At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to ensure top-notch maintenance and operations at Sainsbury’s distribution centre.
- Company: Join Vanderlande, the global leader in automation systems for airports and logistics.
- Benefits: Enjoy 28 days leave, medical cover, career development, and a cycle-to-work scheme.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with global opportunities for growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced retail environment while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in automated systems and strong leadership skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 £ per year.
Location: Sainsbury’s Distribution Centre - Daventry
Introduction to Role
Vanderlande is the global market leader in automation systems and solutions across Airports, Warehousing, and Parcel sectors. Within the Sainsbury’s contract, we support a highly automated distribution centre that operates 24/7. The site utilises advanced automated materials handling systems to ensure accurate, high-volume order fulfilment. The on-site Vanderlande team provides critical operational and maintenance support to ensure maximum system availability and consistent delivery of store orders to Sainsbury’s demanding service levels.
Role Responsibilities
- Service Contract Delivery: Lead the execution of the Sainsbury’s O&M contract, ensuring high system availability and adherence to strict grocery distribution SLAs and KPIs.
- Customer Partnership: Act as the primary senior interface with Sainsbury’s operational and engineering teams, building a proactive and influential relationship with a highly performance-driven retail customer.
- Operational Leadership: Manage and develop a site-based engineering and support organisation, covering maintenance, control room, and operational support, ensuring 24/7 resilience.
- Performance & SLA Management: Own and report on key service metrics including throughput, availability, response times, and order fulfilment accuracy via structured dashboards (internal and external).
- Incident & Escalation Management: Lead the response to critical system incidents, ensuring rapid recovery, effective communication, and minimal disruption to store deliveries—especially during peak and seasonal trading.
- Continuous Improvement: Drive improvements in maintenance strategies (preventative, predictive), system reliability, and operational efficiency aligned to Sainsbury’s continuous improvement culture.
- Opportunity Development: Identify and support opportunities for contract growth, system enhancements, or lifecycle upgrades within the Sainsbury’s operation.
- People Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop the site team, including mentoring, developing competencies, and fostering a high-performance culture.
- Health & Safety: Ensure full compliance with UK HSE legislation and both Vanderlande and Sainsbury’s safety standards, promoting a zero-harm culture.
- Stakeholder Communication: Maintain regular communication with Vanderlande UK leadership, the Netherlands head office, and global O&M network, sharing best practices and insights.
- Strategic Contribution: Contribute to Vanderlande’s global service strategy while tailoring delivery to the specific demands of the Sainsbury’s supply chain.
Qualifications and Skills
- Proven experience in service and maintenance of highly automated distribution or logistics systems, ideally within grocery, FMCG, or retail supply chains.
- Strong leadership capability with experience managing large, multi-disciplinary teams in a 24/7 operational environment.
- Demonstrable success in managing high-profile customer relationships, particularly within retail or logistics sectors.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to lead complex system issue resolution under pressure.
- Sound understanding of Health & Safety legislation and best practice in operational environments.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Advanced MS Office skills, particularly Excel for reporting and performance analysis.
- Flexibility to support wider UK or European operations if required.
- A proactive, resilient, and customer-focused leadership style suited to a fast-paced retail environment.
What We Offer
- 28 days annual leave (excluding public holidays)
- Aviva Medical Cover & Pension Scheme
- YuLife wellbeing membership (including GP access, mental health support and rewards)
- Achievers – Internal recognition scheme
- Career development opportunities within a global organisation
- Cycle to Work scheme
Diversity & Inclusion
Vanderlande is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive environment. If you require any adjustments to support your application, we are happy to discuss these.
Maintenance Manager in Daventry employer: Vanderlande Industries B.V.
Vanderlande is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment at the Sainsbury’s Distribution Centre in Daventry, where you can lead a dedicated team in maintaining cutting-edge automated systems. With a strong focus on employee growth, we provide comprehensive benefits including medical cover, a pension scheme, and career development opportunities within a global organisation. Our inclusive culture fosters personal and professional development, ensuring that every team member can aspire to new heights while contributing to our mission of delivering excellence in logistics automation.
Contact Details:
Vanderlande Industries B.V. Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Maintenance Manager in Daventry
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We think you need these skills to ace Maintenance Manager in Daventry
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Skills:When applying for an automation-control-systems role, it’s crucial to highlight your technical skills. Whether it's your proficiency in programming languages like Python or understanding control systems, make sure your CV showcases these prominently. Don't forget to mention any specific software or tools you're experienced with – that’s music to the ears of hiring managers!
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Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine, so tell us why you’re passionate about automation-control-systems! Discuss specific experiences that sparked your interest in this field. Maybe it's a university project or a previous job that truly got you hooked. We love seeing that spark! Make sure to reference how you can contribute to Vanderlande Industries B.V. and its goals.
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How to prepare for a job interview at Vanderlande Industries B.V.
✨Master Your Technical Knowledge
In the automation control systems field, you need to brush up on your technical know-how. Be prepared to talk about specific control systems you’ve worked with, such as PLCs or SCADA systems, and expect technical questions or even hands-on problem-solving scenarios during the interview.
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Whether it's freelance projects or your academic work, come ready to showcase your portfolio of automation projects. Bring along any diagrams, code samples, or automation solutions you’ve implemented—these can really set you apart and demonstrate your applied skills to Vanderlande Industries B.V..
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Stay updated on the latest trends in automation technologies and methodologies, like Industry 4.0 or IIoT. We'll want to discuss how these concepts may affect the role and future projects at Vanderlande Industries B.V., so showing that you're knowledgeable about current and emerging technologies can give you an edge.
✨Commit to Continuous Learning
As this is a full-time role, it's essential to express your eagerness for continuous improvement and learning. Share how you plan to enhance your skills and keep pace with the evolution of automation in the workforce – companies love candidates who are committed to growth and adaptability.
