At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead scheduling strategies and optimise driver duties for efficient bus service delivery.
- Company: Join First Bus, a leader in ground passenger transportation with a focus on community and innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, health perks, discounted travel, and 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for continuous improvement and career development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on service efficiency while supporting workforce wellbeing and business growth.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership, analytical skills, and experience in scheduling systems required.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Location: South or West of England - Bristol, Portsmouth, Leeds or Sheffield
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 prepare 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 to ensure 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 frame works.
- Regulatory and Operational Compliance: Oversee compliance with regulatory requirements, including driver hours legislation, local agreements, and data submissions (e.g. BODS, DAS, Ticketer).
- 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 schedulingteams.
- 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.
Schedules Manager in Leeds employer: First Bus
At First Bus, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises employee wellbeing and professional growth. As a Schedules Manager, you will benefit from competitive salaries, comprehensive health support, and a commitment to work-life balance, all while collaborating with a dynamic team dedicated to operational excellence in the heart of the UK's transportation network.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Schedules Manager in Leeds
✨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 folks 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 experience aligns with their goals. Practice common interview questions and come up with examples that showcase your skills 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 efficiency in past roles. Bring along any relevant case studies or examples that highlight your expertise in workforce planning.
✨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 at First Bus. Let’s get you on board!
We think you need these skills to ace Schedules Manager in Leeds
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Schedules Manager role. Highlight your experience in scheduling, team management, and any relevant software skills. We want to see how you can bring your unique flair to our team!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:As a Schedules Manager, you'll be leading a team, so don’t forget to emphasise your leadership experience. Share examples of how you've successfully managed teams and driven performance in previous roles. We love a good success story!
Demonstrate Analytical Prowess:This role requires strong analytical skills, so be sure to mention any experience you have with data analysis or workforce planning. We’re keen to see how you’ve used data to optimise schedules and improve service delivery in the past.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team at First Bus!
How to prepare for a job interview at First Bus
✨Know Your Scheduling Systems
Familiarise yourself with the scheduling systems mentioned in the job description, like Optibus. Be ready to discuss your experience with these tools and how you've used them to optimise schedules in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership experience, especially in managing teams. Think about times when you drove performance or innovation within a scheduling context, as this will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Understand Cross-Functional Collaboration
Brush up on how different departments like Network Planning and HR interact with scheduling. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve successfully collaborated across functions to achieve strategic goals in past positions.
✨Be Ready for Regulatory Questions
Since compliance is key in this role, review relevant regulations related to driver hours and scheduling. Prepare to discuss how you've ensured compliance in your previous roles, as this will demonstrate your understanding of the industry's legal framework.
