Hatchery Transport Manager

Who are we, and what do we do?

You may not have heard of us, but there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed our products. Avara Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, supplying chicken and turkey to the country’s major supermarkets and well-known restaurants.

We own and manage our entire supply chain, from farms to factory and all the way to the customer door – meaning we have careers that cover a whole range of functions. We have major processing sites across England and Wales, and an agricultural network of over 350 farms, spanning from North Yorkshire to the South Coast and Wales.

About The Role

The Hatchery Transport Manager is responsible for leading and managing all transport operations, ensuring the safe, efficient, compliant, and cost-effective movement of day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and other operational requirements. The role is accountable for fleet performance, driver management, route optimisation, legal compliance, biosecurity standards, and service delivery to both internal and external customers.

The Hatchery Transport Manager will review processes and best practice across the 5 Avara hatcheries and lead standardisation of transport practice across all UK hatcheries.

As a Hatchery Transport Manager you’ll be working Monday to Friday 07:30 - 16:00 with the flexibility to travel across sites and out of hour response to Operational issues or emergencies.

What will your key responsibilities as Hatchery Transport Manager include?

• Ensure all transport operations are conducted safely and in accordance with relevant legislation.
• Investigate accidents, incidents, and near misses, implementing corrective actions where required.
• Promote driver wellbeing and safe driving practices.
• Support company sustainability and environmental initiatives.
• Review best practice and support the implementation across the hatcheries.
• Oversee daily transport activities across the hatchery.
• Develop and implement transport schedules to ensure timely delivery and collection of chicks, eggs, and hatchery supplies.
• Ensure transport resources are aligned with operational and customer requirements.
• Monitor vehicle utilisation and optimise route planning to maximise efficiency and reduce costs.
• Manage transport disruptions and implement contingency plans to minimise operational impact.
• Maintain a safe, reliable, and roadworthy fleet.
• Schedule preventative maintenance, servicing, and repairs.
• Monitor fleet performance, fuel consumption, vehicle downtime, and operating costs.
• Support fleet replacement and capital investment planning.
• Work closely with external service providers and maintenance contractors.
• Ensure full compliance with transport legislation, which include:
  • Operator licence obligations.
  • Tachograph/driver hours compliance.
  • Working Time Directive/road transport working time rules.
  • Vehicle defect reporting.
  • Maintenance records.
  • Driver licence checks.
• Animal welfare during transport.
• Maintain compliance with company policies and industry standards.
• Strict adherence to biosecurity protocols across all hatchery transport activities.
• Conduct regular audits and inspections of vehicles, equipment, and operational practice in line with the agreed Avara audit schedule.