Head of Group Transport

Make your mark by leading the transport function of a £240m company with 6 sites, 58 vehicles and a desire to be the best. Flexible location - choose which of our regional offices to base yourself in (Basildon, Bristol, Daventry, Leeds, Lewes, Edinburgh or Paisley).

The HMS Group

HMS is a privately owned group of food distribution and processing companies with a turnover of £240m. The group began with one company in 2003 (Kent Foods, itself founded in 1992) and following a series of acquisitions is now home to ten brands. These businesses operate autonomously, but the group is moving towards a shared services model in order to provide synergies, ensure best practice and allow brands to focus on ‘front line’ activities. One such area of shared services will be transport, an activity which is currently managed independently by each brand.

The role

Regular travel to our Head Office in Paisley, Scotland will be required but the successful candidate can choose which of our regional offices to base themselves in – Basildon, Bristol, Daventry, Leeds, Lewes, Newbridge (Edinburgh) or Paisley.

Reporting into the Group Operations Director, the Head of Group Transport will:

• Establish the transport needs of each brand and agree key performance metrics with the Managing Directors of those brands
• Adapt current transport practices to best meet these needs, including the right balance between using our in-house fleet and third-party providers (hauliers and couriers)
• Shape, expand and lead a team (12 strong at present) to manage all areas of transport management including vehicle purchasing & maintenance, driver recruitment & management, vehicle routing and partner management
• Negotiate supply agreements with third-party hauliers, maintenance and fuel providers
• Plan for the Group’s future transport needs ensuring that capacity is available when needed and that we proactively adapt to key transport trends
• Ensure that the Group is compliant with all legal requirements associated with transport

In doing so, the Head of Group Transport will implement best-practice into HMS’s transport operations, making appropriate use of technology where it adds value.

At your disposal will be a fleet of 58 vehicles (16 artic curtain siders, 15 rigid curtain siders, 12 bulk tankers, 11 multi-temp rigids and 4 multi-temp vans) operating out of six UK depots and travelling nationwide. You will also be responsible for managing European transport out of our Rotterdam depot using third-party hauliers.

Your profile

The ideal candidate for this role is likely to have a number of the following attributes:

• Be highly customer focused
• Be experienced in managing multiple internal stakeholders (including senior management) with varied needs in a shared services environment
• Be experienced in taking best-practice into established transport operations
• Be experienced in all aspects of transport management across varied fleet types
• Be experienced in transport operations involving food products
• Be experienced leading a team tasked with delivering all aspects of transport