Hire Desk Manager — Lead & Grow Plant Hire Fleet

Smith's (gloucester) Limited; Gloucester; Remote; GBP 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Assurance

Company car/Allowance

Free on-site Parking

Annual leave increase with service

Gym membership discount

Annual salary review

Employee discounts

Progression opportunities

Mental health support

Job summary

Smiths (Gloucester) Ltd is seeking a Hire Desk Manager to lead and grow the hire desk function across the South-West region. You will drive revenue, optimise fleet utilisation and ensure exceptional customer service from enquiry through to off-hire.

The role requires a highly commercial leader with deep plant knowledge and a track record of managing a busy desk. The successful candidate will oversee pricing, margins and operational delivery, while developing and coaching a high-performing team

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years within plant hire or related sector.
• Experience managing a Hire Desk team and achieving targets.
• Strong knowledge of plant hire equipment, attachments and services.
• Extensive experience with plant hire systems and processes.
• Excellent commercial awareness and financial understanding.
• Proven ability to maximise utilisation and profitability.
• Strong customer relationship management skills.
• Experience managing KPIs and operational performance.
• Strong leadership and people management abilities.
• Full UK driving licence.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop the Hire Desk Controllers.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and coaching sessions.
• Ensure consistent standards across customer service, administration and commercial performance.
• Promote a positive, proactive and solutions-focused culture.
• Monitor workload and resource levels across the Hire Desk team.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and training of new team members.
• Oversee day-to-day management of hire enquiries, bookings, extensions and off-hires.
• Ensure all customer requests are processed accurately and efficiently.
• Maintain high levels of customer service and responsiveness.
• Manage fleet availability and utilisation with operational teams.
• Coordinate equipment movements with transport and operational departments.
• Resolve customer issues and escalate service concerns.
• Drive revenue growth through proactive management of customer accounts.
• Maximise fleet utilisation and hire income.
• Ensure correct hire rates are applied and commercial opportunities are identified.
• Monitor margins and challenge low-return hires where necessary.
• Develop pricing strategies in line with business objectives.
• Identify opportunities to increase ancillary revenue from transport, fuel, attachments and operated hire services.
• Support contract negotiations and framework agreements.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key customers.
• Act as a senior point of contact for strategic accounts.
• Identify new business opportunities within existing customer accounts.
• Work closely with the sales and operational teams to secure and retain business.
• Support customer visits and presentations where required.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Customer service

Commercial awareness

Financial understanding

KPIs & performance

People management

Full UK driving licence

Tools

Syrinx

Point of Rental

Job description

Smiths (Gloucester) Ltd is seeking a Hire Desk Manager to lead and grow the hire desk function across the South-West region. You will drive revenue, optimise fleet utilisation and ensure exceptional customer service from enquiry through to off-hire.

The role requires a highly commercial leader with deep plant knowledge and a track record of managing a busy desk. The successful candidate will oversee pricing, margins and operational delivery, while developing and coaching a high-performing team