Operations Director

The role of Operations Director for Scotland’s Railway is a fantastic opportunity to lead the operations team to meet defined safety, performance and financial objectives, whilst balancing the interests of all customers. Acting as operational lead for Scotland’s Railway in agreeing key priorities with stakeholders and supporting the safe, sustainable and efficient provision and operation of fixed rail infrastructure services.

This is a role that requires a strong leader who can work collaboratively with various stakeholders to drive continuous improvement and ensure that customer expectations are met. As Operations Director you will manage and lead a vast team of experts that report to divisional leaders within areas such as stations, route control, rostering and many more.

To succeed in this role, you will have excellent communication and leadership skills, as well as a thorough understanding of railway operations and the ability to think strategically. Being able to navigate complex relationships with both internal and external stakeholders is crucial for success. This is an exciting and influential position where you can make a real difference in shaping the future of Scotland’s railway network.

• Please note that this role is for a secondment of 2 years and will require national security vetting


About the role (External)

Below are some of the responsibilities you will expect to carry out in this role.

· Direct your team to achieve business and functional objectives whilst meeting key performance measures. Create an engaged, motivated working environment in line with company values.

· Create a culture to enable customer and frontline employee feedback to be reflected in policies and procedures to deliver continuous performance improvement.

· Achieve financial, technical, safety and customer satisfaction targets agreed with the Chief Operating Officer.

· Leading delivery of operations in compliance with policies, procedures and standards and direct the development of disaster and incident management plans. Support the on-site management of recovery from major incidents.

· Act as the Designated Competent Person (DCP) for both formal and local investigations. Report on accidents/incidents and undertake investigations as required.

· Manage the development and implementation of safety, train performance and customer satisfaction, initiatives. With the Head of Maintenance Delivery, create plans to address customer needs and performance issues.

· Lead real-time delivery of train performance and implement processes to deliver continuous improvement.

To excel in this role, we require you to have the following

· Chartered member of relevant professional body or equivalent experience

· Significant successful experience in operational management in a Safety Critical Industry

· Recognised operational delivery leadership capability.

· Able to demonstrate in depth knowledge and experience of health and safety management and compliance management processes.

· Proven ability to influence decision making and build cross functional / cross company relationships.

· Proven track record of customer relationship management

· Significant knowledge of rail industry

· Successful experience of managing business unit financials

· Able to demonstrate understanding of NR safety management system.

Please be aware this role holds a mandatory requirement for the incumbent to hold valid security vetting clearance. Any offer will be conditional on the successful candidate obtaining clearance prior to a start date being agreed.

If you have lived outside of the UK in the last 3 years and have been invited to interview for this role, please notify us., Please be aware this role holds a mandatory requirement for the incumbent to hold valid security vetting clearance. Any offer will be conditional on the successful candidate obtaining clearance prior to a start date being agreed. If you have lived outside of the UK within the last 3 years and have been invited to interview for this role, please notify us.

We're dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the passengers we serve. To achieve this, we're committed to becoming an open, diverse, and inclusive workplace, leveraging the skills and expertise of our talented workforce. Together, we strive to create a safe and accessible railway for everyone. Discover more about the importance of Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail by clicking here.

Investing in our people is key to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our railway system. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact, then this opportunity is for you!

About our people and the recruitment process - We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don't always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we'll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.