View Vacancy - SRR - Transport Manager B3(L)

The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for a Transport Manager fixed-term contract for two (2) years.

The jobholder will be responsible to the Regional Overseas Security Manager (ROSM) for efficient management of the Transport team (consisting of a total of 18 Drivers and two Mechanics based in Riyadh and Jeddah), as well as the safety of staff and families.

The jobholder must have excellent communication skills and the ability to give clear, concise advice on a range of topics, commensurate with their position, as per policy and procedure.

Duties and responsibilities:

- Transport management

• Draft and propose transport planning, schedules, and delivery plans for VIP visits.
• Co-ordinate internal and external schedules, highlighting pressures and identifying solutions.
• Incorporate feedback channels and measures to gauge impact of communications.
• Support and assist with logistics for diplomatic staff arrivals, departures, and official business.
• Research, review, and develop transport policies to ensure they remain compliant with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)/ One HMG rules and regulations.
• Regular meetings with ROSM to ensure the efficient planning and management of Transport team’s forward programme of VIP visits, vehicle maintenance, and improvement projects.
• Maintenance and management of accurate record of transport activity, including but not limited to contacts database, transport use/ statistics, invoicing, and income generation.
• Identifying the destruction of the old armoured vehicles and procedures from local destruction company.
• Identify process efficiencies and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Continually develop own and team’s knowledge on processes and transport requirements. 
• Effectively prioritise own work and work of the team to meet business requirements and objectives. 
• Establish/ embed practises and procedures for VIP movement and close protection teams ensuring physical security of guests, with limited supervision.

- Asset management

• Management of transport fleet, including maintenance and updating/ improving the vehicle asset register and reporting procedures.
• Identifying planned maintenance requirements and correct deployment of the fleet.
• Responsibility for monitoring and control of Transport inventories and assets.

- Compliance

• Developing vehicle safety, transport scheduling, fleet management, and vehicle procurement processes. Implement policies and best practise on vehicle procurement, ensuring the mission achieves maximum value for money. 
• Ensure compliance with correct accounting procedures.
• Manage maintenance and transport compliance, identifying and highlighting areas for improvement.
• Manage and deliver all aspects of Transport Health and Safety (H&S) including H&S induction, training, and operating procedures.
• Research and draft Embassy transport policy, procedures and legislation, including but not limited to health and safety.

- Communication

• Review/ develop policies and procedures and pro-actively identify and draft staff communications. Pro-actively inform staff and team of legislative changes and guidance.
• Communicate policies, improvements and compliance regularly to Senior Management and Estates Security Directorate (ESD).
• External liaison with Transport Managers at like-minded missions to seek and exchange information, clarify processes/ policies, and identify legislative changes and guidance.
• Liaison with key Ministry contacts, transport, and police department.
• Champion a ‘customer first’ approach. Identify customer requirements and quality standards and highlight improvements to the Transport team to exceed customer expectations.
• Act as the ‘intelligent client,’ identifying requirements and appropriate service level agreements (SLA) to manage and monitor requests.
• Effectively challenge requests if they are not in line FCDO policies and procedures.
• Provide guidance and act as an escalation point on staff matters for diplomatic and local staff, including dispute resolution.
• Actively build and deepen relationships with key stakeholders internally and externally. Act as internal and external liaison and demonstrate a professional and courteous manner.

- Finance

• Management of transport budget (maximum £75,000) for Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.
• Manage capital expenditure within delegated authority. Report to ROSM/ Head of Corporate Services (HCS) and Senior Management on capital expenditure and progress of capital procurement within the required deadlines.
• Procurement of insurance and multi-point vehicle inspection (MPVI) of the Embassy fleet for Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar.
• Identifying and negotiating savings and preparing and submitting proposals to Senior Management.
• Manage the purchase and sale of vehicles and vehicle parts using the FCDO internal accounting system, completing receipting and managing records on the internal Oracle-based system.

- Line management and people management

• Lead and manage the Transport team independently, with limited supervision. Line management of a team of Drivers and Mechanics who are responsible for safe driving and vehicle maintenance. Direct line management of 18 Drivers across Riyadh and Jeddah and two (2) Mechanics to ensure and maintain a high quality of service to guests and VIP visitors.
• Regular meetings with staff to ensure duties are being carried out efficiently and effectively and to identify learning and development needs.
• Develop communications plan within the team to regularly provide updates/ improve team morale.
• Implementation of an effective shift roster, identifying opportunities for delivering value for money and reducing overtime costs. 
• Be open to learning; keeping one's own knowledge and skill set as well as that of team members current and evolving, taking advantage of the Embassy’s strong Learning & Development (L&D) offer as well as opportunities to learn from and share best practice with fellow Transport Managers in the UK’s global diplomatic network.
• Development of training programmes, responding to individual development needs to support continuous professional development and accurate understanding of role requirements and high standards of service.
• Collaborate with the team to ensure they remain compliant with current and anticipated legislative requirements.
• Promote creativity and flexibility to manage the Transport team.
• Champion and embed a collaborative and inclusive culture.

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy emergency planning and any response to a crisis.

Key competencies required:

• Leading and Communicating - Leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. Establishing a strong direction and a persuasive future vision; managing and engaging with people with honesty and integrity, and upholding the reputation of the organisation.
• Changing and Improving - Being open to change, suggesting ideas for improvements to the way things are done, and working in ‘smarter’, more focused ways. Creating and contributing to a culture of innovation, making use of alternative delivery models including digital and shared service approaches wherever possible. Continuously seeking out ways to improve policy implementation and build a leaner, more flexible, and responsive team.
• Managing a Quality Service - Being organised to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. Effectively planning, organising, and managing time and activities to deliver a high quality and efficient service, applying programme and project management approaches to support service delivery.
• Making Effective Decisions - Being objective; using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert, and professional advice. Showing clarity of thought, setting priorities, analysing and using evidence to evaluate options before arriving at well-reasoned, justifiable decisions. Creating evidence-based strategies, evaluating options, impacts, risks, and solutions; aiming to maximise return while minimising risk and balancing social, political, financial, economic and environmental considerations to provide sustainable outcomes.

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in transport management or vehicle fleet management; or degree in logistics/ accounting.
• Knowledge of fleet and transport policy and procedures.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience vehicle procurement.
• Previous training in AV fleet management and experience with BR/ VSAG rated vehicles.
• Demonstrates local geographical knowledge to a high standard, with at least three (3) years of experience working locally in Riyadh/ Jeddah.
• Knowledge of specialist VIP movement and a minimum of two (2) years’ experience working with close protection teams.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in line management. Demonstrates excellent staff management skills and effective communication skills.
• Good project and planning management skills and an understanding of operating procedures.
• Excellent organisational skills. Ability to organise and prioritise workload, organise records, and meet deadlines and changing priorities whilst maintaining close attention to detail and without compromising the quality of the work.
• Excellent problem solving skills. Ability to anticipate and take initiative to avoid problems or fix them, and to use information and experience to solve problems effectively. Ability to understand competing priorities and make judgement calls on when to use own initiative to deal directly with issues and when to consult before taking decisions.
• Able to work independently and react calmly to situations which may arise, without constant supervision.
• Team player, with proven ability in collaborating and supporting others to deliver results.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to develop and maintain a range of contacts to build effective working relationships. Demonstrates a collaborative approach to colleagues and stakeholder partnerships.
• Outstanding customer service skills, putting guests and clients at the heart of everything you do. Demonstrates courtesy and consideration in dealing with all stakeholders. Able to show discretion in handling any sensitive matters, with the trust of all involved.
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
• Very good level of IT skills and proficiency in using Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Holds a clean and valid driving license for KSA or is able to gain one.