Head Of Operations in Broughton

Description

A little bit about us: East West Rail is an infrastructure programme linking communities between Oxford and Cambridge.

The area is currently let down by a lack of transport choices, and we have a once in a generation opportunity to fix that – improving prosperity for people and places along the way.

East West Railway Company (that’s us) was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way

Role Summary:A unique opportunity to lead all operations team activity within EWRTeam dimensions:East West Rail operates a matrix structure.

This role sits within the Operations Community, as part of the Customer Service Professional Home.  

Key Responsibilities

As Head of Operations for the East West Rail scheme you will lead the operations team and represent the voice of the future operator and the customer for the EWR scheme, bringing a ‘whole industry’ operations perspective to our work.  

You will work closely with partner organisations such as Network Rail and the shadow operator (once appointed) to shape, define and specify future train services between Oxford and Cambridge.

You will represent EWR and Operations within the wider industry, bringing multiple inputs to our ongoing development and design. 

Lead and develop your team of Operations Development Managers, deploying them as subject matter experts across the programme. 

Identify and manage resource requirements, identifying gaps in knowledge and skills where appropriate to support delivery of the Customer and Operations programme

• Operations led workstreams:

Own and manage the Concept of Operations and supporting products which illustrate EWR’s view of how the end-to-end system will operate.  

Own and manage the Train Service Specification and the Full Route Timetable, working closely with the Demand Forecasting and Business Case teams to ensure the specification balances EWR’s requirements for passengers with Whole Life Cost pressures.

Own and manage the Service Delivery Strategy and the Train Operator Model, keeping these up to date as scheme design progresses. 

Create other products as required to describe the EWR operation.

• The EWR design programme:

Represent a cross-industry view of operations within East West Rail Company, providing a critical input into our Design programme for the route between Oxford and Cambridge. 

Critique and input into infrastructure designs considering operability including track layout, signalling, control, level crossings and possession planning. 

Act as the business owner for operational modelling, creating remits for work as required by teams across the business. 

Work with suppliers and technical partners to see this work carried out and the results analysed and acted upon.

• Stakeholders and working relationships 

Work closely with the Sponsorship team and their work on freight demand forecasting and industry engagement.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• At least 10 years railway operations experience with 5 years in a senior position
• Strong knowledge of the railway industry policies and processes used to plan and deliver new train services (for example track access, timetable planning, staffing arrangements and operational readiness). 
• Knowledge of relevant and industry-specific legislation, standards and HSSE regulations
• The proven ability to review and assure solutions within a complex technical environment. 
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to analyse complex data (quantitative and qualitative), draw conclusions, and produce solutions and decisions. 
• Experience of providing operational support for large, technical complex, safety focused regulated projects, where there are multiple, complex interfaces. 
• Experience of facilitating and driving innovation in an engineering and technical environment 
• Strong communication, presentation, and leadership skills 
• The ability to engage and work within a complex stakeholders environment 
• Confidence in dealing with high levels of uncertainty and ambiguity in a constantly changing and challenging environment.

Education and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in management, operations, engineering or similar discipline, or equivalent business experience and training. 
• Membership or Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Railway Operators
• Post graduate qualification in business management or equivalent is advantageous. 

Benefits

What we offer:  

• Competitive base salary 
• Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution  
• 36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) + up to 2 days to buy  
• Life assurance  
• Employee Assistance Programme  
• Perks platform with hundreds of discounts and freebies  
• On-the-spot and annual awards  
• Advanced learning and development programmes  
• Flexible working opportunities 
• Enhanced family-friendly policies  
• Exceptional IT tools 

 EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives.

EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual’s work life balance and style.

Diversity and inclusion:To discover the best solutions, it’s important we embrace diversity of thought.

That’s why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged, and valued.

Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being.

Our approach to diversity is simple – a workplace where everyone is welcome, and everyone is encouraged to be themselves.

It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve.

If you want to connect lives and unlock the future, then we’d love to hear from you

East West Railway Company is a new and exciting venture at the forefront of the changing landscape of the rail industry, delivering substantial fast-paced improvement to modernise the railway.