Shift Manager

Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd; Northampton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A well-known UK retailer is seeking a Shift Manager at their Northampton depot. In this role, you will manage a team of HGV drivers and oversee warehouse operations, ensuring compliance with regulations and optimizing team performance. Ideal candidates will demonstrate strong leadership skills, experience in a unionized environment, and the ability to drive change through data analysis. This permanent position offers competitive benefits and a commitment to personal development and work-life balance.

Benefits

Season ticket loan

Discount card for shopping

Offers on gym memberships

Cycle to work scheme

Full PPE provided

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead and inspire large multi-functional teams.
• Experience in managing an HGV transport operation.
• Strong understanding of relevant legislation for safety and health.

Responsibilities

• Manage HGV drivers across various shift patterns.
• Oversee the chilled warehouse cross dock operation.
• Ensure timely dispatch of journeys from the depot.

Skills

Leadership

Data analysis

Problem-solving

Communication

Team management

Job description

Overview

Salary: competative plus benefits. Location: Crick Depot, Northampton, NN6 7SL. Contract type: Permanent. Business area: Logistics. Closing date: 30 January 2026. Requisition ID: 400046645.

We believe in providing meaningful work and achieving a real work/life balance. Here, you\'ll find both. Our Supply Chain team is the engine room for getting thousands of products from farms and factories to our millions of customers every day. We leverage insight and data to anticipate customer needs, ensuring they get what they want, when they need it. You\'ll be part of a team that is data-driven and judgement-focused, always the first to identify and address any issues or ambiguities. A culture of collaboration, customer obsession, and continuous improvement drives us to deliver market-leading product availability and operational excellence, and fuels our innovation. Our Supply Chain team calls for people who champion change, are customer-obsessed, data-driven, and excel at collaborating and communicating effectively - because those people can go a very long way.

Role

Shift Manager

Essential: Experience in managing an HGV transport operation. CPC National (desirable)

What You’ll be doing

• Manage circa 125 HGV drivers across various shift patterns, liaising with the Driver Trainer, managing infringements, WTD and ensuring legal compliance
• Assume overall responsibility for the chilled warehouse cross dock operation, liaising with the Warehouse Supervisor, managing 10-15 warehouse colleagues per shift
• Operate alongside the Fleet Manager to ensure time sensitive journeys are dispatched and arrive at Sainsbury\'s RDCs and suppliers on time
• Promote an inclusive culture through your leadership approach, fostering high levels of trust and driving a high-performing team
• Optimise utilization and capability by effectively allocating resources and managing activities across functions

What makes a great Shift Manager

• Experience in leading and inspiring a large multi-functional team, acting as a role model and empowering others to deliver results
• Proven ability to work in a highly unionised environment, understanding the importance of building positive, mutually beneficial relationships with key stakeholders
• Proficiency in analysing data, identifying opportunities for process improvement, and presenting this information to senior-level stakeholders to influence change
• Strong understanding of relevant legislation, policy, and processes related to people management, safety, health, and environment in a fast-paced depot setting
• Demonstrated ability to manage and optimise warehouse, inventory, transport, and fleet operations effectively
• Consider the ‘bigger picture’ to plan ahead and anticipate risks, even if these fall outside of your remit

Do you have a good understanding of the relevant legislation, policy and process in all matters relating to people management, safety, health and environment in a fast-paced depot setting? Then make the move to Sainsbury’s and let your talent shine, playing a vital shift management role that will help ensure our shelves are packed full of everything from toilet rolls to prosecco to toothpaste - whenever they’re needed.

You don’t get from being a small shop in 1869 to one of the UK’s most loved retailers without a passion for innovation and a relentless pursuit for better. And that’s where you come in because, right now, we’re looking for a Shift Manager to join our Operational Execution, Supply Chain & Logistics team at our distribution centre in (location).

Keeping our shelves full for our customers depends on us having a terrifically tight team, whether on the shop floor or at our distribution centre, where this particular role is based. Your challenge will be to work collaboratively to people manage all Warehouse, Inventory, Transport and Fleet Operations activities on your shift, including allocating a clerical workload across functions to optimise utilisation and capability. We’ll also rely on you to bring a leadership approach that promotes an inclusive culture, thus leading to high levels of trust that can drive a high performing team whilst meeting targets. And, should a more senior operational manager be absent, we’ll also count on you to assume full responsibility for overall depot operations.

So, what do you need to succeed? First and foremost, a proven ability to lead, engage and inspire a large multi-functional team, act as a role model and encourage, empower and trust others to deliver results. You\'ll also need an awareness of working in a highly unionised environment and an understanding of the importance of building positive, mutually beneficial relationships with key stakeholders. Confident in your ability to make critical time-pressured decisions in an ever-changing environment, you’re not afraid to challenge the status quo when required. And, if you have a flair for analysing data, identifying opportunities for process improvement and presenting this information to senior level stakeholders in order influence change, we should definitely talk.

As well as some great benefits, Sainsbury\'s offer a genuine opportunity to progress. Indeed, you\’ll gain exposure to different parts of the business which will help widen your skillsets and move into other roles in the future. Everyone gets their own personal development plan too, plus there’s a real commitment to wellbeing, D&I, values and work life balance. This particular role is offered on a permanent contract basis, working an average of xx hours per week, working x days in x, rotating days and night shift, with the flexibility to fit the needs of our operations where required.

• Pre-planned shifts
• Season ticket loan after you’ve completed 12 weeks of service and passed your probation
• Discount card after 4 weeks that gives you 10% off your Sainsbury’s, Argos and Habitat shopping
• Special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more
• Cycle to work scheme available
• Full PPE provided

This role is offered on a permanent contract basis, working an average of 42hours per week, working 4on/4off, rotating days and night shift, with the flexibility to fit the needs of our operations where required.

At Sainsbury’s, we’re a proud equal opportunities employer that values diversity and inclusion at every level of our business. Because when people bring their true selves to work, powerful innovation takes shape. Just know that whoever you are, we are your Sainsbury’s.