Transport Operations Manager

Right Now Recruitment; Poyle; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Right Now Group is seeking an experienced Transport Operations Manager to lead a busy transport operations department in a 24/7 logistics environment. You will manage live planning, vehicle allocation, and daily execution of ad-hoc transport requirements.

The role focuses on people, processes, and delivering on-time collections and deliveries, with growth opportunity within a dynamic freight operation. Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:30; salary £50,000–£60,000 depending on experience.

Qualifications

• Experience in busy transport/haulier/freight or logistics operation.
• Experience supervising an operational transport team.
• Strong knowledge of transport planning, scheduling and vehicle allocation.

Responsibilities

• Take overall day-to-day responsibility for a busy transport operations department.
• Lead, manage, motivate and support the operational team.
• Oversee a high volume of ad-hoc transport requests and A-to-B collections and deliveries.
• Manage the live planning and scheduling of the department's allocated vehicles.
• Ensure available vehicles and drivers are allocated effectively against customer requirements.
• Continually monitor the live operation and re-prioritise workloads as circumstances change.
• React quickly to last-minute bookings, cancellations, delays, breakdowns and changing customer requirements.
• Work closely with the Resource Planning team, who manage planned driver resource and agency requirements.
• Ensure collections and deliveries are planned efficiently and completed within agreed timescales.
• Maximise the utilisation of vehicles allocated to the department.
• Identify potential operational problems early and put solutions in place.
• Take ownership of operational issues and escalations, making confident decisions under pressure.
• Maintain clear communication between operational staff, drivers and other departments.
• Work closely with Customer Service and Pricing regarding changing customer requirements and operational issues.
• Liaise with the Fleet/Workshop team regarding vehicle availability, breakdowns and maintenance requirements.

Skills

Transport planning

People management

Scheduling

Job description

Right Now Group are currently recruiting for an experienced Transport Operations Manager to join a well-established 24/7 transport and logistics business operating within the freight and logistics sector.

This is a key operational leadership position, taking responsibility for a busy department handling ad-hoc transport requirements, A-to-B collections and deliveries, vehicle allocation, live planning and scheduling.

This is an operational management position rather than an O-Licence or Transport Compliance Manager role. The focus is firmly on managing people, vehicles, workload and the successful delivery of the day-to-day transport operation.

Responsibilities of the Transport Operations Manager

• Take overall day-to-day responsibility for a busy transport operations department
• Lead, manage, motivate and support the operational team
• Oversee a high volume of ad-hoc transport requests and A-to-B collections and deliveries
• Manage the live planning and scheduling of the department's allocated vehicles
• Ensure available vehicles and drivers are allocated effectively against customer requirements
• Continually monitor the live operation and re prioritise workloads as circumstances change
• React quickly to last-minute bookings, cancellations, delays, breakdowns and changing customer requirements
• Work closely with the Resource Planning team, who manage planned driver resource and agency requirements
• Ensure collections and deliveries are planned efficiently and completed within agreed timescales
• Maximise the utilisation of vehicles allocated to the department
• Identify potential operational problems early and put solutions in place
• Take ownership of operational issues and escalations, making confident decisions under pressure
• Maintain clear communication between operational staff, drivers and other departments
• Work closely with Customer Service and Pricing regarding changing customer requirements and operational issues
• Liaise with the Fleet/Workshop team regarding vehicle availability, breakdowns and maintenance requirements

The successful Transport Operations Manager will ideally have

• Previous experience within a busy transport, haulage, freight or logistics operation
• Previous experience managing or supervising an operational transport team
• Strong knowledge of transport planning, scheduling and vehicle allocation

The Transport Operations Manager will specifically take ownership of the department responsible for the wider ad-hoc transport operation, managing its allocated vehicles and ensuring day-to-day collection and delivery requirements are successfully planned and executed.

Hours: Monday - Friday - 09:00 - 17:30

Salary: £50,000 - £60,000 depending on experience

We're looking for somebody who can bring structure and leadership to a constantly moving operation, manage multiple priorities at once and, most importantly, take ownership and find solutions when the original plan changes.