Senior Manager, Supply Chain Operations – South

CHEP is a global leader in moving goods efficiently and sustainably, operating in 60 countries with a mission to help brands transport their products with less environmental impact. Join an international organization where you can make a real difference, contribute to global sustainability, and enjoy a healthy work-life balance through our Hybrid Work Model.

About the Role

Are you an influential operational leader with the vision, resilience, and capability to shape the future of a multi-site, high-volume supply chain network? Do you thrive in environments where operational excellence, major transformation, and complex stakeholder alignment converge? CHEP is seeking a Senior Manager, Supply Chain Operations – South, to report to the UKI Supply Chain Director. You will oversee a large, fast-paced operational region, leading three Plant Managers and approximately 600 colleagues, while spearheading some of CHEP’s most strategically important initiatives.

This role blends operational leadership with long-term strategic influence, offering the scope to deliver real, measurable impact across safety, cost, service, and transformation. It’s a role for someone ready to step into a large platform with visibility, autonomy, and the chance to shape how our network performs today and evolves for tomorrow.

Location: Field-Based, South UK (Regular travel to Birmingham, Severnside & South Ockendon)
Type: Full-time, Permanent

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure full compliance of regional operational activities with health, safety, and quality standards, and operational procedures to drive regulatory adherence and risk mitigation.
• Drive customer satisfaction by ensuring plants consistently meet service and quality standards, and foster a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Provide leadership and oversight to ensure plants have the appropriate resources and focus to consistently deliver on KPIs, meeting customer satisfaction and operational goals.
• Continuously improve operational performance in key areas such as health and safety, cost management, product quality, customer satisfaction, and sustainability.
• Analyze and track regional cost trends, identifying opportunities for cost efficiency and ensuring financial performance aligns with budget targets.
• Lead and implement cost-saving initiatives by recommending, analyzing, and executing efficiency improvements across the region.
• Actively contribute to the development and execution of the regional supply chain strategy, working closely with cross-functional teams to drive operational consistency and improvement.
• Lead and mentor plant management teams, ensuring alignment with strategic goals, fostering a collaborative work environment, and supporting professional development.

What We’re Looking For

Experience & Capability

• Extensive experience managing large teams in high-volume, fast-paced manufacturing or Supply Chain environments.
• Strong operational leadership across safety, service, quality, and cost.
• Proven experience delivering transformation projects and change management initiatives in complex, multi-site operations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders across matrix organizations (Commercial, Supply Chain, Engineering, HR, etc.).
• Experience working in unionized environments with positive relationship management.
• Financial and commercial acumen, including budget ownership, P&L understanding, and cost optimization capability.
• Strong Continuous Improvement mindset (Lean/Six Sigma/Kaizen desirable).

Leadership Behaviours

• Exceptional communication and coaching skills.
• Comfortable with complexity, ambiguity, and competing priorities.
• Proactive, independent decision-maker who can balance strategy and execution.
• Able to build engagement, foster a Zero Harm culture, and drive high performance across diverse teams.

Why Join CHEP?

• Lead high-profile transformation programs with genuine European exposure.
• Multi-site, cross-functional scope — Operations, Engineering, Commercial, Supply Chain UK/EU.
• Accelerated career pathway — a natural pipeline to future Head of Operations / Director roles.
• Complex, exciting environment with autonomy, visibility, and impact. This is a role for someone who wants to shape the future, not just run the present.

What’s in It for You?

• Certified Top 17 Global Employers
• Annual bonus (typically 20%) based on company and individual performance
• Car allowance
• Generous Share Scheme
• Private healthcare (family cover)
• Flexible working
• 25 days holiday + statutory holidays, with the option to buy/sell 5 additional days
• 10% company pension contribution
• Life Assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme

Remote Type

Fully Remote

Skills to Succeed in the Role

Coaching, Collaboration, Disruptive Thinking, Feedback, Inclusive Leadership, Leading Change, Leading Customer Centric Teams, Mentorship, Motivating Teams, Prioritization, Self-Awareness

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to developing a diverse workforce in which everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has the opportunity to contribute to business success while realizing his or her potential. This means harnessing the unique skills and experience that each individual brings and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.