Distribution Supervisor - 6824 in Whittlesford

Job Title

Distribution Supervisor

Salary

£26,600 – £34,600

Location

Whittlesford, near Duxford, UK

Contract

Permanent & Secondment/Fixed Term Contract opportunities

Hours

Full Time – 35 hours per week

Are you ready to lead a team that keeps our global exam operations running smoothly? Every year, Cambridge University Press & Assessment supports millions of learners worldwide — and our Distribution teams at Group Print and Operations play a crucial role behind the scenes. Join us and help shape the quality, accuracy and care that define our global operations.

About the role

Have you ever wondered how an exam paper is created and processed? At Group Print and Operations, we securely print over half a billion A4 pages each year and deliver them to millions of learners across more than 170 countries. Once completed, centres return the papers to our distribution centre, where our scanning team digitises scripts so examiners can mark them electronically.

Find out more about our distribution centre and what we do by watching our short video here.

As a Distribution Supervisor, you will oversee the processing of assessment materials and guide a team responsible for delivering high‑quality, secure, and accurate operational work. You will lead daily activities, support continuous improvement, and help maintain the strong operational standards that ensure exam materials reach learners safely and on time.

Key responsibilities

• Supervising and supporting a team, including acting as deputy in your supervisor\’s absence
• Coordinating daily activities to ensure procedures and SLAs are met
• Maintaining secure handling of all physical and digital materials
• Monitoring productivity, analysing performance data and addressing issues promptly, escalating where necessary
• Leading one‑to‑one meetings, providing feedback, and identifying training needs
• Supporting the review, development and continuous improvement of departmental procedures
• Encouraging innovation, recognising team achievements and promoting best practice
• Building collaborative relationships across teams and escalating complex issues appropriately

This is a varied role, where you will complete tasks that could be desk-based or involve walking/standing for a long period of time.

We encourage development, and there will be many opportunities for progression and growth in your career here at our distribution centre.

This role will require shift work (including night shift) for peak parts of the year, depending on organisational need. The standard working hours are 8.30am – 4.15pm Monday – Friday (3pm finish on Friday\’s). Shift times are a rotation of early shift (6am – 1.30pm), late shift (1.45pm – 9.15pm) and night Shift 9:15pm – 06:30 am Monday – Friday (early finishes on both shifts on Friday\’s) and you will receive a shift premium of 20% (nights 30%).

About You

You will bring strong leadership skills, excellent communication and a calm, organised approach to a fast‑paced operational environment. You take pride in accuracy, problem‑solving and motivating others.

Essential skills & experience

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel)
• Strong attention to detail and time‑management skills
• Experience working with procedures and maintaining clear documentation
• Confident communicator with the ability to build strong working relationships
• Ability to lead, motivate and support a team
• Comfortable working under pressure and meeting SLAs

If you meet the above minimum requirements, we encourage you to apply. Your application will be even stronger if you can also demonstrate the following desirable criteria:

• Knowledge of a production or distribution environment
• Full understanding of SLAs and benchmarks

For a detailed job description, please refer to the link at the bottom of the advert on our careers site.

We are a Disability Confident (DC) employer that is committed to equality and inclusion ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. The DC scheme\’s Offer of an Interview commitment applies to applicants who opt in, and disclose a disability or a long‑term health condition, and best meet the minimum criteria for the role. In instances where interviewing all qualifying candidates is not practicable, we prioritise those who best meet the minimum criteria, as we would for applicants who do not have a disability or long‑term health condition.

Please note, Cambridge University Press & Assessment is unable to sponsor this role under the Skilled Worker Visa route as it does not meet the minimum skill requirements.

Rewards and benefits

We will support you to be at your best in work and to live well outside of it. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a world‑class, flexible rewards package, featuring family‑friendly and planet‑friendly benefits including:

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Group personal pension scheme
• Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary
• Green travel schemes

Ready to pursue your potential? Apply now.

We aim to support candidates by making our interview process clear and transparent. The closing date for all applications will be 8th February 2026. We will review applications on an ongoing basis, and shortlisted candidates can expect interviews to take place from week commencing 9th February and week commencing 16th February 2026.

If you are shortlisted and progressed through the stages, you can expect:

• A 45 minute in person interview at our offices in Whittlesford

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process due to a disability or a long‑term health condition, there will be an opportunity for you to inform us via the online application form. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Please note that successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory background checks including DBS due to working in a regulated industry.

We are committed to an equitable recruitment process. As such, applications must be submitted via our official online application procedure. Please refrain from sending your CV directly to our recruiters. If you experience technical difficulties or require additional support with submitting your online application, contact the Recruiter.

Why join us

Joining us is your opportunity to pursue potential. You will belong to a collaborative team that is exploring new and better ways to serve students, teachers and researchers across the globe – for the benefit of individuals, society and the world. Sharing our mission will inspire your own growth, development and progress, in an environment which embraces difference, change and aspiration.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to being a place where anyone can enjoy a successful career, where it is safe to speak up, and where we learn continuously to improve together. We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background.

We believe better outcomes come through diversity of thought, background and approach. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and communities, actively seeking to employ people from a wide range of different communities.