Night Shift Manager in Bicester

Who Are The Menu Partners and What Do We Do?

The Menu Partners (TMP) is a fast-paced, high-performing food production and distribution business supporting premium hospitality customers across the UK.

We take pride in delivering exceptional service, high-quality products, and reliable logistics solutions.

We are a forward-thinking food solutions business, built on a passion for quality, innovation, and exceptional service.

As one of the UK’s leading end-to-end food partners, we bring together expertise in sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, and menu development to help our customers thrive in an ever-changing market.

Within our wider group of businesses, we also operate Absolute Taste, a leading event catering company, Absolute Taste Inflight (our private jet catering division), along with farm shops, a pub, and more.

At The Menu Partners, we don’t just supply food, we create smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable ways of working.

Our mission is to empower chefs, operators, and brands with the products, insight, and support they need to deliver outstanding food experiences every day.

Our people are central to our success, and as we continue to grow, we are investing in building a strong, proactive operations function that supports our logistics and warehouse teams and ensures seamless service delivery to our customers.

As part of our continued growth, we are currently looking for a

Night Shift Manager to strengthen our team at our Bicester Site.

About The Role

As Night Shift Manager you will take ownership of the night shift transport operation, leading and managing the drivers and transport office staff on shift.

You will be the senior manager on site overnight, responsible for the safe, compliant and efficient running of all night routes, and for the day to day management and development of your team.

As a Night Shift Manager, your key responsibilities will be

• Lead, manage and develop the night shift team, including drivers and transport office staff, providing clear direction, coaching and day to day people management.
• Plan and allocate drivers to routes, ensuring adequate cover at all times and proactively arranging replacement drivers where sickness or absence affects the day's runs.
• Take ownership of the shift handover, ensuring it is completed accurately and in full, and that any outstanding issues are clearly communicated to the incoming manager.
• Oversee the recording and reporting of all vehicle defects and accidents, ensuring appropriate action is taken and escalated where necessary.
• Monitor driver hours, working time and vehicle compliance to ensure the operation is legally compliant at all times.
• Manage day to day performance and conduct within the team, including return to work interviews, and **escalate** disciplinary, grievance or investigation matters in line with company policy.
• Act as the first point of escalation for operational issues during the night shift, making timely decisions to keep the operation running and escalating to the Transport Manager where required.
• Maintain a strong focus on health and safety across the depot, ensuring safe working practices are followed and reporting incidents promptly.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with other departments and shifts to ensure a smooth handover and consistent service.
• Support the recruitment, induction and training of new drivers and transport staff as required.
• Monitor and control shift costs, including agency usage and overtime, keeping the Transport Manager informed of any variances.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, service and compliance across the night shift.

What we are looking for

• Proven experience managing or supervising a team, ideally within transport, logistics or a similar operational environment
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate, coach and hold people accountable
• Sound understanding of transport compliance, including driver hours, Working Time Directive and vehicle legislation
• Confident decision maker, able to work under pressure and use initiative when working unsupervised overnight
• Good communication skills, with the ability to liaise effectively across departments and shifts
• Analytical mind set, with an understanding of how costs and decisions impact the business
• Open minded and able to embrace and influence change
• Ethical and honest, with the discretion to handle sensitive people issues appropriately
• A “can do and will do” attitude

Why Join Us at The Menu Partners?

Join a fast-growing and innovative company that is redefining customer experiences in the culinary and event space.

We offer an empowering team culture, the opportunity to work on exciting, well-managed events, and a supportive, resilient team environment.

We are committed to supporting your career growth with thorough training and ongoing development.

You can also enjoy benefits such as

• 20 days holiday + Bank Holidays
• Company Pension Scheme
• Life assurance
• Lunch Provided on Fridays
• Discounted Products
• Canteen
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Company Events

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.

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