Outbound Logistics & Planning Manager

Volkswagen Group UK; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car schemes (including cars for family

Discretionary bonus

Enhanced pension contributions

Private healthcare

Job summary

Volkswagen Group UK is seeking an Outbound Logistics & Planning Manager based in Blakelands, Milton Keynes. You will oversee outbound vehicle logistics, manage a £120m annual budget and lead a team to ensure timely delivery across the UK network.

You will develop end-to-end capacity plans, coordinate with brands, ports, and retailers, and drive disruption recovery with data-driven decisions to keep vehicles moving compliantly.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in finished-vehicle logistics and inland transport.
• Strong knowledge of UK transport networks and carrier operating models.
• Understanding of UK transport legislation (drivers’ hours, Working Time Directive, Driver CPC).
• Experience managing time-critical operations across multiple suppliers and locations.
• Proven ability to make rapid decisions and manage disruption.

Responsibilities

• Manage outbound vehicle logistics across inland transport, port-to-retailer delivery and specialist movements.
• Develop end-to-end capacity plan aligning brand sales plans, production schedules, shipping flows, UK port stock and dealer stock levels.
• Compare planned production, shipping and Transport Order volumes with capacity; challenge plans creating stock or delivery risk.
• Allocate transport capacity and maintain contingency plans for disruptions (shortfalls, port congestion, weather, strikes).
• Make time-critical decisions during disruption balancing capacity, cost, service and deadlines.
• Lead investigations into recurring delivery and supplier-performance issues with corrective actions.
• Manage outbound supplier portfolio and hold providers to KPIs, service, capacity and cost.
• Collaborate with Procurement and Legal on tenders, contract renewals and negotiations.
• Monitor ~£120m annual expenditure and seek value improvements.
• Ensure outbound operations meet transport legislation, quality, health & safety, audits and sustainability requirements.
• Lead and develop one direct report.

Skills

Finished-vehicle logistics

Inland transport planning

Capacity planning

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Problem solving

Education

Degree-level qualification in Logistics / Supply Chain Management or equivalent

CILT / CPC or equivalent professional qualification

Job description

About The Role

Group Vehicles Operations (GVO) are recruiting for an Outbound Logistics & Planning Manager on a full time permanent basis.

Reporting into the Group Vehicle Operations and Logistics Manager, this role is based at Blakelands, Milton Keynes and has one direct report.

About the role

You will be responsible for Volkswagen Group UK’s outbound vehicle logistics operations and UK delivery capacity planning. Managing the delivery supplier network and an annual budget of approximately £120m, you will support the movement of more than 500,000 new vehicles and 50,000 used vehicles each year, whilst also ensuring providing short, medium & long term capacity outlooks for Emden, Iberian, UK Ports and the Retailer network.

This is a high-impact role at the centre of a complex logistics network. You will make time-critical operational decisions, lead disruption recovery and work across brands, suppliers, ports and retailers to keep vehicles moving efficiently and compliantly. This roles work pattern is Monday to Thursday 09:00 - 17:30 and 09:00 - 16:15 on a Friday.

What you will be responsible for:

• Managing outbound vehicle logistics across inland transport, port-to-retailer delivery, used vehicles and specialist movements, ensuring vehicles reach the correct destination within agreed service levels.
• Developing the end-to-end capacity plan by bringing together brand sales plans, production schedules, shipping flows, UK port stock, Transport Orders, carrier capacity and dealer stock levels.
• Comparing planned production, shipping and Transport Order volumes with available port, transport and dealer-network capacity, challenging plans where they create stock or delivery risk.
• Allocating available transport capacity where demand exceeds supply and maintaining contingency plans for supplier shortfalls, port congestion, backlogs, adverse weather, industrial action and system failure.
• Making time-critical decisions during disruption, balancing capacity, cost, service, registration deadlines, brand sales requirements and customer impact.
• Leading investigations into recurring delivery, capacity and supplier-performance issues, identifying root causes and ensuring effective corrective actions are implemented.
• Managing the outbound supplier portfolio and holding providers accountable for contractual KPIs, service, capacity, cost and compliance.
• Working with Procurement and Legal on tenders, contract renewals and negotiations, using operational requirements and supplier-performance evidence to shape recommendations.
• Managing approximately £120m annual expenditure, monitoring budget performance and identifying opportunities to improve value.
• Ensuring outbound operations and suppliers meet transport legislation, contractual, TQS, quality, health and safety, audit and sustainability requirements.
• Leading and developing one direct report, maintaining operational knowledge, cover and consistent standards.

Skills & experience you can bring to the role:

• Substantial experience in finished-vehicle logistics, inland transport, delivery planning or a comparable complex supply-chain environment.
• Strong knowledge of finished-vehicle logistics, UK transport networks, carrier operating models, vehicle delivery planning and outsourced logistics operations.
• Detailed understanding of UK transport legislation, including drivers’ hours, Working Time Directive, Driver CPC, operator compliance and cabotage requirements.
• Experience managing time-critical operations across multiple suppliers, locations and customer channels.
• Strong end-to-end capacity-planning, transport-network management, operational risk-management and disruption-recovery capability.
• The ability to make timely decisions using incomplete or changing information.
• Strong supplier, contract and commercial-management skills, including budget and cost control.
• The ability to analyse operational and financial information and turn it into clear actions and recommendations.
• Strong communication, negotiation, stakeholder-management and people-leadership skills.
• A degree-level qualification in Logistics, Supply Chain Management or equivalent professional experience, together with a relevant professional or transport/logistics qualification such as CILT, CPC or equivalent professional experience.

What can we offer you?

Along with a competitive salary, car schemes (including cars for family members), discretionary bonus, enhanced pension contributions, private healthcare, 27 days holiday plus bank holidays, 4 x life assurance & health & wellbeing support, we also offer a wide range of flexible benefits to suit you and your lifestyle.

Group Vehicle Operations

Group Vehicle Operations (GVO) is the engine that keeps our brands running. It is an internal business unit at the heart of the Volkswagen Group. Inbound & outbound logistics form part of GVO and are responsible for managing the flow of vehicles through an increasingly complex and evolving supply chain. With volumes and routes into the UK market continuing to change, GVO plays a key role in adapting our operations, managing risk and ensuring vehicles are available where and when our brands need them.

About Us

Volkswagen Group

We’re driven by difference. With six big brands under one roof – each with its own history, designs and innovations – we’ve created some of the world’s most iconic vehicles, from luxury sports cars to family camper vans. Here, you’ll discover opportunities, explore ideas and tackle challenges that you won’t find anywhere else.

It takes a range of teams to make the Group successful. We all share the same aim: to deliver sustainable mobility for generations to come, while keeping the customer and their changing demands at the heart of everything we do.

There’s never been a more exciting time to join our industry as it undergoes the biggest transformation for over 100 years. With digitalisation, electrification and driverless mobility all coming to the market, we’re actively looking for people with new skills, knowledge, and outlooks. A brave new world demands brave, new, diverse people; so whatever your background, we would love to hear from you. We know that different perspectives and thought processes are vital as our industry goes through an exciting period of change.