Senior Operations Manager
Location: Portsmouth area
Salary: Circa £80,000, depending on experience

Are you an experienced operations leader with a strong background in warehousing, freight and logistics? This is an opportunity to take ownership of a broad operational function, leading multiple departments and driving performance, efficiency and continuous improvement across an established business.

We’re looking for a forward-thinking individual who combines strong operational leadership with a commercial mindset, embraces technology and has a proven ability to improve processes, develop teams and deliver measurable results.

The Opportunity

You’ll take responsibility for several key operational functions, including warehousing, freight, storage and customer service, ensuring departments work cohesively to deliver an efficient, commercially focused and customer-led operation.

This is a varied leadership position for someone who can look beyond the day-to-day running of the business, identify opportunities for improvement and implement changes that positively impact operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee multiple operational functions, including warehousing, freight, storage and customer service, ensuring effective coordination across departments.

• Lead, motivate and develop departmental managers and their teams, setting clear expectations and driving accountability.

• Monitor and manage operational KPIs, identifying trends, addressing underperformance and implementing improvements to achieve business objectives.

• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement, reviewing existing processes, systems and working practices to improve productivity, efficiency and service delivery.

• Embrace technology and identify opportunities to introduce or improve systems that support operational effectiveness and performance.

• Maintain oversight of operational costs, productivity and resource allocation, ensuring the business operates efficiently and commercially.

• Build effective working relationships across departments, encouraging collaboration and a consistent approach to operational delivery.

• Manage customer escalations and operational challenges, taking a proactive approach to resolving issues and maintaining service standards.

• Lead and support operational change, including the introduction of new processes, systems and working patterns where required.

• Ensure appropriate standards are maintained across health and safety, compliance and operational procedures.

• Support the ongoing development of the operation, identifying opportunities to improve capacity, performance and overall business effectiveness.

About You

You’ll be an established operations leader with experience managing complex logistics environments and the confidence to lead multiple departments through both day-to-day operations and ongoing change.

We’re particularly interested in individuals with:

• Strong experience across warehousing, freight and storage operations.

• A proven track record of managing multiple teams, departments or operational functions.

• Experience implementing, monitoring and improving operational KPIs, with the ability to translate performance data into meaningful improvements.

• A forward-thinking approach, with an interest in technology, systems and finding better ways of working.

• A strong understanding of operational processes, resource planning and productivity.

• Commercial awareness, with the ability to manage costs, improve efficiency and influence business performance.

• Experience leading operational change and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Excellent leadership, communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to engage teams at all levels.

Experience introducing or managing new shift patterns would be advantageous, as would exposure to transport or haulage operations. A Driver CPC / Transport Manager CPC would be beneficial but is not essential.

WR Logistics are a leading recruitment partner for the logistics and supply chain industry, recruiting across the UK, Europe, and the USA for permanent opportunities.

WR Logistics is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy