Distribution Shift Manager

Warburtons; Biggleswade; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit sharing

Extra annual leave

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Employee deals

Personal development

Job summary

Warburtons in Biggleswade is recruiting a Distribution Shift Manager to lead, coach and develop our driving team within a national Distribution Operations network. You will drive performance through people leadership, safety culture and continuous improvement, while learning transport compliance requirements with full support.

The role focuses on managing Class 1 & 2 drivers, ensuring engagement, training and incident response are delivered to high standards in a busy depot environment.

Qualifications

• Strong people management experience in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Willingness to learn and apply transport compliance (Tachograph, Working Time Directive) with training provided.
• Excellent understanding of Health, Safety & Environment in an operational workplace.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Drivers, managing performance and engagement across the employee lifecycle.
• Champion a safety culture with audits, vehicle checks and driver briefings to mitigate hazards.
• Use telematics and performance data to monitor trends and drive improvements across the fleet.
• Learn and apply transport compliance requirements (Transport Operator Licence, Tachograph, Working Time Directive) with support.
• Deliver ongoing coaching and refresher training for drivers on safe driving, load security and emergency procedures.
• Lead investigations into accidents or near misses and implement corrective actions.

Skills

People management

Leadership

Performance management

Communication

Health & Safety

Transport compliance

SAP

Driver telematics

Tools

SAP (ERP)

Driver telematics

Job description

Job Title: Distribution Shift Manager
Function: Distribution
Contract: Permanent, Full Time (4 on 2 off)
Location: Biggleswade
Salary: Competitive Package

Are you a confident people manager who knows how to get the best from a team? Join the Distribution Team at Warburtons in Biggleswade and play a key role in leading, coaching and developing our driving team as part of our national Distribution Operations network.

We are looking for someone who can bring strong leadership, communication and performance management skills. Transport compliance knowledge is important, but we can support and develop this for the right person with the right people-management mindset.

Essential Ingredients

• Strong people management experience, with the confidence to lead teams, coach individuals, manage performance and build engagement in a fast-paced operational environment
• A willingness to learn and apply transport compliance, including Tachograph and Working Time Directive regulations, with full support and training provide

• Excellent understanding of Health, Safety, and Environment in an operational workplace
• Good working knowledge of SAP (specifically the ERP module) and experience with Driver telematics systems would be an advantage

• Transport Managers CPC would be beneficial, but it is not essential if you bring strong people leadership and the ability to learn the technical requirements

The Recipe

As Distribution Shift Manager, you’ll be at the heart of our operation, leading the team day to day and creating an environment where drivers feel supported, engaged and clear on what great performance looks like. Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing the team: Manage a team of Class1 & 2 Drivers, taking responsibility for all people management activities across the employee lifecycle. You’ll build a positive, motivated team where people understand expectations, feel valued and are supported to perform at their best.

• Championing a Safety Culture: Positively influence behaviours and embed safety into daily operations, making it a core team value. This will include conducting regular safety audits, vehicle management, and driver briefings to identify hazards and implement preventative measures.

• Continuous Improvement: Use telematics and performance data to monitor safety trends and drive improvements across the fleet.
• Learning and applying transport compliance: Develop and maintain the knowledge needed to support Transport Operator Licence requirements, Tachograph and Working Time Directive regulations, and Health, Safety & Environment standards. We can teach the technical compliance requirements, but you’ll need the curiosity and commitment to apply them consistently and confidently.

• Training & Development: Deliver ongoing coaching and ensure refresher training for drivers on safe driving practices, load security, and emergency procedures.
• Incident Response: Lead investigations into any accidents or near misses, ensuring corrective actions are taken and lessons learned are shared.

About Us

Are you ready to take your career to the next level? Join the Distribution Team at Warburtons as we expand our latest Distribution Depot in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, and become part of our national network of Distribution Operations across the UK. This new site is a modern, state‑of‑the‑art operation featuring the latest iCart technology and a fast‑growing network of routes.

Since 1876, we have earned a stellar reputation for delivering reliable, high-quality products across the UK. As we continue to grow, we want YOU to be part of our journey and help us maintain our first-class service for our customers.

We believe in creating an environment that’s inclusive, open, and progressive, and we are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees. At Warburtons, you’ll find ample opportunities to develop your career while contributing to our success.

Extra Dough

At last and by no means least, you will want to know what your bread is worth.

• A slice of the annual profits
• Family time is important to us so as well as your holiday entitlement, we'll give you the opportunity to purchase up to an extra weeks annual leave
• Award winning pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Products you'll love along with deals and discounts for you and the family through our Extra Dough website
• Continued investment in your personal development
• Fully stocked kitchens filled with our delicious products for you to enjoy with your daily brew!

As ‘the UK’s No. 1 Bakery Brand’ we have been baking bread since 1876. Today, we are proudly a fifth-generation family, with the introduction of the sixth generation, supplying over 18,000 retail customers from 11 bakeries and 16 depots, producing a range of over 70 products including gluten and wheat free. Family and values are what makes us different, and we are a proud bunch, join us and you too could be proud to be Warburtons.

We respect and value difference. We look to create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Companies that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, or any other aspect which makes them unique, are proven to be better companies. More importantly, creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work, is the right thing to do.