Despatch Manager - Runcorn

Despatch Manager jobs

Controlling stock to find the balance between wasting precious space and running out of stock is the job the despatch manager. Despatch areas can be complex to manage, often containing a mix of raw materials, intermediate items and finished products, so precise management of the various levels as they are brought in and sent out is absolutely essential.

As well as keeping completely on top of the comings and goings of the despatch area, the despatch manager will often be responsible for accounts, health and safety, security and personnel management, possibly as the manager of various departments. The general management of the company will have strict targets and goals, and it will be up to the despatch manager to ensure their realisation.

The skills required

As with any managerial role, good communication and people skills will be required if the despatch area is to run like clockwork; it will help reduce errors and keep the business goals at the forefront.

A quick-thinking and independent mind will also stand candidates in good stead, especially when key decisions might have to be made at 2 a.m. on a Sunday when superiors are away from the desk. With all the goods coming in and out of a busy area, it would be easy to lose control of what is there and what has moved on. No doubt the busy despatch area will be computerised nowadays, but even with this help, an aptitude for juggling several streams of thought at once will be an advantage.

Experience of using SAP and any warehousing IT solutions will usually be required.

Despatch Manager Jobs in Runcorn

It might be difficult to imagine it now, but Runcorn was once a celebrated spa town and health retreat right up to the Industrial Revolution, whereupon its prime location made its industrialisation rapid. The town is located on the south bank of the River Mersey just before it flows east to the Wirral peninsula and Liverpool. The last bridge over the Mersey passes between Runcorn and Widnes; it is a railway bridge directly adjacent to the impressive steel-arch bridge that takes advantage of a natural outcrop, but still has a single span of 330m. For a time there were three crossings, including a transporter bridge, but this was dismantled in 1961. A brand new crossing has been planned which will ease congestion on the roads.

Runcorn’s main industry has always been, and remains, chemicals. Chlorine, caustic soda, hydrogen and polymers have been produced there for over a hundred years. The town is served by a mainline railway (Liverpool to London) and no fewer than three canals – the Manchester Ship, the Bridegwater and the Weaver Navigation. The town had a busy dockyard up until the post-war period, when it fell into decline.

The town remains an industrial and commercial hub in the immediate vicinity, with several large industrial estates, trading estates and retail parks in and around the town, thanks to massive regeneration efforts in the 1970s and 1980s. Runcorn has a large new town that was built to house the overspill from Liverpool. With the M56 to Manchester, links to Liverpool and Chester and a good rail and waterway network, there are several distribution centres in and around the town, making Runcorn an excellent place to look for Despatch Manager work.

Popular locations

Cast UK’s logistics opportunities

People approach Cast UK looking for work for many reasons, from seeking more job fulfilment to moving house to looking for a promotion. Our founder members and our consultants come from the logistics, procurement and supply chain sectors, so we understand the needs of employers and candidates alike. As we only deal with these fields, many employers in the sector come to us first to create a candidate shortlist, so it’s certainly a good idea to register with us if you’re in the logistics sector.

We always have positions from the whole of the UK, so please see what’s available in your region and please do get in touch if you’ve seen something you’re interested in – we might just have the perfect job for you!

To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Despatch Manager for your business or find you a job as a Despatch Manager then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.

Contact us