Transport First Line Manager

John Lewis plc; Coulsdon; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Night premium (£4.75/hr) for eligible夜

Fixed-term secondment (12 months)

Job summary

John Lewis Partnership is seeking a Transport First Line Manager at Coulsdon DFC to lead a 7-day-a-week transport operation. You will manage a team of Partners and agency colleagues, ensuring productive, compliant service delivery.

This is a 12-month fixed-term secondment with shift patterns between 05:00 and 23:00, and night premium applies between 22:00–06:00. You will be responsible for safety, performance, coaching, and driving efficiency within budget.

Qualifications

• Experience in Transport or Distribution management and leadership.
• Strong knowledge of EU Working Time regulations and health & safety legislation.
• Experience in applying disciplinary procedures.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily transport operations and a team of Partners and agency staff.
• Ensure safety, compliance, and delivery against service targets.
• Coach and develop the team, drive efficiency and cost control.
• Act as deputy to the Transport Shift Manager as required.

Skills

Transport management

Team leadership

Regulatory knowledge

Disciplinary procedures

Education

Full UK Manual Driving Licence

Transport Manager CPC

Tools

Google Sheets

Google Docs

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE We're an inclusive business - for our Partners and for our customers, reflecting and connecting with the diverse communities that we serve. We want people from all walks of life to feel valued for their individuality, thrive in our business and share a sense of belonging. To find out more about Diversity & Inclusion in the John Lewis Partnership click here ttps://www.jlpjobs.com/about/diversityandinclusion/. Are you looking for a leadership role where you support a transport team? As a Transport First Line Manager within the Partnership, you will oversee daily operations. You will manage a team of Partners and agency colleagues, ensuring that our 7-day-a-week transport operation is productive, compliant, and meets service targets. In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £4.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

At a glance

• Salary range - The salary range for this role is £36,600 to £57,600 per annum depending on skills and experience, plus Enhanced Hours Premium where applicable
• Contract type - This is a 12 month Fixed term contract, internally known as a Secondment
• Working pattern/flexible working - Between the hours of 05:00-23:00, including rota'd weekend working
• Hours of Work - 37.5 hours per week
• Location - Coulsdon - Customer Fulfilment Centre

Key Responsibilities

• Safety first: You'll look out for everyone, ensuring we're always compliant with Health & Safety and EU driving regulations. (Could we put this one first?)
• Leading with care: Oversee the performance and wellbeing of your team.
• Championing growth: Drive continuous operational development and build high-performing teams through structured coaching, succession planning, and upskilling initiatives.
• Driving efficiency: Manage productivity and resources to maintain budgets. Identify and implement process improvements.
• Stepping up: Act as the deputy for the Transport Shift Manager; support them with operational tasks as required.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Be 18 or older—that’s a must for this kind of work.
• Proven experience in a Transport or Distribution management role.
• A strong knowledge of EU and Working Time regulations, plus Health & Safety legislation.
• Experience managing disciplinary procedures

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• A full UK Manual Driving Licence (with no more than 6 penalty points).
• Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC)
• Confident using Google Sheets and Google Docs

Closing Date: November 12, 2026 Pay: £36,600.00 - £57,600.00 Annual Contract Type: Temporary Hours of Work: Between the hours of 05:00-23:00, including rota'd weekend working Job Level: Partnership Level 8 Where You'll Be Working: Coulsdon DFC (Waitrose & Partners), 11 Ullswater Crescent, London, London, CR5 2HR

About the Partnership

We're the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We're not just employees, we're Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there's never been a more exciting time to join us. We're ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose. As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we're free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note: It's important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you'll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles. We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. At the John Lewis Partnership we're not just employees; we're co-owners, and that's why we're called Partners. Being a Partner means not only do we all collectively share the responsibilities of being the UK's largest employee-owned business, but we also share in its rewards and successes. It's this ownership model that makes the Partnership a very unique place to work.