Operations Manager in London

Ealing Council have an exciting new opportunity as Passenger Transport Operations Manager available on a full-time basis. At Ealing Council, our All Age Passenger Transport Service plays a vital role in helping residents of all ages access education, care, work and community life safely and with dignity. We are proud to deliver services that reduce inequality, support independence and enable children, families and adults with additional needs to thrive. Join Ealing and be part of a council that values innovation, collaboration and making a real day to day difference to people’s lives.

The Operations Manager plays a critical leadership role within the Transport Hub, ensuring the safe, efficient and high quality delivery of travel assistance services for children and vulnerable adults. The post holder will oversee day to day transport operations, lead staff and provider performance, ensure safeguarding and compliance, and drive continuous service improvement in a demanding front line environment.

As the Operations Manager you will:

• Lead the operational delivery of travel assistance services, ensuring children and vulnerable adults are always transported safely and reliably.
• Support the Head of Passenger Transport with strategic and day to day service management, deputising when required.
• Manage Transport Officers, Passenger Assistants and relationships with external providers to ensure high performance, compliance and value for money.
• Oversee safeguarding, health and safety, risk assessments and service continuity across all transport operations.
• Lead on contract negotiation, monitoring and utilisation, ensuring services meet agreed quality standards and budgets.
• Resolve complex complaints, safeguarding concerns and operational issues with professionalism and sound judgement.
• Drive continuous improvement through performance monitoring, audits, staff development and stakeholder engagement.

Our Operations Manager will have the below skills and experience:

• Strong commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, with the ability to manage confidential and sensitive information.
• Proven ability to manage and supervise staff, supporting both performance and professional development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage confidently with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to manage a high pressure, demand led service, prioritising workloads and meeting conflicting deadlines.
• Experience of operational problem solving, maintaining service continuity in fast changing and adverse situations.
• Ability to lead, monitor and enforce compliance with policies, procedures and quality standards.
• Strong negotiation and procurement skills, including managing contracts and provider relationships.
• High level verbal, written and numerical skills, including producing reports and management information.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, demonstrating sound judgement and initiative.
• Strong understanding of equality, diversity and customer care principles within service delivery.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Substantial experience working at a senior operational or managerial level.
• Experience of working within a large, diverse team environment.
• Proven experience of influencing teams and partners to deliver service improvement.
• Experience using ICT systems to monitor, manage and maintain service data.
• A level of education demonstrating strong literacy and numeracy skills.

We are not accepting CVs, you must complete a supporting statement providing examples of how you meet each of the criteria in the job description section of the role profile. Any applications received with a CV will not be progressed or reviewed.

You must have the right to work in the UK. Evidence for the right to work in the UK will be requested at the interview stage.

Ealing Council is committed to creating good jobs and delivering on its connected communities’ agenda. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive. We therefore welcome applications from all residents of the borough, we particularly welcome applications from candidates who are entering the employment market in the early stages of their career and mid-career professionals, who are currently underrepresented in Ealing’s workforce. Please note all applications will be determined on merit. This position is subject to Ealing’s Enhanced Vetting process.

Closing date for applications: Tuesday 26 May 2026

Interview dates: week commencing Monday 8 June 2026