Operations Controller in Dartford

Salary: £35,000–£36,000 + overtime

Paid overtime when applicable

Company pension

Health cash plan

Free on-site parking

Dartford Crossing costs covered where applicable

Full structured training

Regular performance and salary reviews

Potential discretionary company bonus

Career development and progression opportunities

Location: Dartford, Kent

Job Type: Permanent, Full-time

Full UK driving licence & own transport required

Rail experience is NOT essential!

Are you used to working in a fast-paced operational environment, coordinating people or resources, dealing with changing situations and communicating important information?

We are recruiting an Operations Controller to join the Dartford control centre of a well-established international engineering business operating within the UK rail industry.

This could be an excellent opportunity if you currently work within logistics, transport, fleet operations, emergency services, utilities, dispatch, control rooms or rail and are looking for a new challenge. You don't need previous rail experience – full training will be provided.

What will you be doing?

The Operations Control team provides 24/7 support to specialist engineering trains and On-Track Machines operating across the UK rail network. You'll be based in Dartford, monitoring operations and acting as an important point of communication between drivers, operational teams and other rail stakeholders.

Shift Patterns:

• This is a genuine 24/7 operational position, so you must be comfortable working a rotating shift pattern.
• Day shifts
• Night shifts
• Weekends
• On-call periods
• Significant blocks of rest days between parts of the roster

8-Week Rolling Roster:

The role operates on an 8-week rolling roster, incorporating a mixture of day shifts, night shifts, rest days and on-call periods. Across the full 8-week cycle, the roster averages approximately 28.5 hours per week physically working in the office. There is also an on-call period covering 7 nights within each 8-week cycle. On-call is approximately 12 hours overnight and is based from home, so you only need to attend the workplace if you are called in. It's important to note that working hours vary from week to week across the roster – some weeks are busier, while others provide significant periods of time off.

Day shifts: Generally run 7am–7pm in the office with Controllers arriving 15 minutes earlier for a paid shift handover - Tend to focus more on preparing for upcoming operations, processing reports, checking documentation and monitoring the movement of machines around the network.

Night shifts: 7pm to 7am again in the office with controllers arriving 15 minutes early for a paid shift handover - these are generally more operational, supporting engineering work taking place across the railway and responding to issues as they happen.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Monitoring live rail operations and machine movements
• Communicating with drivers and operational teams
• Coordinating information when plans change or problems occur
• Responding to operational incidents and escalating them to the appropriate teams
• Maintaining accurate operational control logs
• Monitoring working hours and operational requirements
• Receiving and checking work returns and reports
• Preparing and issuing operational documentation
• Using email, Microsoft Excel and Word throughout your shift
• Ensuring information is recorded and communicated accurately
• Providing clear handovers to the next Controller

On call: 1 week in 8. When you are on call, you'll normally be at home and available on standby if needed to respond to a call. If additional cover is required and you are called in to work, you'll receive overtime in addition to your salary. The roster also provides good blocks of time off between working periods. A guide line of what the roster looks like can be provided.

Training & Development:

If you're coming from outside the rail industry, you'll receive approximately six weeks of structured training, including supported control-desk experience alongside experienced Controllers. You'll be trained in railway terminology, systems, procedures, reporting requirements and safety-critical processes needed to do the job confidently. There are also longer-term opportunities to develop within the business, with previous Controllers progressing into Senior Controller, planning, safety and other operational positions.

Skills we are looking for:

• Strong telephone and face-to-face communication skills
• Experience working in an operational, coordination, dispatch or similar environment
• The ability to prioritise and manage a changing workload
• Excellent attention to detail
• Good administration and record-keeping skills
• Confidence using computers, email, Microsoft Word and Excel
• The ability to communicate accurately in time-sensitive situations
• A calm and organised approach
• A strong team ethic
• Full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle
• Flexibility to work days, nights and weekends as part of the roster

Pre-employment Checks:

As this role operates within a safety-critical rail environment, the successful candidate will be required to complete the company's pre-employment screening process, including:

• DBS check
• Drug & alcohol screening
• Occupational health assessment

Interested?

If you're a strong communicator who enjoys coordinating people, solving problems and keeping operations moving, we'd like to hear from you. Whether your background is in rail, logistics, transport, emergency services, utilities, fleet operations or another control-room environment, if you have the transferable skills we're looking for, please apply.

Apply today for further information.