European Roadfreight Operations Manager

Metro; Felixstowe; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Health & wellness perks

Health cash plan

Octopus EV car scheme

Free onsite parking

Respectful, inclusive culture

Ongoing training and development

Job summary

Metro is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to establish and lead its Felixstowe European Roadfreight operation. This role combines hands-on management with strategic leadership to drive growth, efficiency, and customer satisfaction in a fast-paced environment.

Initially you will oversee accounts, operations and service delivery while laying foundations for a scalable operation. You will recruit and develop a dedicated team, build a culture of excellence, and work with the Commercial Team

Qualifications

• Experience within European Roadfreight operations.
• Strong knowledge of LTL, groupage, part-load, and full-load movements.
• Proven experience managing customer relationships.
• Previous leadership or management experience within freight forwarding.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of profitability.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to make decisions and perform effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the day-to-day European Roadfreight operation in Felixstowe.
• Ensure shipments are executed efficiently, accurately, and profitably.
• Drive operational excellence through KPI delivery, service standards, and best practice.
• Act as the senior escalation point for operational issues and customer concerns.
• Develop scalable processes and procedures to support future growth.
• Deliver continuous improvement across service, efficiency, and operational performance.
• Recruit, train, and develop future operational team members.
• Create a positive, accountable, and performance-driven culture.
• Coach, mentor, and develop employees through regular reviews and development plans.
• Ensure effective workload allocation and resource planning.
• Build a team capable of supporting significant future growth.
• Build strong relationships with key customers and become a trusted operational partner.
• Support customer retention through exceptional service delivery.
• Attend customer meetings and reviews where required.
• Identify opportunities to enhance service levels and customer experience.
• Support the successful onboarding of new customers.
• Maintain visibility of profitability, gross margin, and operational costs.
• Work closely with the Commercial Team to support business growth.
• Contribute to customer quotations and operational solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, maximise revenue, and protect margins.
• Support the continued growth of Metro's European Roadfreight division.
• Develop strong relationships with carriers, groupage partners, and suppliers.
• Monitor supplier performance against agreed service levels.
• Support supplier reviews and procurement initiatives.
• Drive performance and accountability throughout the supplier network.

Skills

European roadfreight operations

LTL movements

Groupage movements

Part-load movements

Full-load movements

Customer relationship management

Leadership

Commercial awareness

Communication

Organisational skills

Decision making in fast-paced env

Tools

CargoWise

Job description

Build and Lead the Next Chapter of Metro's European Roadfreight Growth

Metro continues to invest in its European Roadfreight division, strengthening our service offering, expanding our customer base, and building the infrastructure required to support long term growth.

We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Operations Manager to establish and lead our growing Felixstowe operation. This is a unique opportunity to build something from the ground up, shape a high performing operation, and play a key role in Metro's ambitious Roadfreight growth strategy.

As the first dedicated Roadfreight operational leader in the region, you will have the autonomy to influence how the operation develops while building a team capable of supporting future growth.

Your Next Opportunity

This role combines hands‑on operational management with strategic leadership.

Initially, you will oversee customer accounts, operational activity and service delivery while helping create the foundations for a scalable operation. As volumes increase, there will be opportunity to recruit, develop, and lead a dedicated team, creating an environment built around operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and commercial success.

If you are someone who thrives on building teams, improving processes, developing customer relationships, and driving growth, this could be your next career‑defining opportunity.

What You’ll Own

Operational Leadership

• Establish and lead the day‑to‑day European Roadfreight operation in Felixstowe.
• Ensure shipments are executed efficiently, accurately, and profitably.
• Drive operational excellence through KPI delivery, service standards, and best practice.
• Act as the senior escalation point for operational issues and customer concerns.
• Develop scalable processes and procedures to support future growth.
• Deliver continuous improvement across service, efficiency, and operational performance.

Building & Developing the Team

• Recruit, train, and develop future operational team members.
• Create a positive, accountable, and performance‑driven culture.
• Coach, mentor, and develop employees through regular reviews and development plans.
• Ensure effective workload allocation and resource planning.
• Build a team capable of supporting significant future growth.

Customer Relationship Management

• Build strong relationships with key customers and become a trusted operational partner.
• Support customer retention through exceptional service delivery.
• Attend customer meetings and reviews where required.
• Identify opportunities to enhance service levels and customer experience.
• Support the successful onboarding of new customers.

Commercial Performance

• Maintain visibility of profitability, gross margin, and operational costs.
• Work closely with the Commercial Team to support business growth.
• Contribute to customer quotations and operational solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, maximise revenue, and protect margins.
• Support the continued growth of Metro's European Roadfreight division.

Supplier & Carrier Management

• Develop strong relationships with carriers, groupage partners, and suppliers.
• Monitor supplier performance against agreed service levels.
• Support supplier reviews and procurement initiatives.
• Drive performance and accountability throughout the supplier network.

What You’ll Need

• Experience within European Roadfreight operations.
• Strong knowledge of LTL, groupage, part‑load, and full‑load movements.
• Proven experience managing customer relationships.
• Previous leadership or management experience within freight forwarding.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of profitability.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to make decisions and perform effectively in a fast‑paced environment.

What Would Make You Stand Out

• Experience establishing or expanding a freight forwarding operation.
• Customs and post‑Brexit operational knowledge.
• Experience using CargoWise or similar freight forwarding systems.
• Existing knowledge of the European Roadfreight market.

Why Metro?

At Metro, you will join a business with ambitious growth plans, a supportive culture, and genuine opportunities for career development.

Benefits Include:

• Discretionary bi‑annual bonus linked to business and individual performance.
• Health & wellness perks – including gym discounts, retail offers, and more.
• Health cash plan – supporting your wellbeing.
• Octopus EV car scheme supporting more sustainable travel choices.
• Free onsite parking.
• Respectful, inclusive culture – where your voice matters.
• Ongoing training and development in a business that supports career growth.

What Makes Metro Different

• Career Mobility & Growth - We promote from within and create opportunities for people to develop, progress and take on broader responsibility.
• A Global Perspective - You will work across international entities and help shape how finance supports a growing global business.
• Fast‑Paced, High‑Impact Work - You will be close to the business, involved in meaningful decisions and able to see the impact of your work quickly.
• Customer‑Focused Growth - Our work helps major international brands keep their supply chains moving, and finance plays a critical role in enabling that growth.
• Tech‑Driven Efficiency - Work with industry‑leading systems and technologies in a business that embraces Innovation and continuous improvement.

If you are an experienced European Roadfreight professional looking for the opportunity to build, lead, and grow a successful operation, we would love to hear from you.