Head of Transport Uk & Ireland

JD Group; Rochdale; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent retail company located in Rochdale is seeking a Head of Transport UK & Ireland. The role involves managing the outbound flow of stock and aligning transport operations with ESG targets. Candidates should have proven supply chain experience, strong communication skills, and the ability to deliver business process change. The position provides an opportunity to contribute to a forward-thinking organization focused on operational excellence.

Benefits

Free parking

Staff discount on JD Group and other brands

Pension Scheme

Personal development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven supply chain and transport experience both in the UK and Europe.
• Strong operational service orientation and customer-facing skills.
• Ability to deliver organisational and business process change.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Transport Team and Outsourced Partners.
• Deliver the planned operational KPIs for the retail functions.
• Work alongside group procurement on Supplier tendering.

Skills

Supply chain management

Transport operations

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Project management

Job description

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Head of Transport Uk & Ireland, Rochdale

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Client:

JD Group

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Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

f4102af4ef3c

Job Views:

33

Posted:

12.08.2025

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Job Description:

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with over 60,000 colleagues and over 3,400 stores across several retail fascias in over 30 markets around the world.

JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally.

We want to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. To be a part of this successful company and help us to achieve this you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people-led, innovative and customer-focused organisation which provides operational excellence whilst identifying new areas of growth as part of our day to day objectives.

Role Overview

The purpose of this role is to manage the outbound flow of stock for the JD Business Units to the point of receipt by the customer or colleagues in store. You and your team will manage and select the right ‘Transport’ Partners to provide the respective services for all outbound functions. In addition, systems visibility and control from both inhouse and external providers need to be selected and supported working in collaboration with the JD IT team. Success in the role will be demonstrated by clear performance metrics covering accuracy, lead time, efficiency and collaboration in both the UK and European operations.

A key focus will be aligning the Transport physical infra structure ( vehicles used) with the Group’s ESG targets and commitments in the most efficient way possible.

Ability and commitment to travel as required within the UK and Europe as business priorities require.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Transport Team and Outsourced Partners
• Deliver the planned operational KPIs for the respective Retail and Multi-Channel functions
• Develop a continuous improvement plan across all areas of responsibility in conjunction with any respective Supplier Partner or JD operational team with a specific focus on service and efficiency
• Work alongside group procurement on formal Supplier tendering and demand planning across multiple transport providers to secure capacities at appropriate pricing
• Strategic review of the retail Hub network within the UK
• Responsibility for setting operational and financial reporting metrics to be reported at board level
• Enhance the ‘Transport’ operations to deliver best in class lead times and service as well as enhancing sustainability at every opportunity
• Work in collaboration with the JD IT Team to select a TMS for retail and with Multi-Channel IT to maintain and improve the carrier CMS’s
• Deliver projects in accordance with the PMO project governance
• Ensure compliance is adhered to against legal, regulatory, policy and best practice
• Work closely with the respective DC Operational Teams to ensure seamless outbound process flows
• Contribute to a central repository of documented business processes for use in any future project activities.
• Acts as the key subject matter expert responsible for communications and relationship management to other functions and stakeholders; Retail, Multi-Channel and IT

Experience and Knowledge

• Proven supply chain and transport experience both UK and Europe
• Excellent external Industry network and knowledge of Supplier Partners and external best practises in other leading organisations
• Commercially aware, strategic thinker who is comfortable managing service, cost and availability in a complex global matrix organisation
• Proven ability to deliver organisational and business process change with experience of being involved in complex projects or change programmes
• Strong operational service orientation and customer facing skills with exemplary communication skills
• Strong analytical, conceptual, and problem-solving abilities with the ability to interrogate data sets and report to senior level on process improvements and key actions
• Ability to demonstrate the successful delivery of Change Management
• Ability to effectively prioritise and execute tasks in a high-pressure, ever changing work environment
• Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment
• Highly self-motivated and directed
• Strong attention to detail
• A positive outlook, demonstrating a “can do” attitude to colleagues and partners, treating everyone with respect
• General business awareness: empathising with the priorities and needs of a range of functional business groups. Understanding the subtleties and constraints they work under and tailoring our response to them.
• Commercially aware, strategic thinker who is comfortable managing service, cost and availability in a complex global matrix organisation
• Thrives on responsibility and being empowered to take ownership of initiatives and turn them into tangible deliverables
• Driven to continually challenge the norm throughout the Supply Chain, continuous improvement mentality

We know our employees work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits:

• Free parking
• Staff Discount On JD Group and other brands within the organisation
• Pension Scheme
• Personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work.

Due to the high volumes of applications our opportunities attract, it takes time to review them all. If you don't hear back within two weeks of you applying, please consider your application to have been unsuccessful on this occasion

Applications that meet the skills criteria will be contacted for a 1st stage meeting with the talent team. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to interview with the hiring manager.