At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead scheduling strategies and optimise driver duties for efficient bus service delivery.
- Company: Join a leading bus network committed to customer-focused service and operational excellence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development opportunities, and a supportive work environment.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on public transport efficiency while supporting workforce wellbeing.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership skills and experience in scheduling and workforce planning.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 € per year.
Location: South or West of England - Bristol or Portsmouth
The First Bus Network CoE is responsible for bus service performance and producing the day‑to‑day operating plan for our fleet across the UK. Data and route performance analysis is key in managing our service profitability and reliability. Our core services include designing bus routes and timetables, creating vehicle and driver duties to ensure operational efficiency and complying with regulatory requirements. Using advanced planning systems, the team also prepares contract and tender bids for First, all with the goal of supporting reliable and customer‑focused delivery.
Position Summary
The Schedules Manager oversees the scheduling function within one of the organisation's core businesses, ensuring the delivery of efficient, compliant, and cost‑effective duty and roster schedules. Reporting to the UK Head of Schedules, they manage a team of locally aligned Senior Schedulers and Schedulers, driving performance, innovation, and alignment with operational and strategic goals. The role is pivotal in supporting workforce wellbeing, service delivery and business growth through effective planning, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement. The role holder will collaborate cross‑functionally with Network Planning, Operations and HR to align schedules with strategic service and workforce goals.
Key Responsibilities
- Scheduling Strategy and Optimisation: Lead the development and optimisation of driver duties and rosters, ensuring alignment with operational efficiency, driver wellbeing and service delivery objectives for their respective business or area.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with Network Planning, Network Process and Governance, Operations and HR to ensure schedules support workforce availability, retention and strategic service objectives.
- Trade Union Engagement and Escalation: Act as the primary escalation point for trade union engagement on scheduling matters if a solution can't be addressed, ensuring compliance with agreements and fostering constructive relationships.
- Governance and Service Change Compliance: Ensure their team's adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Service Change Checkpoints across all scheduling teams.
- Resource Management and Team Resilience: Work with the process and governance sub‑function of Network to guarantee workload balancing and resource allocation across scheduling teams, ensuring resilience and high performance.
- Crisis and Contingency Planning: Contribute to crisis and contingency planning, ensuring scheduling flexibility and responsiveness to service disruptions.
- Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Drive continuous improvement in scheduling practices, embedding best‑in‑class tools and software, governance and performance frameworks.
- Regulatory and Operational Compliance: Oversee compliance with regulatory requirements, including driver hours legislation, local agreements and data submissions (e.g. BODS, DAS, Ticket).
- Bid and Franchise Support: Support integrated tender and franchise bidding processes with robust scheduling analysis and modelling.
- Ad‑hoc support: Other duties commensurate with the role as may be deemed appropriate by the UK Head of Schedules.
Skills & Experience
- Leadership and Team Management: Strong leadership experience, with a track record of managing and developing scheduling teams.
- Analytical and Planning Expertise: High level of numeracy and data literacy, with experience in workforce planning and optimisation.
- Technical Scheduling Proficiency: Proficiency in scheduling systems (e.g. Optibus) and understanding of scheduling principles and constraints.
- Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, including trade union negotiation.
- Commercial and Financial Acumen: Commercial awareness and experience contributing to budgeting, forecasting and tender processes.
- Regulatory and Legal Knowledge: Knowledge of regulatory and legal frameworks related to driver hours and scheduling compliance.
- EV Management: Experience in managing scheduling for electric vehicle (EV) fleets is desirable.
- Performance Under Pressure: Ability to work in a high‑pressured environment consistently delivering on objectives within timeframe.
- Local Operational Insight: Geographical knowledge of the areas of operation and responsibility is preferred.
- Performance Under Pressure: Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines.
Locations
Schedules Manager in Hampshire, Portsmouth employer: First Bus
At First Bus, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work culture that prioritises employee wellbeing and professional growth. As a Schedules Manager in the vibrant locations of Bristol or Portsmouth, you will lead a dedicated team while collaborating across functions to drive innovation and operational efficiency. With a commitment to continuous improvement and a supportive environment, we empower our employees to make a meaningful impact in delivering reliable and customer-focused bus services.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Schedules Manager in Hampshire, Portsmouth
✨Tip Number 1
Network, network, network! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy about reaching out to professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews like a pro! Research the company, understand their values, and think about how your skills align with their needs. Practice common interview questions and come up with examples that showcase your experience in scheduling and team management.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your analytical skills! Be ready to discuss how you've used data to optimise schedules or improve service delivery in past roles. Bring along any relevant case studies or examples that highlight your problem-solving abilities.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team and contributing to our mission of delivering reliable bus services.
We think you need these skills to ace Schedules Manager in Hampshire, Portsmouth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Schedules Manager role. Highlight your leadership experience and any relevant scheduling expertise that aligns with our needs at First Bus Network.
Showcase Your Analytical Skills:Since data analysis is key in this role, don’t forget to mention your experience with scheduling systems and any analytical tools you've used. We want to see how you can optimise schedules and improve service delivery.
Emphasise Collaboration:This position requires a lot of cross-functional teamwork, so share examples of how you've successfully collaborated with different departments. We love seeing candidates who can engage stakeholders effectively!
Apply Through Our Website:For the best chance of success, make sure to apply directly through our website. It’s the easiest way for us to review your application and get you into the process quickly!
How to prepare for a job interview at First Bus
✨Know Your Scheduling Systems
Familiarise yourself with scheduling systems like Optibus before the interview. Be ready to discuss how you've used such tools in past roles, as this will show your technical proficiency and understanding of scheduling principles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership experience, especially in managing and developing scheduling teams. Think about specific challenges you've faced and how you drove performance and innovation within your team.
✨Understand Regulatory Requirements
Brush up on the regulatory frameworks related to driver hours and scheduling compliance. Being able to discuss these regulations confidently will demonstrate your knowledge and readiness for the role.
✨Engage in Stakeholder Scenarios
Be prepared to discuss how you've engaged with stakeholders, including trade unions. Think of examples where you successfully navigated negotiations or built constructive relationships, as this is crucial for the Schedules Manager role.
