Role Overview
This is a senior leadership opportunity for a commercially focused and performance-driven professional to lead a high-volume warehouse and distribution operation across two sites.
The Operations Manager holds full accountability for operational performance, service delivery and compliance within a fast-paced, highly reactive environment. With circa 100+ customer deliveries per day dispatched via an in-house fleet (7.5 tonne vehicles and above), this role ensures seamless coordination across warehousing, processing and distribution functions. Leading 25 staff, including Warehouse and Logistics Managers, the successful candidate will drive measurable improvements in efficiency, productivity, cost control and customer satisfaction while maintaining the highest standards of safety and regulatory compliance.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and drive operational performance across all warehouse and distribution activities, ensuring structured and efficient processes for goods-in, stock control, order fulfilment, material processing, packing and dispatch.
- Take full ownership of daily operational KPIs, ensuring service levels, productivity targets and delivery performance are consistently achieved.
- Oversee in-house fleet operations (7.5 tonne vehicles and above), ensuring compliance, effective route planning and optimal vehicle utilisation.
- Utilise route planning software to maximise delivery efficiency and support cost-effective distribution.
- Work closely with the Sales Office to deliver practical and commercially viable solutions for urgent or additional customer requirements, balancing responsiveness with operational capability.
- Provide strong leadership across two South Lanarkshire sites, developing a high-performance culture and ensuring clear accountability throughout the team.
- Manage and develop a team of 25 staff, including direct oversight of Warehouse and Logistics Managers.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational workflow, reduce waste and improve overall efficiency and margin performance.
- Maintain rigorous stock control procedures, ensuring system accuracy and minimising discrepancies.
- Lead internal and external audits, ensuring ISO standards are maintained and full regulatory compliance is achieved.
- Champion a robust Health & Safety culture, ensuring adherence to legislation and best practice across both sites.
- Report on operational performance to senior leadership, providing insight, analysis and strategic recommendations.
Skills & Experience
- Proven experience in a senior operations or logistics management role within a warehouse and distribution environment.
- Strong logistics and fleet management experience, ideally overseeing vehicles 7.5 tonne and above.
- Experience managing high-volume, reactive operations with tight turnaround times.
- Demonstrable leadership experience across multi-site operations and teams of 20+ staff.
- Strong commercial awareness with experience managing KPIs, budgets and cost control initiatives.
- Solid understanding of stock management systems and route planning software.
- Experience leading ISO and compliance audits (internal and external).
- Excellent problem-solving ability with a decisive, solutions-oriented mindset.
- Health & Safety qualification preferred but not essential.
- Transport Manager CPC (Operator’s Licence) preferred but not essential.
Offering
- Full-time, permanent position based in South Lanarkshire.
- Working hours: Monday to Friday, 7:00am – 4:00pm.
- Salary £45,000 – £55,000 DOE.
- 25 days annual leave plus 8 statutory holidays.
- Pension scheme.
- Annual profit share bonus scheme.
- Internal company reward schemes.
