Transport Operations Manager

We are seeking a highly experienced and skilled Transport Operations Manager to join our team at Primark. As a key member of our logistics team, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operational management and coordination of all European store deliveries across 14 countries from 6 Distribution Centres.

1. Operational Management: Provide day-to-day operational management and coordination of all European store deliveries, ensuring timely and cost-effective transportation of goods.
2. Team Leadership: Lead, manage, and mentor team members to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their duties effectively.
3. Safety and Compliance: Ensure that all transportation operations are conducted in a safe and compliant manner, adhering to all relevant regulations and standards.
4. Transport Planning: Analyze weekly and daily volumes to ensure the most cost-effective transport solution is executed, taking into account factors such as fuel efficiency, route optimization, and load balancing.
5. Operational Planning: Interpret, model, and review operational plans and outputs to ensure they align with business objectives and are optimized for efficiency and effectiveness.
6. Haulier Management: Ensure that all hauliers are compliant with Health and Safety, legal, process, and service level requirements, through regular audits and reporting.
7. Transport Optimization: Identify opportunities to use alternative modes of transport, such as rail or sea, to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
8. Reverse Logistics: Manage the reverse logistics process, including the collection and processing of returned goods.
9. Reporting and Analysis: Provide weekly and periodical reporting of key performance indicators (KPIs), such as cost, compliance, load fill, empty running, round trip/single trip, kilometers, and PvA.
10. Haulier Purchase Orders: Reconcile and authorize haulier purchase orders to ensure accurate and timely submissions.
11. Quarterly Reviews: Conduct quarterly reviews with hauliers to ensure they are meeting their contractual obligations and to identify areas for improvement.
12. Data Analysis: Collate and provide accurate and meaningful data to support business reviews, forecasts, and budgets.
13. Process Improvement: Review processes within all European regions' transport operations to ensure lean ways of working and identify opportunities for improvement.
14. Compliance and Standards: Ensure compliance to Standard Operating Procedures, taking into account regional variances and regulations.
15. Best Practices: Develop best-in-class standards to support the development of transport operations.
16. Market Development: Develop the most cost-effective delivery method to new markets based on service requirements.
17. Backhaul and Supplier Collections: Identify opportunities to improve backhaul and supplier collections, ensuring they align with operational strategy.
18. Network Development: Support network developments, ensuring operational complexities are considered.
19. Change Management: Deliver change initiatives and projects to manage potential operational change and improvement.
20. Collaboration: Work in unison with other colleagues and departments to optimize network operations.
21. Budget Management: Manage a budget of €60m.

1. Transport Operations Experience: A track record and knowledge of domestic and European transport operations, with a minimum of 3-5 years' experience in a relevant field.
2. Transport Planning and Scheduling: Proficient in transport planning and scheduling systems.
3. Change Management and Continuous Improvement: Experience of change management and continuous improvement methodology.
4. Transport Qualification: A national or European recognized transport qualification.
5. EU Transport Legislation: Good knowledge of current EU transport legislation.
6. Depot and Network Operations: Experience of depot and network operations.
7. Health and Safety: Knowledge of Health & Safety requirements.
8. IT Skills: Advanced IT skills, including MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
9. Attention to Detail: Attention to detail and accuracy.
10. Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
11. Languages: Languages to include English.
12. Interpersonal Skills: Interpersonal skills, including discretion, trustworthiness, and the ability to build and maintain strong relationships internally and externally.
13. Flexibility: A flexible approach to work and the ability to manage priorities.
14. Retail or Fast-Paced Environments: Experience in retail or other fast-paced environments desirable.
15. Problem-Solving and Influencing Skills: Excellent all-round problem-solving and influencing skills.
16. Initiative: Ability to work on own initiative.
17. Commercial Focus: Commercially focused, considering end-to-end costs.
18. European Travel: European travel required.

1. Customer Focus: Develops and implements strategies and processes to improve customer service across the business.
2. Team Work: Promotes decisions that benefit Primark, even if they are unpopular or controversial, and probes others' decision-making to ensure the interests of Primark are always protected.
3. Communication and Influence: Provides a professional and credible view when representing the team and department, builds and maintains effective communication channels internally and externally, and considers the impact of communication.
4. Quality Focus: Is highly focused on the delivery of quality outputs, consistently demonstrating and role-modeling a concern for quality, and establishing, communicating, and monitoring quality standards.
5. Commercial Acumen: Systematically examines the market to identify trends and the potential impact on Primark, builds up a network of key external information sources, and regularly gathers internal and external information to enable business decisions.
6. Analytical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: Uses a range of analytical techniques to break apart complex problems and identify solutions, and cuts through complexity to create simple frameworks, models, and strategies.
7. Planning and Organisation: Balances time between day-to-day tasks and longer-term strategic priorities, keeps all priorities in clear perspective, and ensures resources are aligned to meet delivery requirements.
8. Focus and Drive: Creates a goal-focused culture, encourages innovative thinking, and consistently looks for ways of doing things more efficiently.
9. Leadership and Motivation: Establishes, presents, and communicates a clear strategic direction, generates excitement and enthusiasm, and encourages managers to think about resources as a means to create value.
10. Developing Self and Others: Establishes long-term skills needs, identifies ways of fulfilling staff development needs, and builds a high-performance learning culture.