Operations Leader

Job ID
Job ID 75422
Team
Team Distribution
Location
Location Pontefract
Contract Type
Contract Type Perm
Job Schedule
Job Schedule Full time
Salary
Salary 15.78 per hour
Posting Date
Posting Date 24/04/2026
Apply Before
Apply Before 01/05/2026
Smiling man in a "NEXT Distribution" shirt standing in a warehouse beside labelled metal shelving.

Summary

Shifts available:

Week 1: Sunday-Tuesday 06:00-18:00 Week 2 Sunday-Wednesday 06:00-18:00

Week 1: Sunday-Tuesday 18:00-06:00 Week 2 Sunday-Wednesday 18:00-06:00

Week 1: Wednesday - Saturday 06:00-18:00 Week 2 Thursday - Saturday 06:00-18:00

Week 1: Wednesday - Saturday 18:00-06:00 Week 2 Thursday - Saturday 18:00-06:00

The role:

As an Operations Leader, you are the heartbeat of our daily warehouse activity. You’ll be the person who turns high level plans into reality by clarifying tasks, motivating the team, and acting as the first point of contact for any queries on the floor. You’ll make a difference by ensuring our fast paced environment remains organised, safe, and efficient, ensuring every parcel gets to where it needs to go.

To help you hit the ground running, NEXT provides a comprehensive induction and ongoing support from our management team to ensure you feel confident leading your department.

What you’ll take on:

Your day to day will be varied and active, focusing on both people and performance:

  • Leading the Shift: Conduct pre-shift briefs and end of shift handovers to ensure everyone knows exactly what is expected.
  • Driving Performance: Monitor KPIs like UPH (Units Per Hour) and CPU (Cost Per Unit) to achieve our target of 97% OTIF (On Time In Full).
  • People Management: Support your team through weekly performance discussions, Return to Work interviews, and managing absence or disciplinary matters fairly and consistently.
  • Operational Control: Update daily planners and target monitors throughout the shift, accounting for all hours worked in your area.
  • Safety First: Maintain a safe environment by conducting daily floorwalks, safety observations, and leading accident investigations when necessary.
  • Staying Connected: Use tools like Yapster and internal chat to provide real time updates and resolve issues as they arise.

What you’ll bring:

We are looking for a grounded leader who can stay calm when things get busy. To succeed in this role, you’ll need:

  • Supervisory Experience: A background in leading teams, ideally within a distribution or warehouse environment.
  • Communication Skills: The ability to explain tasks clearly to your team and write concise reports.
  • An Analytical Mindset: You should be comfortable with numbers and able to interpret performance data to improve results.
  • Resilience: A flexible approach to work and the ability to lead by example under pressure.
  • Practical Skills: You must be computer literate, hold a valid driving licence, and have a proven track record of solving day to day operational problems.

Benefits

  • Sharesave scheme
  • 25% off most NEXT, MADE*, Lipsy*, Gap* and Victoria's Secret* products (*when purchased through NEXT)
  • Generous bonus scheme for many roles
  • Restaurants with great food at amazing prices
  • Access to fantastic discounts at our Staff Shops
  • Free on-site parking
  • 10% off most partner brands & up to 15% off Branded Beauty
  • Hot deals and exclusive offers from over 3,500 retailers through our online benefits platform
  • Financial Wellbeing - Save, track and enhance your financial wellbeing
  • Apprenticeship - Grow and develop on the job whilst gaining a qualification
  • Support Networks - Access to Network Groups to empower and celebrate each other

Conditions apply to all benefits. These benefits are discretionary and subject to change.

We aim to support all candidates during the application process and are happy to provide workplace adjustments when necessary. Should you need support with your application due to a disability or long-term condition, feel free to get in touch with us by email Recruitmenthelpdesk@next.co.uk (please include 'Workplace Adjustments' in the subject line), or call us on 01977 327 900 and leave a voicemail.

What's Next?

Team Overview

With 10,000 colleagues, 9 million square feet of space, and 550 vehicles, our teams move a huge 1.5 million items to customers every single day. This is a fast-paced, precise, and proudly customer-focused operation. From maintaining our automation systems to delivering the final mile, join the team that keeps everything flowing to fulfil our customers' needs.

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Our brands

You’ve probably heard of NEXT, but did you know about our portfolio? Every brand in our offering brings a distinct story, attitude and community. Spanning contemporary lifestyle brands, established high street names and timeless collections, together they showcase the vibrancy of today’s retail world.

About NEXT

You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 35,000 people across the UK and Ireland. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 500 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 70 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!
A group of smiling NEXT employees stand together outside the company’s modern glass-fronted building, posing beneath the large NEXT logo.

Are you ready to take it on?

Challenges. Opportunities. The future. Let’s take it on at NEXT.