Transport Operations Manager

Paul Mathew Transport; Crawley; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Career development

Driver workforce

Market expansion

Job summary

Paul Mathew Transport is seeking a Transport Operations Manager to lead day-to-day operations for a 40-truck and 160-trailer fleet, ensuring on-time delivery and client satisfaction. Reporting to the Transport Manager, you’ll drive efficiency, safety, and continuous improvement across scheduling, routing, and operations.

You will spearhead operational projects, manage a large driver team, and collaborate with production teams to scale the business while maintaining high standards and regulatory

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading large driver teams and transport operations.
• Strong knowledge of UK transport legislation and compliance.
• Experience with scheduling, routing, and fleet optimisation.
• Excellent communication with drivers, clients, and management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations for a 40-truck, 160-trailer fleet with on-time delivery targets.
• Lead health and safety standards and regulatory compliance across transport operations.
• Coordinate with clients, venues, and production teams to ensure seamless delivery of service.
• Monitor live operations and manage disruptions, delays, or resource conflicts.
• Define and track KPIs; drive operational improvements and automation projects.
• Support growth, new markets, and tender opportunities; provide quotes and operational input.

Skills

People management

UK transport knowledge

Operations leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Tools

TMS software

Job description

J O B D E S C R I P T I O N

Transport Operations Manager

Experienced operational support to help a specialist transport business run smoothly today and scale for tomorrow.

Job Title

Transport Operations Manager

Department

Transport Operations

Reporting To

Transport Manager

Location

Bognor Regis, West Sussex

Contract

Full-time, permanent

Team Size

40 drivers + Subcontractors + Agency Drivers

Fleet Size

40 trucks and 160 trailers

About Paul Mathew Transport

Paul Mathew Transport Limited is a specialist entertainment and production transport company, providing trailer logistics and haulage services to some of the UK's most prestigious theatre, sports, arts, and live events clients. We operate at pace and at scale, with high standards of professionalism, reliability, and care at the heart of everything we do. As we continue to grow, we are investing in our management team to match our ambitions.

The Role

Paul Mathew Transport is growing, and with that growth come a larger fleet, more complex schedules, and higher expectations from our clients. This role exists to give the transport management team the dedicated, experienced support it needs to handle that scale with confidence.

Reporting to the Transport Manager, you will take ownership of day-to-day operations and lead the improvement and automation projects that prepare the business for its next phase of growth. You will work closely alongside the Transport Manager and the wider team, playing a central role in how we operate, improve, and expand.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Day-to-day management of a team of 40 professional drivers, providing clear direction, support, and performance oversight.
• Act as the first point of escalation for driver queries, operational issues, and on-road incidents.
• Foster a high-performance, safety-first team culture grounded in mutual respect and accountability.
• Conduct regular driver briefings, performance reviews, and one-to-one meetings.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new drivers as the team grows.

Health and Safety

• Champion and enforce health and safety standards across all transport operations.
• Ensure full compliance with all relevant transport legislation, including drivers' hours, tachograph regulations, and vehicle roadworthiness requirements.
• Conduct and review risk assessments, incident reports, and near-miss investigations.
• Maintain and update safety documentation, ensuring records are audit-ready at all times.
• Liaise with relevant regulatory bodies as required.

Daily Operations

• Oversee the planning and execution of a demanding daily schedule across a 40-truck, 160-trailer fleet, ensuring on-time, efficient delivery across a wide geographic network.
• Apply strong geographic knowledge to optimise routing, reduce mileage, and resolve logistics challenges in real time.
• Coordinate with clients, venues, and production teams to ensure seamless delivery of service.
• Monitor live operations and proactively manage disruptions, delays, or resource conflicts.
• Maintain accurate operational records and ensure data integrity across transport management systems.
• Provide cover for the Transport Manager during periods of leave or absence, maintaining continuity of service and compliance.
• Provide weekend and out-of-hours on-call cover as part of a shared rota, responding to urgent operational issues outside normal working hours.

Operational Improvement and Automation

• Lead and deliver operational improvement projects, identifying inefficiencies and implementing practical solutions.
• Document processes and build scalable standard operating procedures as the business grows.
• Define, track, and report on operational KPIs, using data to guide continuous improvement.
• Work with the Transport Manager to evaluate and implement transport management software and related technologies.
• Drive the adoption of automation tools and digital systems to streamline scheduling, reporting, and communication.

Growth and New Markets

• Support the business in preparing for significant volume growth, ensuring operational infrastructure, people, and processes scale accordingly.
• Contribute to the company's strategy for entering new markets, providing operational insight and feasibility input.
• Identify partnership, subcontractor, and capacity opportunities that support growth ambitions.
• Help build the operational systems, management capacity, and ways of working needed to support a larger, multi-site, and increasingly international operation.
• Support the preparation of quotes and tenders, and help build strong, lasting relationships with clients.
• Represent the company professionally with clients and external stakeholders.

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven experience in the transportation and haulage industry, with a solid understanding of how fleet and driver operations work at scale.
• Strong people management skills, with a track record of leading and developing operational teams.
• Thorough knowledge of UK transport legislation, including drivers' hours rules, the Working Time Directive, and roadworthiness obligations.
• Hands-on experience of operating under an Operator's Licence and maintaining its undertakings and compliance systems, ideally including a Standard International licence and cross-border European operations.
• Strong working knowledge of health and safety in a transport environment, with a track record of owning H&S standards, risk assessments, and incident investigations.
• Holds the CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) in Road Haulage, covering both national and international operations.
• Excellent geographic knowledge of the UK, with the ability to plan and optimise complex multi-point routing.
• Demonstrable experience leading or contributing to operational improvement projects.
• Proven project management experience, with the ability to plan, run, and deliver projects on time and to a defined scope alongside day-to-day operational responsibilities.
• Demonstrable experience using and implementing automation, digital tools, and transport technology to improve operational efficiency and reporting.
• Strong communication skills that are clear, direct, and credible with drivers, management, and clients alike.
• A collaborative team player who quickly builds trusted, productive working relationships across the operation and the management team.
• Calm, measured, and credible under pressure, with the judgement to make sound decisions in a fast-moving environment.
• Able to introduce new systems and ways of working in a considered way that brings colleagues with them.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, time-critical environment.
• Ability and willingness to provide professional references upon request.
• Willingness to work some weekends and provide out-of-hours on-call cover as part of a shared rota.
• Right to work in the UK, and willingness to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Desirable

• Holds a current HGV Class 1 (Category C+E) driving licence.
• Educated to degree level, or holding an equivalent professional qualification, ideally in logistics, supply chain, business, or a related discipline (not essential, but an advantage).
• Experience with transport management systems or fleet software.
• A formal health and safety qualification, such as IOSH Managing Safely or NEBOSH.
• A recognised project management qualification, such as PRINCE2, APM, or PMP.
• Exposure to operational budgeting, cost control, or tender preparation.
• Background in entertainment, events, or specialist haulage.
• Experience of working with companies in a period of significant growth or transformation.
• Familiarity with new market entry, tendering, or business development processes.

What We Offer

• A genuinely significant role within a growing, specialist transport business.
• The opportunity to shape how the company operates today and in the future.
• A collaborative, experienced management team and a strong, professional driver workforce.
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Career development opportunities as the business expands into new markets.

Equal Opportunities

Paul Mathew Transport Limited is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to treating all applicants and employees fairly, and to providing a workplace free from discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. All appointments are made on merit, based on the skills and experience each candidate brings to the role.

References

Two professional references will be required prior to any offer of employment being confirmed. At least one reference should be from a recent direct line manager or employer within the transport or haulage industry.

Right to Work and Background Checks

All successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their right to work in the UK and to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to any offer of employment being confirmed.