Operation Manager jobs in Newmilns

EPW1

Regional Cover Manager - uPVC Trade Counters

Location: Regional - 10 depots within Scotland

Hours of Work: Monday-Friday: 07:30-16:30 & alt Saturday 07:30-11:00

Role Purpose

Reporting directly to the Regional Director, the Relief Manager is responsible for providing management support across multiple uPVC trade counter locations, ensuring business continuity during periods of management absence, staffing shortages, peak trading periods, branch projects, and business change initiatives.

The role is accountable for driving sales growth, maintaining operational excellence, ensuring full health and safety compliance, developing high-performing teams, and delivering exceptional customer service. Acting as an ambassador for the business, the Relief Manager will work closely with branch teams and senior management to maximise profitability, improve performance, and maintain company standards across all locations.

Key Responsibilities

Sales & Business Development

• Drive sales growth, gross margin performance, and branch profitability.
• When not covering, to assist depots sales on lapsed, down trading and New
• Develop and strengthen relationships with existing trade customers.
• Identify new business opportunities and increase market share within local trading areas.
• Ensure branches meet or exceed sales, margin, and customer service targets.
• Support strategic account development and customer retention activities.
• Analyse branch performance data and implement improvement plans where required.
• Promote company products, services, and commercial initiatives.
• Work closely with sales teams to maximise sales opportunities and conversion rates.

Operational Management

• Take responsibility for the day-to-day management of trade counter operations when providing branch cover.
• Ensure branches operate efficiently and in accordance with company procedures.
• Manage stock control, stock accuracy, stock availability, and inventory management processes.
• Oversee branch administration, purchasing, warehousing, and distribution activities.
• Drive operational efficiencies and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure company assets are maintained and utilised effectively.
• Monitor and control branch costs to support profitability targets.
• Support branch openings, restructures, and improvement projects where require.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Promote and lead a positive health and safety culture across all branches.
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, procedures, and UK health and safety legislation.
• Conduct branch audits, risk assessments, and workplace inspections.
• Ensure accidents, incidents, and near misses are reported and investigated appropriately.
• Implement corrective actions and drive continuous improvement in safety performance.
• Ensure employees are trained in safe working practices and fully compliant with company standards.
• Support environmental and quality compliance initiatives.

People Management, Coaching & Development

• Lead, motivate, and inspire teams during periods of branch coverage.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and support to managers and branch colleagues.
• Develop employee skills, knowledge, and product expertise.
• Identify training and development opportunities to improve team performance.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and succession planning activities.
• Assist with managing employee performance, attendance, conduct, and capability issues.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
• Share best practice across branches to improve overall regional performance.

Customer Service Excellence

• Ensure exceptional levels of customer service are maintained at all times.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key trade customers and stakeholders.
• Resolve customer concerns, complaints, and service issues promptly and professionally.
• Support teams in identifying opportunities to enhance customer experience.
• Ensure customer needs are understood and acted upon effectively.

Senior Management Liaison

• Act as a representative of senior management when managing branches.
• Provide regular updates on branch performance, staffing, customer issues, opportunities, and risks.
• Support regional business plans and company objectives.
• Assist with branch reviews, audits, and performance assessments.
• Recommend actions to improve sales, service, operational efficiency, and profitability.
• Contribute to regional projects and strategic initiatives.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Proven management experience within a trade counter, branch, depot, distribution, or building products environment.
• Strong commercial awareness and sales leadership capability.
• Excellent people management and coaching skills.
• Experience managing operational performance and customer service standards.
• Sound knowledge of health and safety requirements.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to work independently and adapt quickly to different branch environments.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• Willingness to travel extensively throughout the region.

Desirable

• Experience within the uPVC, fenestration, building plastics, window, door, or construction products sector.
• IOSH Managing Safely qualification.
• Leadership or management qualification.
• Experience covering multiple sites or managing change projects.

Personal Attributes

• Strong leadership presence.
• Highly adaptable and resilient.
• Commercially minded.
• Customer-focused.
• Results driven.
• Organised and self-motivated.
• Positive attitude with a hands-on approach.
• Excellent relationship-building skills.
• Able to influence and engage people at all levels.

Why Join Us?

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious and driven leader looking for a varied and challenging role within a growing uPVC trade counter network. As a Relief Manager, you will gain exposure to multiple branches, work closely with senior leadership, influence commercial and operational performance, and play a key role in developing people and driving business success.

The role offers a clear pathway towards Area Manager, Regional Operations Manager, and other senior leadership positions for individuals who consistently deliver results and demonstrate strong leadership capability.