General Manager

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Job Overview

As a key member of the Group Operations senior leadership team, this role will lead the warehousing teams to ensure top-tier health and safety, operational excellence, employee engagement, and customer service. With people central to success in operations, a strong passion for team development is essential.

Operations is vital to LKQ Euro Car Parts, enabling next-day delivery for over 90,000 SKUs. Achieving near 100% accuracy and on-time performance is a key differentiator, with deliveries made overnight from three Central Distribution Centres (CDCs). The main CDC (T2) utilises advanced automation for 70% of its output, and this role will optimise performance across both automated and manual operations.

The B2C e-commerce operation also runs from the main CDC, and ensuring its efficiency while driving continuous improvement is a key responsibility.

Why work for LKQ

Here, your work goes beyond just a job. We prioritise our colleagues as the foundation of our success. We foster a friendly and inclusive work environment where everyone can be their best.

Our Colleague Promise is a testament of our commitment to you. We strive to create a fair, inclusive, and high-performing workplace where you can feel motivated, supported, valued, and proud. Work-life balance is important, and we encourage flexibility and a balanced lifestyle.

Our Customer Promise embodies our unwavering dedication to excellence. We commit to being their supportive partner of choice whenever they need us and offering only the highest quality products and services.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategically plan, organise, and consistently achieve exceptional customer service performance in both branch and e-commerce operations, meeting service level agreements (SLAs).
• Provide leadership, development, and direction to the Senior Operations Managers, ensuring all objectives are achieved in alignment with business targets, policies, and company values.
• Collaborate closely with the Group Resource Planning Manager, Senior Operations Managers, and the Logistics Training Manager to align staffing levels with agreed objectives and budgetary constraints.
• Personally drive the development and implementation of people engagement initiatives, fostering significant improvements in warehouse operations.
• Provide strategic input to the COO, Head of CDC, and other Supply Chain leaders, identifying operational enhancements and site investments, developing business cases, and delivering agreed outcomes.
• Focus on career development for direct reports and the broader team, ensuring clear career pathways, with a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion within management roles.
• Manage and exceed budgetary targets and have full ownership for your P&L, embedding continuous improvement (CI) methodologies and practices across operations.
• Ensure proactive, transparent, and professional communication with the business and key stakeholders, promoting openness to feedback and improvements.
• Serve as a key liaison between the warehouse operations and the Head of CDC, ensuring coordinated business operations and alignment across internal stakeholders.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience in a senior leadership role within complex, time-sensitive, and high-service logistics operations.
• Relevant qualifications in logistics, supply chain management, or a related field
• Strong personal impact, credibility, and gravitas, with the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels, from the boardroom to the shop floor.
• Highly numerate and analytical, with strong presentation skills and the ability to convey complex data clearly.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to simplify and resolve complex challenges.
• Collaborative working style with a history of fostering cross-functional teamwork and achieving successful outcomes.
• Engaging and open-minded, with a willingness to experiment and learn from both successes and failures.
• Intellectually curious, with a persistent approach to identifying and addressing root causes.
• Experience with the operation, optimisation, and improvement of automation systems is advantageous.
• Exceptional attention to detail, balanced with an ability to understand and contribute to broader corporate goals.

What we offer

• Competitive salary
• 30 days annual leave (inc. bank holidays)*
• Personal development leading to career opportunities across UK & Europe
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Support through our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme for you and your family
• Discounted Health Club memberships
• Hospital Plan and Online GP
• Cycle to work scheme
• Online retail discount
• Staff discount

*pro rata for PT colleagues