National General Manager -Transport

Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Booker Group

What’s in it for you

At Booker, along with being a great place to work and giving you an opportunity to get on in your career, we also offer the following fantastic package of benefits:

• A Booker colleague card with 10% off purchases at Booker and double discount events up to three times a year.
• After 3 months service, a Tesco colleague discount card with 10% increasing to 15% off most purchases at Tesco for a 4 day period after every four-weekly pay day, ie. thirteen times a year. In addition to 10% off at Tesco Cafe and 20% off all F&F purchases.
• 10% off pay monthly & SIM only deals with Tesco Mobile for yourself, along with further great deals through-out the year.
• Up to 30% off car, pet and home insurance at Tesco bank. Terms and conditions apply.
• Free eye test when you spend £50 or more. You can also save 30% when you spend £50 or more on glasses, prescription sunglasses and contact lenses.
• 50% off health checks at Tesco Pharmacy.
• Exclusive access to discounted RAC breakdown cover rates
• An exclusive deals and discounts website saving you money on everyday purchases including a cycle to work scheme.
• After 3 months service, you can join our annual Save As You Earn share scheme which allows you to buy Tesco shares in the future at a discount.
• Retirement savings plan (pension) – save up to 5% and Booker will match your contribution.
• Life Assurance – You are covered for death in service life cover of up to three times annual pay
• Health and Wellbeing support and resources including our 24/7, confidential Employee Assistance Programme and Virtual GP for you and your family.
• A great holiday package

About the role

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced General Manager – Transport, to lead and optimise transport operations. The National GM – Transport, will be responsible for leading and shaping the strategic direction of transport operations across the UK. This role is pivotal in ensuring the safe, compliant, efficient and cost-effective movement of goods, while delivering exceptional service standards and driving continuous improvement across the transport network.

You will be responsible for

Key Responsibilities

• Ensuring full compliance with UK transport legislation, health & safety standards, and environmental regulations across all transport functions
• Overseeing service performance & operational/cost efficiencies of national Transport operations across all divisions – Distribution Wholesale & Retail and Branch Delivery, including Primary Distribution Network and third-party Logistics partnerships.
• Developing and execute the Fleet Decarbonisation Transport strategy aligned with business objectives and customer expectations.
• Leading transformation initiatives to drive innovation, continuously improve the transport operation, including championing initiatives to support long-term growth and operational resilience, e.g. improve driver safety, fleet sustainability, and reporting
• Ensuring robust contingency planning and risk management across the transport network.
• Identifying KPI’s and deliver cost-saving opportunities across all divisions, driving budget cost control, capacity planning. forecasting, and financial performance, through route optimisation, supplier negotiations, and process improvements.
• Building strong relationships with internal departments (e.g., warehousing, commercial, customer service) and external partners (e.g., carriers, regulatory bodies).

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing group of direct reports & ensure strong relationships with stakeholders across the business both internally and externally
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Lead incident investigations and implement corrective actions.
• Represent the transport function in cross-functional projects and strategic initiatives.
• Liaise and coordinate with Compliance and fleet team to maximise assets and vehicle utilisation across divisions

You will need

Essential Skills & Experience Required:

• Must hold a CPC National (Certificate of Professional Competence) in Transport Management.
  • Extensive experience in senior transport or logistics leadership roles, ideally within a national or multi-site environment.
  • Proven track record of strategic planning, operational delivery, and team leadership.
  • Strong commercial acumen and experience managing large budgets and supplier contracts.
  • Deep understanding of UK transport regulations, fleet management, and logistics technologies.
  • Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Demonstrated leadership in managing large teams and complex operations.
  • Ability to lead change and drive innovation in a complex, fast-paced environment.

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Experience with transport management systems (e.g., Paragon, SAP TM, Microlise), telematics, and data-driven decision-making.

• Project management experience

About The Company

Booker is the UK’s leading food & drink wholesaler. We are privileged to serve independent retailers, caterers and small businesses, from locations across the country. We operate over 190 cash and carry branches, eight distribution centres, five Best Food Logistics sites, as well as six support centre locations across the UK.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) at Booker means that whoever you are and whatever your background, we always want you to feel represented and that you can be yourself at work. In short, we’re a place where Everyone’s Welcome.

We know life looks a little different for each of us. That’s why at Booker and Best, we always welcome conversations about flexible working. Some people are at the start of their careers, some want the freedom to do the things they love. Others are going through life-changing moments like becoming a carer, nearing retirement, adapting to parenthood, or something else. So, talk to us throughout your application about how we may be able to support you.

We’re proud that Booker is a Disability Co