Overview
Fleet Manager
Permanent, Full Time
£44,952 – £52,884 Per Annum
Location: Chelmsford
Closing Date: 16/08/2026
Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must have a current, unrestricted right to work in the UK.
Interviews for this role will be held on 01/09/2026 & 02/09/2026.
The Opportunity
Drive the Future of Fleet Operations in Essex!
Are you a strategic leader with a passion for commercial vehicles, operational excellence, and delivering outstanding service? Do you thrive in a dynamic environment where innovation and impact go hand in hand? If so, we want you on our team.
Business Support provides a range of customer focused administration, transactional and support services for citizens, internal customers, partners, and suppliers of the Council.
The Fleet Manager will lead a team of Business support staff who undertake administration support from within a Business Centre. They are also responsible for leading the effectiveness of the vehicle leasing service, ensuring that team members are fully trained, developed and motivated to provide excellent customer service.
The manager will also be required to have excellent operational leadership and contract management skills to ensure that both fleet and car provision suppliers relationships are maintained to deliver valued service to Essex County Council. The ability to collaborate with colleagues and key stakeholders to develop and make improvements to processes using continuous improvement methodologies. Creativity, innovation, flexibility, and the ability gather performance data are key.
To learn firsthand about what a day in the life of a Fleet Manager entails, please click following link https://workingforessex.com/blog/fleet-manager
Accountabilities
- Lead, coach, motivate and inspire a team of Business Support staff to deliver high quality and professional administration and fleet leasing support.
- To be the Essex County Council ‘O’ licence holder ensuring the industry standards required are maintained for both vehicle maintenance and person good repute.
- Ensure vehicle leasing services delivers its outputs, ensuring best value for money and accurate 3-year forecasting of spend.
- Engage with appropriate stakeholders to understand requirements and achieve quality and value for money services through continuous improvement and adoption of technology.
- Provide expert departmental advice and guidance to Directors and Heads of Service as required.
- Ensure compliance with all external and internal regulation and contribute to wider ECC strategy.
- To be responsible for the organisation of specifications, vehicle replacement and maintenance schedules.
- Ensure vehicle leasing service adheres to external (DVLA) and internal audit requirements with appropriate levels of governance and controls.
- Develop clear and consistent processes and effectively manage the quality of outputs.
- Drives a high performing culture, drawing on specialist skills and expertise to challenge practice and bring together diverse capabilities to achieve shared objectives.
- Identify and develop career opportunities for Business Support staff to forge a career at ECC through proactive development and succession planning in collaboration with colleagues.
- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined within the performance management framework.
The Experience You Will Bring
- This post will be responsible for Essex County Council ‘O’ licensing and as such should hold or be willing to obtain a Certificate of Professional Competence for both National Passenger Transport and National Freight.
- Experience of working within the motor vehicle industry to VOSA standard and related legislation.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and commitment to learning through theory and practice.
- Proven experience of evaluating service quality and identifying improvement opportunities using lean six sigma methodology and a continuous improvement mindset.
- Demonstrable experience of leading a team with the ability to motivate, engage and develop the team to achieve high performance and outstanding business results.
- Demonstrates a passion for delivering excellent customer experiences, using creativity and innovation.
- Strong operational management skills including demand and resource management.
- Experience of analysing data to support strategic planning and problem solving.
- Flexible in approach and ability to work under pressure.
- Experience in onboarding new staff from a range of backgrounds including those with neurodiversity, work experience placements and apprenticeships.
This role goes beyond fleet management-it’s about enabling essential services. From ensuring a school minibus is road-ready to supporting mobile libraries and community transport, your work will directly impact lives across Essex.
If you’re ready to lead with purpose, innovate with impact, and help shape the future of fleet operations – apply now and be part of something that truly matters.
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
