Local Operations Manager - Drivers in Somerset

Purpose of the role

Reporting to the Regional Operations Manager you will contribute to the delivery of the day‑to‑day UK rail operations. To lead and manage a designated group of drivers to deliver a high performing workforce in line with Freightliner’s specific standards in safety, performance, and customer service expectations. To be a highly visible, people focused manager, driving improved employee engagement and results. Line management of drivers dealing with individual performance reviews, apprenticeships, briefings, welfare, disciplinary, grievance and poor performance matters. There is a requirement to undertake an on‑call commitment with this role.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Safety Ensure a positive safety culture is developed within your area of responsibility, which is supported by robust safety processes in accordance with company, industry standards and legislation. Ensure that all your drivers are trained in emergency procedures for major incident/accident management. Ensure that any operating or occupational accidents and incidents involving employees in your reporting line are properly recorded and investigated to a productive conclusion. Ensure that safety arrangements are adhered to and protect the health and safety of employees, other rail users, and the public. Compliance with your duty to take care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by yours/their own actions at work.
• People Guide, support your team through leadership, teamwork, motivation and involvement. Develop and maintain a highly performing and customer focused team of driver staff through effective application of all Freightliner performance management processes and standards. This application should be proactive and reactively risk‑based to deliver continuous improvements in both safety and risk management. Ensure that all staff and drivers in your report line receive adequate health and safety training. Ensure employees are appropriately monitored and managed to address unacceptable levels of attendance, performance, or conduct. Co‑operate with the commercial teams to plan future route learning priorities with special reference to the changeable infrastructure programme. Liaise with rosters to ensure efficient use of rostered days at work, minimising dependence on free day working. Where required, carry out formal or informal competence development / attendance or disciplinary warnings in accordance with relevant policies, procedures and agreements. Ensure that all staff welfare and chain of care issues are dealt with to conclusion in accordance with appropriate policies and standards.
• Performance To ensure the effective delivery of resources to deploy drivers/groundstaff to meet the train plan, within allocated budget and within performance and safety standards. Ensure that processes are in place to reduce impact minutes, through TOPS/ TRUST, mitigate loco failures and reductions – working in conjunction with your colleagues, Control and other stakeholders as appropriate. Actively manage, through the drivers and groundstaff, effective and timely train performance working in unison with other members of staff to a common aim of minimising late running or delays. Ensure that the manpower plan/budget within your area of responsibility is managed proactively and that staff numbers and overtime are managed to budgeted/authorised levels.
• Specific role‑related tasks and activities Assign driver mentors to trainee drivers. Collate trainee driver hours and provide regular updates/projections on their productivity. Liaise with your Regional Operations Manager and group Standards as necessary, in order to ensure that driver and groundstaff training is being met consistently and effectively. Assist with the delivery of other training activities outside your area of responsibility when required. Where required, carry out investigations into operating incidents, including SPADs, accidents, local incidents, staff competence, staff attendance issues recommending and taking actions as necessary and as authorised (e.g. including removal from duties where competence concerns are identified). Create competence development programmes for staff and ensure agreed targets are met through defined review periods. Hold safety review panels post‑incident investigations. Undertake routine location inspections as required (level 1, monthly), ensuring compliance with any LWIs, policies and standards. Lead or participate in all staff briefings, safety briefs, communications and initiatives to continuously improve safety across FL UK Rail Operations. Represent the company when attending incidents, SPADs, derailments, signal sighting committees and assume the role of TOLO when necessary. First‑line ‘On‑Call’ commitment and, when required, attend to group incidents as requested. Support and develop route knowledge and familiarisation strategies at local level, ensuring driver or shunter productivity (e.g. examining and auditing route cards, maximising opportunities for new route learning and carrying out assessments in new routes as and where appropriate). Issue staff equipment including PPE as required. Conduct sickness or welfare calls within 24 hours of reporting. Comply with the MFA procedure ensuring all staff are monitored and actioned where required. Complete return‑to‑work interviews post staff absence. Create phased return‑to‑work plans for staff as required. Liaise with HR to ensure all occupational health referrals and action plans are agreed in a timely fashion. Manage staff conduct issues through the company's disciplinary and grievance procedures. Assist in the recruitment of new staff through interviews and recommendations. Conduct out‑of‑hours monitoring where necessary, to include weekend work. Undertake additional or alternative work as requested by management. Ensure all safety‑critical staff comply with the company drug and alcohol policies (RG Gen 023). Prepared to get involved in any other activities or projects within your competence or remit from time to time that add productive value to Rail Operations UK activities.

Key Job Requirements

• Thorough understanding of the principles of safe and efficient railway operation, including but not limited to the application of operating instruction, policies, procedures, rule book and railway standards.
• Experience of managing people within an operational environment.
• Experience of working with unions at local level.
• Understanding of the application of safety management systems and compliance.
• Track record of delivering customer service in a transportation industry.

Qualifications and Training

• Ability to work under pressure while maintaining high standards of safety and compliance.
• Competent to undertake risk assessments.
• Competent to undertake investigations using root cause analysis and to download and interpret Qtron data recorder information.
• Good IT knowledge (e.g., Microsoft packages) and ability to use and interpret data sourced from job‑related software (TOPS, ERIC, Qtron).
• Ability to write concise, factual‑based reports to laid down standards, and make clear recommendations based on factual evidence.
• Diligent and self‑motivated with strong interpersonal skills and effective people‑management skills.
• Good standard of education.
• TOPS, TRUST, DMS knowledge, IRMA platform or equivalent desirable.
• Dangerous goods awareness.
• Personal track safety to Network Rail standard.
• Effective incident management training.
• A flexible approach to work is required, especially mobility in relation to training, as you may be expected to work away at times which will involve some overnight accommodation in hotels.
• Hold a full UK driving licence.
• Ability to cope with occasional out‑of‑hours working requirements.

Behavioural competencies

• Commitment to work safely, and that it is the first consideration in everything that we do.
• Flexibility in respect of hours worked, location, application and output, dependent on the operational requirements of the business – you may be required to work out of hours, at weekends, or away from home on occasion.
• Maintenance of trust, tact and confidentiality – any breach of confidentiality, pursuit of personal agendas or expression of opinions not directly related to the requirements of this role will not be tolerated.
• Awareness of the nature of our customers’ business requirements and an outward looking focus towards helping them achieve their objectives.
• Ability to work to standardised instructions and processes and ensuring that others do the same.
• Motivated to follow rules and procedures.
• Influencing, persuading and motivating others.
• Demonstrates interpersonal skill, empathy and understanding.
• Demonstrates emotional control and management.
• Demonstrates independence and fairness.

Statutory duties Health