Maintenance Manager

Job Title

Maintenance Manager

Job Description

Title: Operations and Maintenance Manager – Sainsbury’s Contract

Reports to: Service Operations Director

Location: Sainsbury’s Distribution Centre - Daventry

Introduction to Role

Vanderlande is the global market leader in automation systems and solutions across Airports, Warehousing, and Parcel sectors. Within the Sainsbury’s contract, we support a highly automated distribution centre that operates 24/7.

The site utilises advanced automated materials handling systems to ensure accurate, high-volume order fulfilment. The on-site Vanderlande team provides critical operational and maintenance support to ensure maximum system availability and consistent delivery of store orders to Sainsbury’s demanding service levels.

Role Responsibilities

The Operations and Maintenance Manager is responsible for leading the on-site service team and delivering the Sainsbury’s service contract to operational and commercial expectations. Acting as Vanderlande’s senior representative on site, you will be accountable for system performance, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced retail environment.

This role requires strong partnership with Sainsbury’s stakeholders, ensuring alignment to peak trading periods, seasonal demand, and evolving operational priorities.

Key Responsibilities and Activities

• Service Contract Delivery:
  Lead the execution of the Sainsbury’s O&M contract, ensuring high system availability and adherence to strict grocery distribution SLAs and KPIs.
• Customer Partnership:
  Act as the primary senior interface with Sainsbury’s operational and engineering teams, building a proactive and influential relationship with a highly performance-driven retail customer.
• Operational Leadership:
  Manage and develop a site-based engineering and support organisation, covering maintenance, control room, and operational support, ensuring 24/7 resilience.
• Performance & SLA Management:
  Own and report on key service metrics including throughput, availability, response times, and order fulfilment accuracy via structured dashboards (internal and external).
• Incident & Escalation Management:
  Lead the response to critical system incidents, ensuring rapid recovery, effective communication, and minimal disruption to store deliveries—especially during peak and seasonal trading.
• Continuous Improvement:
  Drive improvements in maintenance strategies (preventative, predictive), system reliability, and operational efficiency aligned to Sainsbury’s continuous improvement culture.
• Opportunity Development:
  Identify and support opportunities for contract growth, system enhancements, or lifecycle upgrades within the Sainsbury’s operation.
• People Leadership:
  Lead, coach, and develop the site team, including mentoring, developing competencies, and fostering a high-performance culture.
• Health & Safety:
  Ensure full compliance with UK HSE legislation and both Vanderlande and Sainsbury’s safety standards, promoting a zero-harm culture.
• Stakeholder Communication:
  Maintain regular communication with Vanderlande UK leadership, the Netherlands head office, and global O&M network, sharing best practices and insights.
• Strategic Contribution:
  Contribute to Vanderlande’s global service strategy while tailoring delivery to the specific demands of the Sainsbury’s supply chain.

Qualifications and Skills

• Proven experience in service and maintenance of highly automated distribution or logistics systems, ideally within grocery, FMCG, or retail supply chains.
• Strong leadership capability with experience managing large, multi-disciplinary teams in a 24/7 operational environment.
• Demonstrable success in managing high-profile customer relationships, particularly within retail or logistics sectors.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to lead complex system issue resolution under pressure.
• Sound understanding of Health & Safety legislation and best practice in operational environments.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Advanced MS Office skills, particularly Excel for reporting and performance analysis.
• Flexibility to support wider UK or European operations if required.
• A proactive, resilient, and customer-focused leadership style suited to a fast-paced retail environment.

What We Offer

• 28 days annual leave (excluding public holidays)
• Aviva Medical Cover & Pension Scheme
• YuLife wellbeing membership (including GP access, mental health support and rewards)
• Achievers – Internal recognition scheme
• Career development opportunities within a global organisation
• Cycle to Work scheme

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive environment. If you require any adjustments to support your application, we are happy to discuss these.