Despatch Operative

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Date: 3 Apr 2026

Location: Nottingham, GB

Company: Hovis

Welcome to Hovis. We are the proud guardians of over 130 years of baking experience that make up our iconic and much-loved brand. We produce bread and bakery products created with Hovis goodness at the heart of each. We deliver around 1.3million loaves, every day of the week throughout the UK and Ireland, where we also make Mothers Pride and Ormo products. 

 

We are 2,800 people working within 8 bakeries, 1 flour mill, and 2 regional distribution centres across the UK. Our success is a result of the hard work of our people;  they are experts in their field whether it’s baking, manufacturing, logistics, engineering, or the many departments within the central functions team based in our head office in High Wycombe. We are a values-led business and expect our colleagues to live, breathe, and embed Quality, Accountability, and Trust into their ways of working.

We are looking for a reliable and flexible Despatch Operative to join our team at our Nottingham site. You will play a key role in ensuring our products move safely and efficiently from the bakery to our customers, maintaining high standards of service, quality, and safety.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Pick and organise products accurately to meet customer demand

  • Operate Material Handling Equipment (MHE), including Forklift Truck

  • Use internal systems (Track & Trace, Put To Light) to manage shipments and stock

  • Load/unload vehicles and oversee bay and trailer checks

  • Maintain excellent hygiene, housekeeping, and safety standards

  • Support audits, stock counts, and cross-department collaboration

  • Follow all Health & Safety procedures and PPE requirements

What We’re Looking For:

  • Strong team player with attention to detail

  • Flexible and committed approach

  • Ability to work in hot and cold environments

  • Manual handling capability

  • Available for day and night shifts

  • MHE/Forklift experience (licence preferred)

Desirable:

  • Food Hygiene Certificate

  • Warehouse or despatch experience

  • Health & Safety knowledge (SHE Level 1)

If you’re motivated, safety-focused, and ready to contribute to a fast-paced bakery environment, we’d love to hear from you.

 
 
 

Why work for us and our benefits:

At Hovis, we understand the importance of looking after our colleagues, so we provide a variety of benefits in addition to their salaries. The benefits we provide at Hovis are as varied as the people who receive them but they are offered with the intention of creating value to them personally over and above their salaries

  • There is a range of colleague benefits available, which individuals can select based on their needs.

  • Our benefits scheme is called Hovis Choice, which offers a variety of savings and cashback offers on day to day living and much more including eyecare vouchers, and a healthcare scheme to suit everyone.  It also includes our Cycle to Work scheme where you can obtain a brand new bike at a significant saving

  • We offer competitive annual leave entitlement and flexibility where possible in order to create a healthy work-life balance

  • We celebrate loyalty with our generous long service and colleague recognition schemes

  • We offer three levels of pensions

Hovis values diversity and is committed to promoting equal opportunities in the workplace. Every job applicant, employee or worker will be treated fairly and equally with dignity and respect regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, social class, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religious belief, union membership, political opinion, sex, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.