Fleet Rentals Manager

SF Partners are working with a business based in Wolverhampton who are looking to recruit for a Fleet Rentals Manager Office based £50,000 - £60,000

The role

The business rents vehicles to self-employed drivers. The Rental Manager runs the rental of the fleet: how many vehicles we run, how hard they work, what drivers pay for them and how reliably that money comes in. They lead the team through the Rental Regional Manager and are the final approver on driver write-offs and settlements. They are not expected to manage the day to day operation of the fleet, rather, ensure that the team are efficient, there is particular attention and management of costs to ensure profitability per vehicle, and profitability across the whole fleet.

What success looks like Profitability is the measure this role is judged on. Fleet size, pricing, the team and collections all serve it.

• Every vehicle covers its full cost (finance, insurance, maintenance, downtime and unrecovered fines) and makes a margin, and the postholder knows that number for each one.
• Costs run within the agreed budget.
• Arrears and unrecovered fines stay within agreed limits.
• Monthly figures reach the Group CEO on time, with the actions being taken, not just the numbers.

Key responsibilities

Profitability and financial management

• Own the P&L and deliver the agreed profit target
• Know the full cost and margin of every vehicle (finance, insurance, maintenance, downtime and unrecovered fines), and act on any vehicle that does not earn its keep: re-price, redeploy or dispose.
• Build the annual budget and forecast, and manage every cost line against it.
• Challenge every cost that does not add margin.
• Work with the external accountants on month-end figures and management accounts.

Fleet strategy

• Set fleet size, mix and growth plan from the numbers, for sign-off by the Group CEO.
• Approve vehicle purchases, finance and disposals only where the business case shows a return.
• Drive utilisation: an idle vehicle is a cost, not an asset.

Pricing and driver terms

• Price every vehicle to cover its full cost and deliver a margin.
• Review pricing and terms against the market and the numbers at least annually.
• Make sure rental agreements put the cost of fines and damage on the driver.

Cash and collections control

• Final approver on arrears write-offs, settlements and ending a driver's rental for non-payment.
• Set the arrears timetable and payment-plan limits the team works to.
• Review the weekly arrears and fines report and act on trends, not individual cases.
• Spot-check the driver ledger against the bank at least monthly.

People and performance

• Lead the team through the Rental Regional Manager, with targets tied to the numbers: utilisation, collections and cost.
• Keep the team lean, gaining efficiency through processes and systems rather than headcount.
• Recruit and develop the team, and approve new headcount only on a clear cost-benefit case.
• Delegate the day-to-day running of the fleet and step in only on exceptions.

Reporting

• Deliver a monthly pack to the Group CEO: profit against target, margin per vehicle, utilisation, costs against budget, cash, arrears and fines, with the actions being taken.

Skills and experience Essential

• Finance-led: has built and managed budgets, reads a P&L, balance sheet and cash flow, and understands profitability per unit.
• Track record of improving the profitability of a business unit or division, ideally in vehicle rental, fleet, leasing, private hire or another asset-rental business.
• Commercial judgement on pricing, cost control and investment, backed by numbers.
• Proven people manager, including leading a team through a manager or supervisor.
• Firm on money: willing to end a rental or approve recovery action when a driver will not pay.

Desirable

• Experience with fleet or rental management software.
• Experience handling vehicle insurance claims and damage recovery.
• Experience with financial appraisal of vehicles