Operations Director

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About Network Rail
The West Coast South route stretches from the south of Crewe to London Euston, carrying millions of passengers and up to 10% of the country's freight traffic each year. Our route contains the West Coast main line which stretches over 1,000 miles of track and has 64 passenger stations. It's also the busiest mixed-use railway in Europe, forming Anglo-Scottish journeys between London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, as well as providing commuter links to the capital through Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Buckinghamshire.

The Route terminates at London Euston - one of the busiest stations on the network and one which will be transformed in the coming years into a London terminus fit for the 21st Century.

Our Region

Our North West & Central region runs from London Euston and Marylebone in the South through the Chiltern and West Midlands regions, the North West of England, and Cumbria before joining with Scotland at Gretna.

We're a very busy region, with 1.3 million passengers travelling on our rails every weekday and 700,000 tonnes of freight moved a week. With 571 stations in the North West & Central region, we make up a quarter of Britain's railway system.

We are committed to transforming the North West & Central region into a customer-focused service organisation, putting passengers first. We will prioritise safe, reliable train services against the ongoing need to build a bigger, better railway capable of transporting more people and produce in the future.

Diversity and Inclusion are two terms that are important to us at Network Rail. For us, Diversity means recognising differences between people while valuing the contribution they make. Inclusion means creating safe and welcoming workplaces with fair cultures that encourage innovative and fresh ways of thinking.

We value the commitments you may have outside of work and will consider flexible and hybrid working applications. If we can make it work we will!

We are thrilled to announce that Network Rail has been recognised as one of the Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equity for the fourth consecutive year!

Brief Description
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.

Lead the operations team for West Coast South, ensuring the safe, efficient, and sustainable delivery of rail infrastructure services on our route. Drive operational excellence by achieving safety, performance, and financial objectives. Lead operational engagement with key customers and stakeholders; aligning priorities to balance and address the needs of all customers effectively. Focus on real-time train service delivery, performance improvement, seasonal readiness, and compliance to deliver seamless service across the West Coast South area.
About the role (External)

• Direct the management of operational and workforce safety within West Coast South and act as a role model in the promotion of safety and environmental excellence.
• Inspire excellence in the quality of service provided to Network Rail's customers.
• Direct the team to achieve business objectives and meet key performance measures.
• Create an engaged, motivated working environment alongside a culture of continuous improvement.
• Achieve financial, technical, safety, and customer satisfaction targets.
• Lead 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.
• Lead the development and implementation of safety, train performance, and customer satisfaction initiatives.
• Lead real-time delivery of day-to-day train performance.
• Provide input to business plans, policies, standards, and network strategies.
• Act as the Designated Competent Person (DCP) for both formal and local investigations.
• Undertake safety tours and set the framework for safety and work quality checks within the team.

• 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 the rail industry.
• Successful experience of managing business unit financials.
• Able to demonstrate understanding of NR safety management system.

• In-depth understanding of the railway industry and its needs and interfaces.
• Knowledge of relevant standards and procedures.