Port Operator - Stanford - Up to £50,000 per annum

Senior Port Operator

Location: London Gateway
Job Type: Permanent
Salary: Competitive, depending on experience

An established and growing transport and logistics business is looking for an experienced Senior Port Operator to join its team at London Gateway.

This is a hands-on operational role within a busy container haulage environment, supporting the efficient planning and management of a fleet of vehicles and drivers. You will act as a key link between drivers, planning, fleet and operational management, helping to ensure excellent service levels while maintaining strong cost control and vehicle utilisation.

The role would suit someone with a solid background in UK port transport, container haulage or traffic planning, who is confident managing day-to-day operational issues and is ready to take on additional responsibility within an experienced operations team.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day planning and allocation of a fleet of vehicles and drivers.
• Review previous-day performance and ensure effective handovers between shifts.
• Ensure vehicles are planned and routed efficiently, with clear handover notes where required.
• Act as a first point of escalation for operational issues and more complex queries.
• Monitor late-running jobs, potential service issues and opportunities for job recovery.
• Manage vehicle utilisation and ensure available resources are used effectively.
• Support Day 1 and Day 2 planning and expediting activities.
• Monitor revenue, routing and operational costs, identifying areas for improved efficiency.
• Manage and monitor VBS bookings, missed slots and associated costs.
• Monitor driver hours, workload, overtime and nights out to ensure compliance and cost control.
• Liaise closely with drivers to resolve issues and maintain reliable service delivery.
• Work with fleet and maintenance teams to ensure vehicles and specialist equipment are available when required.
• Support weekly operational close-down and reporting processes.
• Identify trends, risks and performance issues and escalate appropriately.
• Support the development of junior members of the operations team, acting as a mentor and point of guidance.
• Work closely with the Port Operations Lead and wider management team to drive operational performance and continuous improvement.

About You

You will ideally have:

• Previous experience within UK port transport operations, container haulage or traffic planning.
• A strong understanding of container movements and port operations.
• Experience using VBS booking systems.
• Experience planning and expediting transport movements in a fast-paced environment.
• A good understanding of driver hours, workload allocation and transport compliance.
• Experience monitoring operational costs and identifying routing or efficiency issues.
• Experience working alongside fleet, maintenance and planning teams.
• Strong communication skills, with the confidence to liaise with drivers, planners and senior management.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• The ability to remain calm and solutions-focused when dealing with operational pressures.

Experience working across both day and night transport operations, specialist equipment planning, operational reporting or supervising/developing other team members would be advantageous.

What We're Looking For

This is a role for someone who understands the realities of port and container haulage operations and enjoys being at the centre of a busy operation.

You will need to be commercially aware, proactive and comfortable making decisions quickly, while also having the communication skills to build strong relationships with drivers and colleagues.

In return, you will join an established operation where there is scope to take on additional responsibility and play an important role in improving operational performance.

Up to £50,000 per annum.

8:30 - 5:30 Monday to Friday.

Apply today for more information.