours per week, working any 5 in 6 days - PLEASE NOTE THIS ROLE REQUIRES SOME SATURDAY WORKING AND EARLY START TIMES (NON-NEGOTIABLE).

Salary circa £32,000 - £33,000 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

• Managing the driving team and ensuring vehicle maintenanceis kept on top of.
• 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
• Adherenceto 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 instillbelief 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

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.

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.

Qualifications/Personal Qualities

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 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.