M&R Manager

gandwukeurope; Southampton; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Life insurance from day 1

25 days annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounts and gym membership

Job summary

Freightliner in Southampton is seeking an experienced Maintenance & Repair (M&R) Manager to lead the Southampton M&R department and a diverse team of repairers and administrators.

You will ensure repairs meet IICL and shipping line standards, manage budgets and KPIs, and drive safety, quality and cost efficiency while maintaining strong relationships with customers and suppliers.

Qualifications

• Proven container M&R or depot management experience.
• Fabrication or metalwork knowledge; welding qualification desirable.
• Understanding of port/shipping line operations and container types.
• Experience with budgets, cost analysis and P&L.
• Strong leadership and safety culture emphasis.
• Excellent communication and reporting skills.
• Willingness to provide out-of-hours cover.

Responsibilities

• Run day-to-day M&R operations.
• Oversee repairs safely and to standards.
• Ensure resources meet service demands.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team.
• Drive continuous improvement across operations.
• Lead safety and regulatory compliance.
• Manage budgets and KPIs.
• Maintain relationships with customers and stakeholders.
• Provide out-of-hours cover.

Skills

Leadership

Safety management

Budgeting

Communication

Project management

Continuous improvement

Job description

Freightliner is a leading UK intermodal logistics provider, offering rail, road and terminal solutions that connect ports, inland terminals and customer destinations across the UK. Through innovation, safety and sustainability, Freightliner delivers reliable, efficient and lower-carbon supply chain solutions for its customers.

In the UK the Freightliner Group operates under a number of legal entities including, Freightliner Ltd, Pentalver Transport Ltd, and Pentalver Cannock Ltd.

Job title: Maintenance and Repair (M&R) Manager

Location : Southampton (SO15 1AW)

Position Type: Permanent, full-time

Hours of work: 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday

Why join us?

• Competitive salary & benefits: We offer a competitive compensation package, including a pension scheme, life insurance from day 1, 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays).
• Career development and progression: We provide regular training and career development opportunities to help you progress your career with us. You will have access to a range of external courses and in-house training programmes to support skill development and build confidence in your role.
• Award-winning safety culture: Join a business recognised for excellence and innovation, where safety is always our top priority.
• Family friendly benefits: We offer enhanced maternity and paternity pay and are proud to be Work180 endorsed employer.
• Employee well-being and support: Access our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), along with an employee benefits platform offering discounts and vouchers across a wide range of brands and retailers, a cycle to work scheme, car lease scheme, technology scheme and discounted gym membership.

The role

With a new state of art infrastructure and recent investment in Vehicle Booking System (VBS) and technology, we are looking for the right individual to join and support our Maintenance and Repair (M&R) team in Southampton.

As the M&R Manager, you manage the Southampton Maintenance & Repair (M&R) department, leading a skilled team of container repairers and administrative staff to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of the M&R operations. You will ensure repairs meet IICL and shipping line standards, customer requirements are achieved, and departmental financial targets are met.

Key responsibilities

• Responsible for the day-to-day running of M&R operations.
• Oversee all aspects of M&R operations, ensuring repairs are completed safely, efficiently and to customer and industry standards.
• Ensure sufficient resource is in place to deliver business demands and maintain agreed service standards.
• Lead, mentor and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of accountability, safety and continuous improvement.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across operational performance, customer service, quality and safety.
• Act as a visible leader for safety, ensuring compliance with all health, safety and environmental standards and regulatory requirements.
• Lead risk assessments, audits, operational observations and incident investigations as required.
• Ensure damage surveys, estimates and repairs are completed accurately and in accordance with IICL standards, customer requirements and company procedures.
• Manage parts, materials and operational resources effectively to support productivity, quality and cost performance.
• Monitor departmental performance, budgets and KPIs to deliver operational and financial objectives.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with customers, contractors and key stakeholders.
• Monitor departmental performance against budgets, KPIs and service standards, taking action to improve efficiency and control costs.

About you

• Proven container M&R or depot management experience, including leading teams, with a sound understanding of port and shipping line operations.
• Fabrication or metalwork knowledge and experience (welding qualification desirable).
• Good understanding of the container shipping industry and container types.
• Knowledge of IICL/shipping line repair criteria and CEDEX coding (IICL certification desirable).
• Financially aware with the ability to interpret profit and loss accounts, manage budgets and analyse cost performance.
• A continuous improvement mindset with experience in process design, implementation and operational optimisation.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to produce concise and accurate reports, presentations and business correspondence.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, develop and engage teams within a fast-paced, safety-critical environment.
• Strong customer service and stakeholder management skills.
• A visible and credible leader who leads by example, acts with integrity, professionalism and a strong commitment to safety.
• Sound knowledge of health, safety and environmental requirements, with experience of promoting a positive safety culture and ensuring compliance with operational standards.
• Flexibility to provide out-of-hours / on-call cover as requi