Overview of role

📍 Location: Gateshead
💰 Salary: £46,355 per year
🕒 Shift Pattern: 4 on, 4 off – Nights | 42 hours per week | 16:30–04:30
📄 Contract: Permanent

Lead a team that keeps our operation moving

At Hovis Bakeries, home to some of the UK’s best-loved bread brands, our logistics teams play a vital role in getting our products to customers safely, efficiently and on time.

We’re looking for a Depot Front Line Manager to join our Gateshead team and lead our night operation across both despatch and transport.

This is a hands-on operational leadership role where you’ll lead a team of around 28 colleagues, including:

• 14 Despatch Operatives
• 14 Class 1 and Class 2 Delivery Drivers

You’ll be visible on the floor, supporting your team, solving problems and making sure the operation runs smoothly throughout the night. Just as importantly, you’ll create an environment where people feel supported, know what’s expected of them and can perform at their best.

What you’ll be doing

🚚 Leading the team – motivating, coaching and developing our despatch and driver teams to deliver a safe, reliable and efficient operation.

📦 Keeping everything moving – overseeing the night-time depot operation and ensuring routes are accurately loaded and ready to leave on time.

✅ Maintaining high standards – ensuring compliance with Drivers’ Hours, Tachograph, Operator Licence, Health & Safety and food safety requirements.

📊 Managing performance – monitoring key measures including service, safety, compliance, attendance and productivity, and taking action where needed.

🌱 Developing your people – providing regular feedback, coaching and support to help colleagues build their capability and progress.

🔄 Making things better – identifying opportunities to improve the way we work and supporting continuous improvement across transport and despatch.

🛠️ Solving problems – responding to operational challenges and making timely decisions to minimise disruption and protect customer service.

🤝 Working together – building effective relationships with colleagues across planning, manufacturing and other teams to keep the end-to-end operation running smoothly.

📋 Supporting your team day to day – carrying out return-to-work meetings, investigations, performance conversations and other people-management activities when required.

What we’re looking for

We’re proud to offer a competitive reward package and a culture that supports growth, wellbeing and development.

Our benefits include:

• Competitive salary of £46,355
• 6.6 weeks holiday entitlement
• Career development and progression opportunities
• Employee Recognition Programme celebrating safety and living our values
• Pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 10%
• Life Assurance
• Simplyhealth cash plan, helping you cover the cost of everyday healthcare expenses, including dental, optical and physiotherapy treatments
• Salary Finance, providing access to financial wellbeing tools, savings options and responsible borrowing solutions
• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 support, legal and financial advice, and access to the My Healthy Advantage wellbeing app
• Electric Car Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Extra Slice employee discount platform, offering savings at over 500 retailers

Our Commitment to Inclusion

At Hovis Bakeries, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and able to be themselves.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives and are dedicated to creating an environment where everyone can succeed.

Ready for your next opportunity?

If you enjoy leading people, keeping a busy operation moving and making a difference to both your team and your customers, we’d love to hear from you.

Come and be part of a team where how we work matters just as much as what we deliver:

Aim High | Work Together | I Do What I Say | Everybody Matters