Working Hours: Monday -Friday, 8am-5pm (flexibility required during peak periods or operational issues)
We are working with a fast growing food business based in Sittingbourne, Kent. The company supplies a wide range of food and drink products to customers across the foodservice sector, including restaurants, bakeries and hospitality groups.
Over the last few years the business has experienced significant growth, expanding from around 45 to around 95 employees. They continue to invest heavily in their people, their site and the way the operation runs.
The facility includes large scale ambient, chilled and frozen storage, supported by a fleet of around 30 vehicles delivering to customers across the region. As the business continues to grow, they are now looking for an Operations Manager to bring structure, leadership and ownership across the day operation, with a particular focus on transport and distribution.
What You’ll Be Doing
You will take ownership of the day operation across both warehouse and transport, ensuring the business runs smoothly while maintaining strong service levels for customers.
This role sits above the Warehouse Manager (Nights), who will report into you, creating clear leadership across the full operation. You will manage day to night handovers and ensure the night team has the right plan, priorities and support.
The warehouse side of the day operation typically focuses on goods in, replenishment and stock management, while the transport function is fast paced and requires close oversight of multi drop deliveries, route planning and driver performance.
Key responsibilities include
* Managing the day to day warehouse and transport operation
* Leading the wider operational team including warehouse staff, transport supervisors and drivers
* Overseeing route planning, vehicle performance and daily delivery execution
* Acting as the escalation point for operational issues such as delays, driver queries or service risks
* Ensuring strong communication between warehouse, transport, sales and procurement teams
* Managing clear handovers between day and night operations
* Supporting improvements across processes, efficiency and operational standards
* Maintaining oversight of wider site operational requirements and contractor support
What’s In It for You
* Salary between £50,000 and £60,000 depending on experience
* Monday to Friday day shift pattern
* Senior leadership role with real ownership of the operation
* Opportunity to influence both warehouse and transport performance
* Join a growing business investing in its people and infrastructure
* Clear opportunity to develop as the company continues to expand
Your Background
We are looking for a confident operational leader who enjoys ownership and is comfortable managing a busy and fast moving operation.
You will likely already have experience managing distribution or logistics operations within food, FMCG or similar fast paced environments.
Experience we are looking for:
* Background within food, drink, FMCG or wholesale distribution environments
* Strong experience managing multi drop transport and distribution operations
* Leadership experience across warehouse, transport or wider operational teams
* Strong decision making, organisation and problem solving skills
* Ability to work closely with sales and other departments to support customer delivery
Experience with routing systems, vehicle tracking tools or operational improvement projects would also be beneficial.
Join a Business That Invests in You
This is a genuine leadership opportunity within a growing operation where you will have the autonomy to shape how the day operation runs. As the business continues to expand, there will be opportunities to grow and progress within the wider organisation.