Senior Hire Manager / Head of HireLocation: Northamptonshire with UK-wide growth remitHours: Mon Fri, 40 hours per weekRole OverviewWe are seeking an experienced Senior Hire Manager / Head of Hire to lead and grow the Hire function. Starting with the Northamptonshire operation, you will build and develop a scalable hire model to support rapid UK-wide expansion. Experience in Forklifts, MHE, or Plant Hire is essential, and knowledge of Protean is highly advantageous.Key Responsibilities• Lead, manage, and develop the Hire team, establishing a structure for national growth.• Oversee all short-term hire operations including scheduling, customer communication, transport booking, quotations, and invoicing.• Drive commercial performance, ensuring strong utilisation, margins, and customer satisfaction.• Build and maintain supplier and cross-hire partnerships.• Ensure accurate and efficient administration across hire and sales processes.• Work closely with sales and service teams to streamline customer and equipment workflows.• Champion CRM and systems usage, ideally including Protean, and support continuous improvement initiatives.Skills and Experience• Senior-level experience in Forklift, MHE, or Plant Hire.• Strong leadership and team development skills.• Comfortable leading through change and growth.• Excellent communication, customer focus, and organisational ability.• Competent with Microsoft 365 and CRM/service systems (Protean desirable).What s Offered• Competitive senior sal