National General Manager -Transport in Hatfield

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.

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 executing 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 delivering 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).

Leadership and Culture

• 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.

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.

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 and 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 Confident Committed employer and we’re committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. For further information on the accessibility support you can expect, please contact recruitment@bookergroup.com.

Please note: We can only accept candidates over the age of 18 if the role requires working before 6:15 am or after 9:45 pm or involves working in areas such as the warehouse, beers, wines & spirits and driving roles. On the occasions when we have high volumes of applicants, some roles may close earlier than the advertised end date in order for us to manage all of the applicants appropriately. We will only be able to offer individual feedback to those candidates who attend an interview.