Overview of role

📍 Location: Gateshead
💰 Salary: £44,440
🕒 Shift Pattern: 4 over 7 – Dayshift | 42 hours | 6:30am – 4:30pm

Lead, Inspire & Drive Performance at Allied Bakeries

At Allied Bakeries, home to some of the UK’s best-loved bread brands, we’re proud of our people, our heritage, and the vital role our transport teams play in keeping the nation fed. With a 4-star Glassdoor rating and a strong culture of internal development, this is a business where your leadership truly makes a difference.   We’re now looking for a Transport First Line Manager to join our large, high-volume Gateshead transport operation, managing a modern fleet of 32 vehicles across 21 delivery routes.   This is a hands-on, visible leadership role where you’ll combine people management, compliance and continuous improvement within a fast-paced, safety-critical environment.

Your Leadership Impact

You’ll have responsibility for leading and developing a substantial operational team of:

• 8 Transport Coordinators

• 35 Drivers

• 14 Despatch colleagues (night shift) – while this is a daytime role, you’ll provide clear guidance, direction and performance management oversight for the wider 24/7 operation.

You’ll play a key role within the site leadership team, with real autonomy to improve performance, culture and engagement.

What You’ll Be Doing

🚚 Leading, motivating and developing a large multi-skilled transport team

✅ Ensuring full compliance with Tachograph, Drivers’ Hours, Operator Licence and H&S legislation

📦 Driving efficiency and performance using WMS & transport systems

📊 Monitoring KPIs across service, cost, safety and compliance

🌱 Recruiting, coaching and building long-term capability across your teams

🔄 Leading continuous improvement activity across transport and despatch operations

🛠️ Taking fast, decisive action to resolve operational issues and minimise risk

🤝 Working closely with Planning, Warehouse and Customer teams to deliver seamless service

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in Transport, Distribution or Despatch operations

• Previous people management / supervisory experience

• Strong working knowledge of Transport Legal Compliance

• Confident user of Microsoft Office and transport systems

• A calm, decisive leader with excellent communication and problem-solving skills

• ✅ National CPC – essential

Shift Pattern – A Real Work/Life Balance Benefit

This role operates on a 4 over 7 dayshift pattern, working 42 hours per week (6:30am – 4:30pm) — offering predictable daytime working, stability and an excellent work/life balance compared to many transport management roles.

Career Development and Progression

We are serious about developing our leaders. You’ll benefit from:

• Continuous professional learning opportunities

• Access to our FLM Aspiring Leaders Development Programme

• Clear progression pathways into Transport Manager and senior logistics leadership roles

What We Offer in Return

We know great leaders drive great results — and we reward you properly for it:

✨ 6.6 weeks’ annual leave

🩺 Healthcare cash plan, eye care & wellbeing support

🔐 Pension & Life Assurance – up to 10% employer contribution

🛍️ Retail discounts at 500+ major retailers

📚 Ongoing learning & leadership development

💸 Financial wellbeing support & affordable loans

🚴‍♂️ Electric car & cycle schemes

🎉 Recognition & reward programmes

❤️ Payroll giving supporting Save the Children

Next Steps

If you have experience leading transport teams and are looking for a stable dayshift leadership role with clear responsibility across a large operation, we’d be pleased to hear from you.