Commercial Fleet Manager

Job description

Commercial Fleet Manager | Strategic Leadership & Transformation

Location: Milton Keynes (with UK-wide travel)

Reporting to: CFO

Package: Competitive Salary + Benefits

The Opportunity: Build, Fix, and Lead

Are you a seasoned fleet professional who thrives on turning fragmentation into order? We are currently supporting a high-growth, PE-backed (Private Equity) infrastructure leader on a journey of significant centralisation and maturity. Following a series of strategic mergers, they are seeking a transformational Commercial Fleet Manager to establish a brand new centralised function from the ground up.

This isn’t a "business as usual" maintenance role. The current fleet operation is fragmented and reactive. We need a visionary leader to shift the focus from "fixing blowouts" to "defining a multi-million-pound fleet strategy." You will inherit a blank canvas in Milton Keynes, with the mandate to build your own team, restore operational trust, and future-proof a complex national fleet.

The Mandate

• Strategic Architecture: Develop and execute a comprehensive fleet strategy from scratch, including a critical review of funding models (lease vs. Purchase) and a long-term replacement roadmap for 1,100 vehicles.
• Departmental Start-up: Hire, mentor, and lead a brand-new centralised team based at a new Milton Keynes hub.
• Operational Excellence: Modernise a geographically dispersed operation across 30+ depots, drastically reducing Vehicle Off Road (VOR) times and improving staff welfare.
• Compliance & Safety: Act as the primary guardian of the company’s Operator’s Licenses and lead the drive for FORS accreditations.
• Innovation: Partner with industry-leading technology providers to leverage AI-based safety systems, telematics, and green technologies for a more sustainable fleet.

The Ideal Profile

We are looking for a "Strategic Doer". Someone capable of presenting a 100-day plan to the Board in the morning and resolving a complex maintenance dispute in the afternoon.

Must-Haves:

• International or National Transport Manager CPC: This is a non-negotiable requirement to hold the business’s license.
• Large-Scale Fleet Experience: A proven track record of managing c. 1,000+ vehicles, specifically within high-mileage, LCV-heavy (Light Commercial Vehicle), and geographically dispersed environments.
• Change Management: Experience in "fixing something broken." You must be resilient, autonomous, and capable of winning over sceptical internal stakeholders through delivery and transparency.
• Supplier Management: Strong negotiation skills with a history of managing major fleet management partners and manufacturers.

Desirable:

• FORS Practitioner qualification.
• Experience with specialist vehicles (IPVs/HPVs) or the Highways/Traffic Management sectors.

Why Join?

This is a rare chance to take full "ownership" of a fleet function. You will report directly to a forward-thinking CFO who views the fleet as the heartbeat of the business. While the first six months will be a "ground-up" build involving significant cultural and operational shifts, the reward is the opportunity to design a gold-standard fleet operation for a market leader.

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Milton Keynes

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

10-03-2026

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English