Customer Experience Team Manager in Preston

Who are we? First Rail Stirling is a brand-new enterprise and start-up rail operator that will run an exciting long-haul train service crossing the entire country. The service will run from London to Stirling, reuniting Stirling with a direct service to the West Coast of England during the day. We are transforming the way people think about train travel, empowering our team from different backgrounds to make it a great experience for our customers. Together, we will revalue rail as a very special way to travel – relaxing, fast, efficient, and sustainable.

About the role: Our Customer Experience Team Manager role is for those passionate about customer experience excellence, people development and who have an engaging personality. They have a strong sense of pride in delivering industry leading reimagined travel experience and are accountable for customer experience service delivery through our ambassadorial approach, championing the voice of the customer and customer experience across Lumo Stirling and all its customer touchpoints.

Customer Experience Team Managers lead and develop colleagues in the delivery of the Lumo Stirling customer proposition through a high-profile, visible management style. They will work collaboratively with a can-do attitude, always seeking opportunities to optimise commercial performance and enhance customer experience, promoting the reputation of our business with our customers, stakeholders & partners at all times so that our customers can 'Travel Well'.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Lead, motivate, and develop the Customer Experience Ambassador team, fostering a proactive, customer-focused culture aligned with the company's Vision and Values.
• Act as a visible role model, championing excellence in customer experience, safety, and performance through coaching, mentoring, and competence management.
• Monitor and maintain performance standards, taking action where required to ensure consistent delivery of outstanding service and compliance with safety and retail regulations.
• Investigate accidents, incidents, and safety events promptly, implementing recommendations to manage risk and prevent recurrence.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement by engaging in work improvement initiatives, digital solutions, and community partnerships to enhance the customer journey.
• Ensure adherence to catering, hygiene, and TSA retail standards through regular audits and monitoring.
• Support effective customer communication and engagement, particularly during disruption, ensuring Passenger Information During Disruption (PIDD) standards are met.
• Provide on-call customer experience support, attend safety and development meetings, and perform Customer Experience Ambassador duties when required.
• Actively promote the company's Mission, Vision, and Values across all customer and stakeholder interactions, ensuring every opportunity to delight customers and help them 'Travel Well.'

As a minimum, you will need to have:

• Level two food hygiene certificate and the relevant training to carry out food preparation.
• A1 assessor qualification (or equivalent), or working towards, and/or a training qualification, or working towards.
• Train Operations Liaison Officer (TOLO).
• IOSH qualified.
• Minimum of two years management of on train safety critical competence.
• Experience of leading a team in a Customer Experience environment.

About the location: Vacancy is available in Preston. You must reside within a 60-minute commute of one of these locations.

Working pattern: You will work on average 35 hours per week with on-call duties.

The Reward: Defined Contribution Pension Scheme – We will pay in a minimum of 10% (5% employee contribution and 5% employer contribution) to a maximum total contribution of 20%. Employee Assistance Programme, Travel Offers – Free travel on Lumo services and travel offers for bus and rail tickets and Day Rover Rail tickets at a discounted price for friends and family (after 6 months of service). Shopping & Lifestyle Discounts, Discounted Gym Membership, Employee Share Plans (Save as you Earn and Buy as you Earn), Access to a digital GP 24/7, Tax Benefit Bike Scheme.

We all belong at 'First Rail Stirling'. FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment. We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent. We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.