UK & EU Transport and Planning Manager in Aylesford

We are looking for a Transport and Planning Manager to oversee the daily operations of our picking and delivery teams. Working alongside the Fleet Supervisor, you will ensure compliance with heavy vehicle legislation while leading and supporting your team.

You will assist the Head of Operations with workload planning, team cover during absences, and performance appraisals, while ensuring a consistently high standard of customer experience and presentation.

Some of your key responsibilities:

• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the Picking and Delivery teams, ensuring efficient transport planning and execution.
• Lead, manage, and support the Transport and Planning teams, providing guidance, training, and development for junior team members.
• Plan and optimise transport routes and schedules to meet customer delivery requirements while controlling costs.
• Proactively communicate and mitigate potential freight or transport issues that may impact lead times or customer service.
• Work closely with the Head of Operations to balance workloads, manage team cover due to absence, and support appraisals and performance reviews.
• Ensure compliance with all transport legislation, health & safety requirements, and company policies.
• Maintain exceptional customer experience standards across all transport operations, including driver presentation and communication.
• Use MRP and transport systems to manage transport pricing, analyse performance data, and support forecasting and future planning.
• Monitor and control transport costs, identifying opportunities for efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with the wider Operations team to review and improve picking, checking, loading, and quality control procedures.
• Drive a culture of accuracy and accountability, striving for zero errors across all transport and warehouse operations.
• Undertake additional duties as required to support business objectives.

Requirements:

• Proven experience as a Transport or Planning Manager role across UK and EU operations.
• Experience managing transport operations, route planning and delivery scheduling.
• Good understanding of UK transport legislation, including driver hours, tachographs, and health & safety requirements.
• Experience ensuring compliance with fleet, vehicle, and driver standards.
• Knowledge of risk assessments, accident reporting, and continuous safety improvement.
• Excellent IT skills with competent use of Microsoft Office (mainly Outlook and Excel).
• Previous use of MRP/ERP software very useful.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment would be very beneficial but not essential.
• Confident people manager with experience in performance management, appraisals, and absence management.
• The ability to delegate work in order to respond to daily queries within the business.
• Proven Customer Service skills.
• Commercially minded – able to strike the right balance between necessity and cost to the company.
• Excellent at multi-tasking in a deadline driven environment.
• Organised, pro-active and forward-thinking.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

You embody our company people values:

• Teamwork - Collaborate effectively with humility, appreciating and integrating individual skills and perspectives to achieve collective goals.
• Committed - Dedicate yourself fully to your role, going above and beyond with self-motivation and loyalty to achieve individual, team, and company goals.
• Ownership - Take full responsibility for your work, performance, and conduct, acting with integrity, staying organised, and learning from feedback and mistakes.
• Positive - Approach tasks with optimism and innovation, viewing challenges as opportunities, and bringing energy and enthusiasm to inspire and motivate others.
• Responsive - React quickly and effectively to needs and feedback, prioritising tasks with urgency, embracing change, and maintaining a proactive approach.

Why work for us:

Pineapple is a leader in designing and manufacturing innovative furniture solutions for challenging environments. A family run company started in 1975, Pineapple is now a global business with headquarters in Kent (UK) and offices in France, Germany and the USA.

Pineapple still runs by its original ethos of creating mindfully designed furniture that not only works effortlessly and looks great but also helps foster a calm and supportive environment. Join Pineapple and be part of a team that is dedicated to making a difference through quality, innovation, sustainability and exceptional customer care.

Benefits:

• We were proudly featured in The Sunday Times as one of the Best Places to Work 2024 & 2025.
• Competitive pay.
• Pension scheme.
• A Healthcare Cash Plan – You can claim for medical expenses, dental or optical services, as well as access to 100s of deals and discounts.
• 23 days annual leave + UK bank holidays.