Operations Manager in Fort William

About Ember
We’re building the future of public transport — convenient, connected, affordable and zero-emission. Our goal is to make it easier to get from A to B with Ember than it is with your own car. We’ve already demonstrated that it’s possible to use electric buses more intensively than anyone else in the world. This leads to a massive emissions reduction and is only possible because we control the full-stack and integrate it tightly together. That includes the tech platform, the charging infrastructure and the vehicles themselves. This also means we’re providing a much better passenger experience with innovative features like demand-responsive stops.

We’ve come a long way but we’re still small, with a handful of routes and 78 buses. The challenge is to scale this 50x whilst staying lean, increasing efficiency and delivering an even better product experience. We’ve recently raised equity from some of Europe’s leading climate VCs and are looking for mission-driven individuals who can help take us to the next level.

The role
This role is all about keeping the show on the road. That means working with our in-house tech system to ensure vehicles, drivers and customers all stay coordinated and running smoothly. But when things don’t quite go to plan you need to be someone who stays calm and relishes the challenge of figuring out the best way to modify plans and keep everyone up to date.

We need someone who thrives in the middle of a busy environment. We operate a 24/7 timetable so there are always buses on the road. That means you’ll need to work a fair share of weekend shifts and take part in our on-call rota for out of hours emergency support.

Attitude is more important to us than your exact level of experience. Being able to stay organised, manage the complexity of a transport network, and give customers a great experience are critical. You might already be a qualified transport manager looking for a role in a 21st century operator or you might be new to transport and logistics.

Sometimes that will mean troubleshooting, but after every fire you’ll take a step back and think about how to help the team design and implement a process that could have dealt with the issue proactively.

What you will do
We’re still very much a scale-up, so your role will be broad. At a minimum it will include:

• Day to day involvement in vehicle, driver and route management
• Looking after our customers across multiple channels
• Helping to manage vehicle and charger maintenance
• Assisting with the planning of future routes and expansion

You’ll be engaging with a committed Operations team to ensure we have 24/7 coverage. Part of this will mean pitching in and helping with weekend and evening cover to support the live team out on the roads, whilst also working to ensure we keep these unanticipated events to a minimum.

Start dates and timings
We’re growing very rapidly, and are looking to engage multiple new team members throughout 2026.

Diversity and equality
At Ember, we support diversity across our team and customers. We work to ensure every employee feels respected and able to give their best, whether temporary, part-time or full-time. We’re happy to offer flexible working patterns where they make sense, are compassionate when it comes to time off and offer enhanced maternity and paternity leave.

What’s on offer
As well as a salary of up to £38,000 per annum, depending on your experience, you’ll be eligible for share options through an EMI scheme.

How do I apply?
Apply using the form, providing a CV and a cover letter explaining why you’re right for this opportunity. We are looking for candidates who live close to one of our Highland hubs: Inverness; Fort William; Oban or Thurso and the role will be a mixture of being based at one of these hubs and from home.

How you work and think is much more important to us than any specific industry experience. A genuine passion for climate or public transport, or even both, are also very valuable and we’ll teach you the rest. You don’t need to be a master of anything (yet) but shouldn’t feel out of your depth anywhere.

At a minimum, you should be:

• An excellent communicator (written and verbal)
• Detail oriented, ensuring nothing slips past you unnoticed
• Fast at learning new tech systems
• Very organised with the ability to juggle competing priorities
• A good human, who understands that we’re all humans doing our best to make a difference
• Excited to work in public transport, providing a great service for as many people as possible

We look for a range of qualities in all members of Ember’s Operations Team, and the following should resonate with you:

• A strong sense of what good really looks like whatever the topic, problem, or issue. After all, good is good.
• An instinct and curiosity that draws you to problems and drives you to find a solution, rather than hoping someone else picks it up.
• An innate structured thinker – everything is a series of steps which can be broken down and rationalised.
• An ability to build strong relationships with a diverse range of people, from drivers to software developers.