Operations Improvement Manager

We are proud to be One Team at East Midlands Railway (EMR). We are passionate about keeping people safe, delighting our customers, doing the right thing and putting customers at the heart of our sustainable railway for the East Midlands. With over 2,600 employees, our people are the reason we are so successful. Nine times accredited as a Top Employer, we value our people and are dedicated to making sure that everybody feels empowered to bring their authentic self to work. We have an exciting opportunity to join #TeamEMR as a Operations Improvement Manager.  

At EMR we want to proactively embrace diversity across our workforce and recognise that we are under-represented in terms of females and ethnic minority groups. We’re therefore taking positive steps to promote a positive and inclusive culture; we welcome applications from those that identify with these groups to better represent our communities.

About the role:

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to support the Head of Operations in shaping and delivering the strategic development of the driver function. This role will play a key part in advancing our People, Safety, and Performance objectives through the successful implementation of the Driver Strategy. Responsibilities include driving engagement in line with the Operational Improvement Plan, conducting trend analysis to identify system and process efficiencies. You will also oversee budget and procurement processes to ensure alignment with ABP requirements and lead the administration team in providing high-quality support to the wider operations teams, fostering efficiencies and continuous improvement.

 Key responsibilities include:

Support the strategic delivery of the Driver function, ensuring alignment with the People, Safety, and Performance pillars.Ensure the Driver function is equipped with the tools, knowledge, and information needed to deliver effectively.Highlight training needs, organise and oversee delivery of functional training, and develop Driver handbook to support line managers.Provide oversight and analysis of Training Needs Analysis for the function, identifying team-wide development needs and implementing training programmes.Facilitate the delivery of the functional Health, Safety & Wellbeing Plan.Lead the collaborative development of depot-specific improvement plans and provide analysis of health, safety, and wellbeing needs.Drive the implementation of the functional Performance Improvement Plan.Collaborate with depots on performance planning and analyse trends to guide improvement initiatives.Conduct trend analysis across both Driver and Resource teams to identify process and system efficiency opportunities.Maintain and oversee all KPI dashboards, ensuring data accuracy and providing insight into emerging trends.Prepare and deliver weekly and periodic reports that combine statistical and qualitative data, enabling proactive performance management.Lead the development and execution of the Operations Engagement Plan, including organising the Driver Conference and managing communication of learning from incidents, SPR outcomes, and best practices in line with EMR/SMS/059.Monitor and support budget and procurement activity, ensuring ABP compliance and escalating any areas of concern to the Head of Operations.Line manage the administration team and oversee the consistent delivery of support activities across the function.Identify and implement administrative efficiencies, ensuring operational teams receive high-quality support that aligns with both business-as-usual and strategic objectives.

About you:

Previous Operational Management experienceAn understanding of the principles of Trade Union Relations.A good understanding of the principles of Train Crew or equivalent rostering principlesLeadership qualities, general management and interpersonal skills with the ability to work productively with all levels throughout the function and external to EMRHighly organised, strong time-management skills to produce personal and team-based outputs to meet deadlines. Experience of turning KPI/data into action plans to drive continuous improvement.Excellent analytical ability demonstrated through interpretation of statistical and qualitative data sources. Strong ability to be able to understand budgets, KPI’s and interpret dataProven ability to work in a varied and fast paced environment and the ability to utilise own initiative; together with a “completer/finisher” ethos.

As well as a competitive salary, we’ll also offer you:

An excellent defined benefit pension scheme32 days’ holiday per year, rising to 34 after 2 yearsFlexible working hoursFree First Class duty travel on the EMR networkFree standard leisure travel on the EMR network and Train Operating Companies under Transport UK & LNER75% discount on national leisure travel (inc partner and dependants)Friends and Family discounted tickets on the EMR networkVarious training opportunitiesEmployee benefits portal with access to generous discounts, Cycle 2 Work Scheme …and many more!

To apply complete the online application and upload your CV. As we operate a blind screening process, please remove all personal information including your name from your CV.

Closing Date: 25 May 2025

Department: Managerial/Administration

Salary: circa. £45,646