Strategic Supplier Relationship Director

Summary and purpose

Wincanton Group Transport manages over £600M of transport spend across multiple contracts and customers. Key to the delivery of these contracts is the use of sub-contractors. Wincanton have invested in a new IT platform called EyeQ with a goal to build the biggest and connected transport community across the UK. The Supplier Relationship Directors role will be to strategically build and develop this network across both our customers and our suppliers. Wincanton spends in excess of £150M on subcontract haulage and we aiming to grow this spend as EyeQ Marketplace becomes a hub for customers and hauliers to work in a community and reduce their empty running.

This role will be responsible for defining a community strategy and building the required relationships to ensure EyeQ is a success, supporting the growth of the business, improving the utilisation of suppliers and customers assets and ultimately reducing CO2 across the UK transport sector.

This challenging and exciting role will appeal to individuals with experience, drive, determination, and enthusiasm. They will possess a passion for the haulage and transport sector and will have great customer and relationship skills, whilst being able to demonstrate sound commercial acumen.

About us:

Wincanton is a leading supply chain partner for British business, providing supply chain solutions up and down the country. With over 20,000 colleagues across more than 200 sites and an 8,500 strong fleet of vehicles, we put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We are “Great people delivering sustainable supply chain value”.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Reporting to the Group Transport Managing Director and an active contributor to the senior Group Transport leadership team
• Define, implement and build the community strategy to support the Group Transport growth plans
• Build a Haulier Relationship Strategy
• Work with existing Sub Contraction team to drive community volume and identify areas of opportunity, whilst also ensuring supplier compliance on service, system, and process
• Develop an approach to gathering supplier feedback to improve our business and support further growth opportunities
• Identify, areas of opportunity to increase utilisation of assets across the sectors
• Work with Fleet, Property and GT team to build a virtual infrastructure network, to support the use of EV vehicles across the community
• Identify new potential future models, which could increase collaboration, utilisation and the use of EV or alternative fueled vehicles
• Support the growth of EyeQ and provide case study information.
• Leading project work, such as new business, transport alignment or new initiatives to support growth.
• Leading the development of a culture of quantifiable continuous improvement, delivering efficiency and maximising productivity.
• Supporting GT leaders with cost management, best in class volume planning and maximising revenue opportunities.
• Work collaboratively with other stakeholders to enable growth

Experience, Skills, and Attributes:

• Demonstrable, relevant senior management/Director experience of leading teams responsible for delivering high-quality results for demanding customers and experience in commercial deals
• Strategic thinker with a deep appreciation of the fast-paced Transport industry, both open and closed book.
• Transport background, with an excellent understanding of the challenges, risks, opportunities and legislation impacting a large commercial fleet.
• Respected in the industry, with a large network
• Proven leader of people and builder of high performing teams; leading directly and influencing cross functional teams, peers, and stakeholders.
• Proven track record of delivering safe transport operations, underpinned by a behavioural based safety culture; with clear consideration for colleague wellbeing.
• Consistent track record in delivering rounded business improvement and development. Ideally in a transport environment.
• A good understanding of the safety critical transport environment and the technology used to create a safe environment on the road, as well as safety metrics and commercial improvement.
• Commercially astute with a clear focus on driving value across the supply chain for our customers and our community
• Good understanding of planning systems and IT

Our Commitment:

Our people are our most important asset and as such we are constantly expanding our capability programs to provide you with opportunities to build and extend your professional skills and career opportunities. Continuous learning takes place through a broad variety of opportunities and types of engagements. Access to the latest technological innovations in the logistics and supply chain industry, as well as Wincanton’s deep knowledge and expertise in our field, constitute a superb platform for your professional development.

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity for all employees. We want to create an environment where all colleagues feel safe, supported, and valued, whilst feeling they can be their whole selves within our workplaces. We are proud our colleagues represent us and our successes.

Attracting diverse teams, we believe in creating an inclusive, respectful organisational culture for our colleagues and future potential talent joining us. Find out more: Wincanton champions a diverse workforce