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DEPOT MANAGER
Depot Manager
Location: Bristol Type: Permanent, Full-time Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm
Role Overview
The Depot Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, safety, and operational effectiveness of the depot. The role carries full accountability for ensuring the depot operates efficiently, safely, and commercially, whilst delivering exceptional service to both internal and external customers.
As the leader of the depot, the Depot Manager is responsible for:
- Driving operational standards
- Ensuring fleet availability
- Boosting customer satisfaction
- Enhancing employee engagement
- Maximising financial performance
This includes:
- Managing all depot personnel
- Maintaining a hire-ready fleet
- Ensuring compliance with company policies and legislation
- Continuously improving depot performance
The Depot Manager is expected to lead by example, creating a positive culture of accountability, professionalism, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Reporting to: Operations Director
Key Internal Relationships
- Operations Team
- Customer Operations Desk
- Technical Department
- Fleet & Transport
- HR
- SHEQ
- IT
- Finance
Key Responsibilities
People Management
- Lead, motivate, and develop all depot employees to create a high-performing and engaged team.
- Set clear expectations and hold team members accountable for:
- Performance
- Behaviours
- Standards
- Conduct regular:
- One-to-one meetings
- Performance reviews
- Probation reviews
- Return-to-work interviews
- Manage recruitment, onboarding, training, succession planning, and employee development.
- Address performance concerns promptly via:
- Coaching
- Development plans
- Formal processes, if required
- Conduct investigations, disciplinary hearings, and grievance meetings in line with company procedures.
- Ensure all employees receive appropriate training and competency assessments for their roles.
- Promote a culture of:
- Teamwork
- Accountability
- Customer focus
Operational Management
- Maintain full responsibility for day-to-day depot operations.
- Ensure all units are:
- Hire-ready
- Actively progressing through repair
- Drive fleet availability while minimising units in repair through:
- Effective planning
- Resource management
- Monitor depot KPIs and implement performance improvements as needed.
- Ensure all jobs are completed:
- Accurately
- On time
- In Syrinx and associated systems
- Oversee:
- Pre-delivery inspections
- Stress tests
- Off-hire inspections
- Refurbishment sign-offs
- Quality control processes
- Auditing ensures depot processes and procedures are consistently followed.
- Manage depot resources to maximise productivity and minimise downtime.
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Fleet & Asset Management
- Maintain an accurate oversight of all fleet assets at the depot.
- Ensure all units comply with company standards and are presented in a hire-ready condition (clean and professional).
- Monitor fleet utilisation to improve availability.
- Conduct regular:
- Fleet audits
- Stock checks
- Ensure all defects are:
- Reported
- Prioritised
- Rectified promptly
- Manage:
- Depot stock levels
- Spare parts
- Consumables
- Equipment
- Collaborate with Technical and Operations teams to reduce fleet downtime.
Health, Safety, and Compliance
- Assume overall responsibility for Health & Safety within the depot.
- Ensure compliance with:
- Company policies
- Procedures
- Legislative requirements
- Conduct:
- Depot inspections
- Regular safety audits
- Lead:
- Accident investigations
- Incident investigations
- Near-miss investigations
- Guarantee corrective actions are completed within agreed timelines.
- Facilitate:
- Toolbox talks
- Safety briefings
- Monitor contractor activities onsite.
- Ensure inspections and maintenance of:
- Equipment
- Vehicles
- Lifting equipment
- Safety systems
- Champion a positive safety culture and lead by example.
- Monitor driving hours to ensure compliance with:
- Working Time Directive (WTD)
- Perform regular tachograph checks.
- Manage:
- Accident reporting
- Investigations
- Safety observations
Customer Service & Stakeholder Management
- Deliver exceptional service to all customers.
- Act as the escalation point for depot-related customer issues.
- Work collaboratively with:
- Customer Operations
- Technical
- And other support functions to resolve issues quickly and efficiently.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders.
- Ensure customer complaints are investigated and resolved thoroughly and professionally.
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Requirements
Essential
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in:
- A depot role
- Operations
- Transport
- Fleet management
- Service management
- Proven experience in:
- Leadership
- People management
- Strong abilities in:
- Planning
- Organisation
- Problem-solving
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience in managing operational KPIs.
- Proficient in:
- Microsoft Office
- Operational management systems
- Ability to:
- Work under pressure
- Manage competing priorities
Desirable
- Holding a management qualification.
- IOSH Managing Safely certification or equivalent.
- Transport, fleet, or hire industry experience.
- Experience managing:
- Change
- Continuous improvement initiatives
Additional Responsibilities
- Serve as keyholder and custodian of all depot assets.
- Maintain depot security standards.
- Participate in:
- Operational meetings
- Projects
- Business improvement initiatives
- Undertake any additional duties reasonably required by the business.
Benefits
- 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays per year
- Birthday off
- Life Insurance (2.5 times annual salary)
- Company Referral Scheme (up to £1000 awarded)
- Company Cycle to Work Scheme (business buys bike, employees repay via salary deductions – saving on NI)
- Long Service Awards (gifts, hampers, vouchers for long serving employees)
- Enhanced Company Pension Scheme (up to 5%, with salary sacrifice options available)
- Medicash Healthcare Cash Plan (including virtual GP access and discounts at selected retailers and gyms)
- Culture of Learning and Development (access to professional qualifications and apprenticeships)
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Skills
Leadership
People Management
Planning
Organizational Skills
Problem-Solving
Communication
Stakeholder Management
Operational KPIs
Health And Safety Compliance
Fleet Management
Customer Service
Teamwork
Continuous Improvement
Training And Development
Performance Management
Resource Management
Location