Hatchery Transport Manager

Avara Foods Ltd; Hereford; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

31 days holiday

6% pension

Private medical

Life assurance

Wellbeing resources

Job summary

Avara Foods seeks a Hatchery Transport Manager to lead and optimise transport operations for day-old chicks, eggs and hatchery supplies across UK hatcheries. You will drive safety, compliance and cost efficiency while managing drivers and schedules.

The role demands strong leadership, budget control, and knowledge of transport legislation, with the ability to travel across sites and respond to emergencies as needed.

Qualifications

• Experience managing a transport operation.
• CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) qualification.
• Strong understanding of transport legislation and fleet management.
• Experience leading and developing operational teams.
• Budget management and efficiency improvement track record.
• Excellent planning, organisation, and ability to work under pressure.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Competent in transport management systems and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Ensure all transport operations are conducted safely and in accordance with relevant legislation.
• Investigate accidents, incidents, and near misses, implementing corrective actions where required.
• Promote driver wellbeing and safe driving practices.
• Support company sustainability and environmental initiatives.
• Review best practice and support the implementation across the hatcheries.
• Oversee daily transport activities across the hatchery.
• Develop and implement transport schedules to ensure timely delivery and collection of chicks, eggs, and hatchery supplies.
• Ensure transport resources are aligned with operational and customer requirements.
• Monitor fleet utilisation and optimise route planning to maximise efficiency and reduce costs.
• Manage transport disruptions and implement contingency plans to minimise operational impact.
• Maintain a safe, reliable, and roadworthy fleet.
• Schedule preventative maintenance, servicing, and repairs.
• Monitor fleet performance, fuel consumption, vehicle downtime, and operating costs.
• Support fleet replacement and capital investment planning.
• Work closely with external service providers and maintenance contractors.
• Ensure full compliance with transport legislation, including Operator licence obligations, Tachograph/driver hours compliance, Working Time Directive, Vehicle defect reporting, Maintenance records, Driver licence checks, Animal welfare during transport, and biosecurity protocols.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Planning & organizing

Problem solving

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence)

Tools

Transport management systems

MS Office

Job description

About the Role:

You may not have heard of us, but there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed our products. Avara Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, supplying chicken and turkey to the country’s major supermarkets and well-known restaurants.

We own and manage our entire supply chain, from farms to factory and all the way to the customer door – meaning we have careers that cover a whole range of functions. We have major processing sites across England and Wales, and an agricultural network of over 350 farms, spanning from North Yorkshire to the South Coast and Wales.

About the Role:

The Hatchery Transport Manager is responsible for leading and managing all transport operations, ensuring the safe, efficient, compliant, and cost-effective movement of day-old chicks, hatching eggs and other operational requirements. The role is accountable for fleet performance, driver management, route optimisation, legal compliance, biosecurity standards, and service delivery to both internal and external customers.

The Hatchery Transport Manager will review processes and best practice across the 5 Avara hatcheries and lead standardisation of transport practice across all UK hatcheries.

As a Hatchery Transport Manager you’ll be working Monday to Friday 07:30 - 16:00 with the flexibility to travel across sites and out of hour response to Operational issues or emergencies.

What will your key responsibilities as Hatchery Transport Manager include?

• Ensure all transport operations are conducted safely and in accordance with relevant legislation.


• Investigate accidents, incidents, and near misses, implementing corrective actions where required.


• Promote driver wellbeing and safe driving practices.


• Support company sustainability and environmental initiatives.


• Review best practice and support the implementation across the hatcheries


• Oversee daily transport activities across the hatchery.


• Develop and implement transport schedules to ensure timely delivery and collection of chicks, eggs, and hatchery supplies.


• Ensure transport resources are aligned with operational and customer requirements


• Monitor vehicle utilisation and optimise route planning to maximise efficiency and reduce costs.


• Manage transport disruptions and implement contingency plans to minimise operational impact.


• Maintain a safe, reliable, and roadworthy fleet.


• Schedule preventative maintenance, servicing, and repairs.


• Monitor fleet performance, fuel consumption, vehicle downtime, and operating costs.


• Support fleet replacement and capital investment planning.


• Work closely with external service providers and maintenance contractors.


• Ensure full compliance with transport legislation, which include:
  
  
  
  • Operator licence obligations.
  
  
  • Tachograph/driver hours compliance.
  
  
  • Working Time Directive/road transport working time rules.
  
  
  • Vehicle defect reporting.
  
  
  • Maintenance records.
  
  
  • Driver licence checks.
  
  
  • Animal welfare during transport
  
  
  • Maintain compliance with company policies and industry standards.
  
  
  • Strict adherence to biosecurity protocols across all hatchery transport activities.
  
  
  • Conduct regular audits and inspections of vehicles, equipment, and operational practice in line with the agreed Avara audit schedule.
  
  
  
  

What you’ll need to be successful:

Essential

• Previous experience managing a transport operation.


• CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) qualification or equivalent.


• Strong understanding of transport legislation and fleet management.


• Experience leading and developing operational teams and strong leadership skills.


• Proven ability to manage budgets and identify efficiency improvements.


• Excellent planning, organiser, and problem-solving skills and the ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.


• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.


• Competent in transport management systems and Microsoft Office applications.

Desirable

• Experience within poultry, agriculture, food production, or hatchery operations.


• Knowledge of animal welfare and biosecurity requirements.


• Experience using route optimisation and fleet telematics systems.

The benefits of working for Avara Foods:

As Hatchery Transport Manager you will enjoy a secure, supportive and progressive working environment, where your contribution and achievements will be recognised and rewarded.

We offer comprehensive training as well as continuous development as you build your long-term career with us. You can also look forward to benefits that amongst other things include the following:

• Competitive salary


• 31 days holiday allowance


• 6% pension


• Private medical for self


• Life assurance


• Wellbeing resources, including free online health advice & support, and wellbeing assessments.

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.

INDHP #TheAvaraWay