At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape and drive strategy for Hotels and Cars, ensuring successful product launches.
- Company: Join Trainline, Europe's top rail app, committed to sustainable travel.
- Benefits: Enjoy private healthcare, generous leave, and a supportive work culture.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with opportunities for career growth and learning.
- Why this job: Be part of a fast-growing team with direct exposure to senior leadership.
- Qualifications: Strong project management skills and ability to influence stakeholders.
The predicted salary is between 59400 - 72600 £ per year.
About us
We are champions of rail, inspired to build a greener, more sustainable future of travel. Trainline enables millions of travellers to find and book the best value tickets across carriers, fares, and journey options through our highly rated mobile app, website, and B2B partner channels. Great journeys start with Trainline. Now Europe’s number 1 downloaded rail app, with over 135 million monthly visits and £6.3 billion in annual ticket sales, we collaborate with 270+ rail and coach companies in over 40 countries. We want to create a world where travel is as simple, seamless, eco-friendly and affordable as it should be. Today, we're a FTSE 250 company driven by our incredible team of over 1,000 Trainliners from 50+ nationalities, based across London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Edinburgh and Madrid. With our focus on growth in the UK and Europe, now is the perfect time to join us on this high-speed journey.
Introducing the Trainline New Verticals Team
New Verticals is one of Trainline's largest growth bets, building and scaling our Hotels and Car Hire businesses. The team is moving fast: standing up new partnerships, launching new product experiences, and setting the operating model that will grow this into a meaningful part of Trainline over the next few years. We're looking for a Senior Manager to be the strategic and operational backbone of this build, working directly with the Head of New Verticals and cross-functional stakeholders to turn ambition into a disciplined, well-run programme.
This is a high-visibility role for someone comfortable structuring a loosely defined problem, bringing a point of view to the table, and combining strong execution with a keen eye for detail. You'll co-create strategy alongside Product, Commercial and Legal leads, working closely with multiple cross-functional teams to keep complex, multi-party launches on track, translate strategy into executable plans, and ensure nothing important falls through the cracks.
In this role as the Senior Manager, Strategy & Operations, you will...
- Shape the New Verticals strategy across Hotels and Cars, translating it into structured roadmaps, milestones and success metrics
- Bring structured thinking to ambiguous, fast-evolving problems and anticipate risks and dependencies before they become blockers
- Own the end-to-end programme across major New Verticals initiatives, including new product launches and feature rollouts
- Track dependencies, risks and decisions across cross-functional partners, driving them to resolution
- Build and run the governance rhythm for the New Verticals programme, ensuring the right people have the right information at the right time
- Own leadership reporting, including performance updates, business reviews and steering committee materials, synthesising complex detail into clear, decision-ready narratives
- Act as a trusted connective layer between New Verticals and partners including Legal, Compliance, Finance, Product, Design and Commercial
- Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, influencing without formal authority and getting ahead of cross-team friction
We'd love to hear from you if you have...
- Strong programme or project management experience, ideally including complex, multi-stakeholder launches
- A structured, analytical approach, comfortable building plans, frameworks and reporting from scratch
- Executive presence and communication range, equally credible presenting to a steering committee or debating in a working session
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to work confidently with and influence senior leaders
- A bias to action, spotting what needs to happen and driving it rather than waiting to be told
- Comfort with ambiguity, energised by building things from the ground up rather than following an existing playbook
- Experience in hotels, travel or the broader travel-tech/OTA space is helpful but not required; what matters most is the operating rigour, judgement and strategic instinct you bring
What this role offers you...
This is about as close as you'll get to setting up and running your own business:
- Seat at the table early. Direct exposure to senior leadership and C-suite as you help shape a business that's still being written, not one you're inheriting
- The full arc of business building, from strategy through to launch and beyond, with a real P&L to show for it, backed by the resources and stability of an established, publicly listed company
- Steep learning curve. You'll pick up foundational skills across Strategy, Product, Commercial, Ops and more
- Launchpad for what's next. New Verticals has genuinely aggressive growth ambitions across new lines of business, and you'll be positioned to grow with it.
- Great team and work culture. Genuinely friendly people who'll always have your back!
More information:
Enjoy fantastic perks like private healthcare & dental insurance, a generous work from abroad policy, 2-for-1 share purchase plans, an EV Scheme to further reduce carbon emissions, extra festive time off, and excellent family-friendly benefits. We prioritise career growth with clear career paths, transparent pay bands, personal learning budgets, and regular learning days. Jump on board and supercharge your career from day one! We're operating a hybrid model and ask that Trainliners work from the office a minimum of 60% of their time over a 12-week period. We also have a 28-day Work from Abroad policy.
Our values represent the things that matter most to us and what we live and breathe everyday, in everything we do: Think Big - We're building the future of rail Own It - We focus on every customer, partner and journey Travel Together - We're one team Do Good - We make a positive impact
We know that having a diverse team makes us better and helps us succeed. And we mean all forms of diversity - gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, nationality and diversity of thought. That's why we're committed to creating inclusive places to work, where everyone belongs and differences are valued and celebrated.
Interested in finding out more about what it's like to work at Trainline? Why not check us out on LinkedIn, Instagram and Glassdoor!
Senior Strategy & Ops Manager - New Verticles in London employer: Trainline
At Trainline, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that champions collaboration and continuous improvement. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through clear career paths, personal learning budgets, and generous benefits like private healthcare and a flexible work-from-abroad policy. Join us in Edinburgh, where you can make a meaningful impact on customer experiences while enjoying a supportive environment that values your contributions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Strategy & Ops Manager - New Verticles in London
✨Tip Number 1: Get Involved in Consulting Case Competitions
Look for case competitions hosted by universities and consulting firms. They’re a fab way to showcase your problem-solving skills and meet industry players. Plus, winning one can seriously boost your CV, which we know is key when applying for roles like Senior Strategy & Ops Manager - New Verticles at Trainline!
✨Tip Number 2: Leverage Alumni Networks
Tap into your university’s alumni network; many consultants love to help out new talent. Reach out to alumni who are working in management consulting, they might have insider knowledge about openings at firms like Trainline or be willing to refer you for that Senior Strategy & Ops Manager - New Verticles position!
✨Tip Number 3: Attend Industry Events and Conferences
Keep an eye on management consulting events, workshops, or panels. These are prime opportunities to network with top professionals and get your name out there. You might even bump into someone from Trainline who’s on the lookout for their next Senior Strategy & Ops Manager - New Verticles star!
✨Tip Number 4: Polish Your Consulting Skills Online
Engage with online platforms that offer consulting simulations or courses. Prove your chops by completing relevant projects — this not only beefs up your experience but also gives you concrete examples to chat about during interviews for that full-time Senior Strategy & Ops Manager - New Verticles role at Trainline!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Strategy & Ops Manager - New Verticles in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Problem-Solving Skills:In management consulting, it's all about problem-solving—so make sure your CV highlights your analytical and critical thinking skills. Include examples from your studies or previous roles where you tackled complex issues or came up with innovative solutions. Quantify your achievements whenever possible to demonstrate your impact!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to explain why you're a perfect fit for the consulting world. Focus on your motivation for joining the industry and how your skills align with the requirements of the role at Trainline. Remember to mention any relevant coursework or projects that showcase your understanding of strategic frameworks or business models!
Highlight Team Experience:Consultants often work in teams, so it's vital to showcase your collaborative skills. Include experiences where you've worked effectively with others, whether in academic group projects or internships. Discuss your role in the team and how you helped achieve common goals, demonstrating you can thrive in a consultancy environment.
Professionalise Your Online Presence:Make sure your LinkedIn and any other professional profiles are up to date, reflecting your career aspirations in management consulting. Connect with industry professionals and follow relevant groups—show you’re serious about entering this field. Applying through our website is a great way to get noticed, so showcase your personality and enthusiasm there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Trainline
✨Master the Case Study Game
In management consulting, case study interviews are all the rage. Make sure to practice structuring your thoughts and analysing data on the fly. Use resources like example case studies to get comfortable with frameworks and solutions. Remember, it’s not just about getting the right answer but showcasing your thought process, so talk us through your reasoning!
✨Know Your Numbers
Be prepared for some numerical and analytical questions. Brush up on your mental math and be ready to interpret data from charts or graphs. We might throw some business scenarios at you that require a quick turnaround on numerical analysis, so practice these skills to feel confident and swift!
✨Show Your Leadership Flair
As this is a full-time role, we want to see your potential as a seasoned consultant. Be ready to discuss experiences where you've led a project or a team. Think about times you've influenced decisions or navigated challenges—this is your chance to show how you can thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
✨Be a Cultural Fit
We’re not just looking for brains; we want to see if you vibe with our company culture at Trainline. Prepare to share how your values align with ours. Have a think about what makes a great team environment for you and how you can contribute to that. A good cultural fit goes a long way in management consulting!
