Manager, Distribution - IPSUK

Want to join a key team that helps the world read?

Ingram Content Group is one of the world's largest and most trusted distributors of physical and digital content. Thousands of publishers, retailers, and libraries worldwide use our products and services to realize the full business potential of books, regardless of format. Ingram Content Group has earned its lead position and reputation by offering excellent service and creating innovative, integrated solutions. Our customers have access to best-of-class digital, audio, print, print-on-demand, inventory management, wholesale and full-service distribution programs.

Through Ingram Publisher Services UK, we support publishers with a comprehensive range of distribution, sales and supply chain services, helping them reach booksellers, retailers and readers across the UK, Europe and worldwide. The Distribution Manager role is part of Ingram Publisher Services UK and is based at our distribution site in Milton Keynes. 

The world is reading, and it is our goal to connect as many people as possible to the content they want in the simplest ways.  If you want to be part of a customer-centric team that strives for excellence, collaboration, innovation, we can’t wait to meet you!

The Manager, Distribution is a key operational leadership role responsible for the overall coordination, performance and delivery of Distribution activities at our purpose-built facility in Rooksley, Milton Keynes.

Working in a fast-paced, service-driven environment, the Manager will provide visible leadership across the Distribution operation, ensuring that turnaround times (TAT), productivity, quality, accuracy, customer service and health & safety standards are consistently achieved. The role will take ownership of the effective flow of Distribution activities, ensuring resources are appropriately deployed, priorities are managed effectively and operational issues are identified and resolved promptly.

The Manager will lead, motivate and develop associates, creating a high-performing and accountable team culture. They will monitor operational performance, challenge deviations from expected standards and take decisive corrective action where required.

A key responsibility of the role will be to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, strengthen quality and optimise Distribution processes. The Manager will use operational data and performance metrics to inform decision-making and deliver sustainable improvements.

The successful candidate will play a critical role in ensuring the Distribution operation delivers safe, efficient, high-quality and customer-focused performance, while developing people and continuously raising operational standards.

Duties:

• Supervise and Lead Distribution Associates:
  
  Provide visible and effective leadership to approximately 70 Distribution Associates, including 2 Supervisors and 5 Team Leaders, across two shifts. Lead, coach and develop the team to maximise performance, productivity, engagement and adherence to company policies, procedures and operational standards. Hold Supervisors and Team Leaders accountable for team performance, attendance, conduct, productivity and delivery against operational objectives. Ensure effective workforce planning and deployment, maintaining appropriate levels of multi-skilled colleagues and operational capability to meet changing business demands, optimise resource utilisation and maintain safe, efficient and effective Distribution operations.
• Process Control & Quality Monitoring:
  
  Oversee daily Distribution processes to ensure consistent quality and compliance with established process control standards. Identify process deviations and take corrective action as needed.
• Meet Turnaround Time (TAT) Objectives:
  
  Manage Distribution flow and prioritize tasks to ensure on-time delivery of products according to customer or internal TAT requirements.
• Shift Reporting & Documentation:
  
  Complete and maintain shift Distribution reports and communicate key shift information during shift handovers and to management.
• Safety and Compliance:
  
  Promote a safe working environment by enforcing safety protocols and leading regular safety audits or checks. Report incidents and coordinate corrective actions.
• Continuous Improvement:
  
  Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance product quality.
• Training & Development:
  
  Assist in training new associates and cross-training team members to enhance workforce flexibility and capability.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience within a fast-paced Distribution or operational environment, including at least 1 year in a management capacity, with demonstrable responsibility for people, performance and operational delivery.
• Strong technical understanding of Distribution processes, operational controls and performance metrics, with the ability to analyse key measures, identify trends and implement effective corrective actions to optimise service, quality and efficiency.
• Proven leadership capability, with a track record of building high-performing teams, managing employee performance, resolving complex workplace challenges and ensuring operational deadlines and customer service expectations are consistently achieved.
• Exceptional communication, organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple operational demands, communicate effectively across all levels of the organisation and maintain clear and accurate shift handovers and reporting.
• Highly proficient in Distribution and operational management systems, and Microsoft Office, with the ability to utilise data and technology to monitor performance, support decision-making and drive continuous improvement.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Leading associates - Managing teams, supervising employees, coaching managers, handling performance issues, absence and conduct
• Operational performance - Working with KPIs, productivity measures, targets, service levels and performance reporting
• TAT / deadlines - Managing time-critical HR processes, recruitment SLAs, casework deadlines, payroll/absence deadlines, employee relations caseloads
• Process control - Implementing procedures, auditing compliance, identifying process failures and correcting them
• Continuous improvement - Reviewing processes, identifying inefficiencies, introducing new procedures/systems and measuring improvement
• Shift management - Any experience coordinating people/workloads across different shifts, locations or periods of high demand
• Health & Safety - Supporting H&S processes, investigations, risk assessments, accident reporting or working with H&S teams
• Training & development - Delivering training, onboarding, coaching, competency development and cross-training
• Reporting - Producing management reports, analysing data, identifying trends and presenting recommendations
• Problem solving - Managing operational problems quickly, investigating root causes and implementing corrective actions
• Management in absence of senior manager - Acting up, making decisions independently, being the escalation point and managing situations without immediate senior oversight

Salary: Circa £50k depending on experience

Perks/Benefits:

• Bonus scheme 
• Single health care cover (family/spouse cover available at an extra cost)
• Generous holiday plus Bank Holidays
• Company Sick Pay Scheme
• Continuous Professional Development and Training Opportunities
• Free onsite parking
• Free Hot drinks
• Snack and Drink Vending machines on site
• Service Awards

Shift pattern: Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm with flexibility to work across both shifts (7am-3pm and 3pm-11pm)