Lead Driver

Salary: £42,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

Schedule: Day shift

About Savona

Savona is a leading independent foodservice wholesaler with over 50 years of experience supplying chefs, caterers, and hospitality professionals across the South of England. What truly sets us apart isn’t just our products – it’s our people, our culture, and our customer-first mindset.

We’re a business built on relationships. Every order, every delivery, every conversation is driven by one simple value: put the customer at the heart of everything we do. Our team takes pride in going the extra mile – anticipating needs, solving problems, and delivering a service experience that is personal, reliable, and refreshingly genuine.

We work fast, stay flexible, and think differently. As an independent company, we have the freedom to innovate, to act quickly, and to put doing the right thing above all else. Collaboration and integrity guide how we work – with our customers, our partners, and each other.

At Savona, you’ll join a team that values initiative, celebrates fresh ideas, and supports each other to grow. We’re passionate about food, serious about service, and proud of the reputation we’ve built.

Savona Foodservice maintains large warehouses at every depot to accommodate a diverse array of food items. Prior to visiting any of our depots, please contact us if you have any food product intolerances.

Job Summary

We are currently looking for a Lead Driver to assist and support the day to day running of the Transport department to meet required objectives. Working flexible hours, you will organise the drivers before they leave the yard, assist with vehicle repairs and defects, support in ensuring fleet compliance and assist with route management. The ideal candidate will have route and customer knowledge, a good understanding of vehicles and transport, and be competent using computers. Class 2 Licence and Valid CPC is required.

Key Responsibilities

Accountabilities-include but not limited to:

• Working hours – 05:00 – 14:30 (has to be flexible)
• Organisation of the drivers before they leave the yard
• Before vehicles leave the yard, assist with any vehicle repairs and vehicle defects.
• Support Distribution Manager in ensuring SLN fleet compliance.
• Route learning – first-hand knowledge and experience of all routes and drops, this is to assist with route management and help the drivers if required.
• Assist with any vehicle swaps or run outs.
• Ensure all drivers equipment are fit for business including truck wash, returns, sack truck area etc
• Default driver in the event of being short staffed
• Cover driver for sickness absence for Hub delivery to Oxford

Person Specification

• Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Route and customer knowledge
• Vehicle knowledge
• Transport knowledge
• Aligning with our company values & behaviours
• Class 2 licence
• Valid CPC
• IT literate
• Good communication skills
• Problem solving and able to work under pressure

Ability to commute/relocate

Barking, London