Hire Controller

About Trant Engineering

Trant Engineering Ltd is a prominent EPC contractor recognized for delivering innovative engineering solutions across the UK and abroad. Boasting a workforce exceeding 1,000 employees and an annual turnover of £150 million, the company is expanding and seeking a Hire Controller to join their project delivery teams.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Plant & Transport (P&T) Lead, the Hire Controller will manage and process requisitions and oversee order placements for company-owned and externally hired plant and transport assets. This role emphasizes efficient support to project sites while ensuring strict adherence to company policies. Close collaboration with the Transport Foreman is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Receive and handle daily plant and transport hire requisitions, both internal and third-party.
• Source quotes from external plant hire suppliers.
• Evaluate quotes and generate purchase orders using the COINS system.
• Investigate instances of lost or damaged plant, assessing proposed chargebacks.
• Coordinate with Site Managers and negotiate applicable charges with suppliers upon confirmed losses, supporting P&T Lead when required.
• Assist with onboarding new vehicles/assets to the fleet, including asset creation in COINS.
• Manage spare key arrangements and their storage.
• Oversee installation and monitoring of telematic tracking systems on commercial vehicles.
• Conduct weekly reviews of commercial vehicles for compliance regarding working hours, travel duration, and speed limits; produce and distribute relevant reports to management and HR.
• Handle procurement of Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) for all company-owned vehicles.
• Perform reconciliation of UK fuel invoices with receipts, addressing queries and escalating significant issues like non-preferred fuel usage.
• Support general administrative tasks for the P&T Lead and Transport Foreman, including phone handling, meeting coordination, COINS updates, and ad hoc reporting.
• Assist with resolution of invoice discrepancies forwarded by the accounts department.
• Support plant inspections on site for hired-in equipment alongside the P&T Lead.
• Help schedule technician work orders in the PMS system via tablets in coordination with P&T Lead and Transport Foreman.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum qualifications: GCSEs in Mathematics and English.
• 1 to 3 years' experience as a Hire Controller within a Plant Hire Company.
• Desirable certifications include Risk Assessment and Environmental Awareness.
• Experience in budgeting assistance, schedule coordination, and stakeholder communication is a plus.

Why Work with Us?

Trant Engineering delivers critical national infrastructure projects, including process, water treatment, and energy upgrades, providing a comprehensive EPC approach from design to commissioning. Employees benefit from a supportive environment fostering career development through structured mentoring programs and clear progression paths.

Employee Benefits

• Competitive pay rates.
• 28 days annual leave including bank holidays, with options to purchase extra leave via salary sacrifice.
• Company pension scheme.
• Access to an employee assistance program.
• Discretionary yearly bonus.

Additional Details

Application deadline: 4 September 2026. Location: Southampton, England, United Kingdom.