General Manager

We have a fantastic opportunity for a General Manager to join our Operations team in Aberdeen. This is a full time permanent position.

The successful candidate will lead and deliver safe, reliable and high-quality bus operations across Aberdeen, achieving operational, safety, financial and customer performance targets while building engaged, capable leadership teams and embedding a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

The General Manager is accountable for the end-to-end performance of a defined operating area, leading Operations Managers, Engineering Managers and Depot management teams to deliver excellent service for customers and communities.

Reporting to the Service Delivery Director the GM owns day-to-day operational delivery, performance management and people leadership, while working closely with engineering, commercial and customer colleagues to drive sustained improvement.

• Own local safety performance, compliance and audit outcomes, embedding a strong safety-first culture.
• Lead day-to-day service delivery across all depots in scope, ensuring safe, punctual and reliable operations
• Deliver agreed operational, financial and performance targets, including cost control and productivity.
• Proactively manage disruption, incidents and performance risk, escalating appropriately where required.

• Work in close partnership with Engineering Managers to ensure fleet availability, reliability and compliance.
• Integrate operational and engineering plans to optimise service delivery and reduce cancellations and service failures
• Ensure engineering standards and maintenance frameworks are consistently applied across all depots.

• Deliver high-quality customer experience outcomes, embedding punctuality, reliability and service standards.
• Use customer feedback and performance insight to drive targeted local improvements.
• Support delivery of customer and network change initiatives, ensuring operational readiness and minimal disruption.

• Lead, coach and develop Operations Managers, Engineering Managers and depot management teams.
• Build high‑performing, engaged and inclusive teams with strong succession and talent pipelines.
• Champion colleague wellbeing, engagement and development across the area.
• Role model First Bus “Our Way” behaviours and create a culture of accountability and collaboration.

• Own operational risk management across the area, ensuring early identification and mitigation of safety, performance and compliance risks.
• Ensure alignment with regional and divisional operating frameworks, audit standards and governance processes.
• Drive continuous improvement in operational performance, safety, cost and customer outcomes.
• Implement regional and divisional improvement initiatives and operating frameworks locally.
• Ensure compliance with governance, audit and reporting requirements

• Root operational decisions in a clear understanding of how the business makes money.
• Ensure choices support EBIT through cost control and efficient use of resources.
• Maintain lean, reliable operations that minimise waste, overtime, fuel variance and avoidable cost.
• Understand key commercial drivers (demand, mileage, lost mileage, customer experience) and act to protect them operationally.
• Make decisions that balance service delivery, customer impact and financial sustainability.

• Proven operational leadership experience within a multi‑site, customer‑facing and safety‑critical environment
• Strong track record of delivering service performance and managing complex day‑to‑day operations.
• Good understanding of bus operations, engineering or regulated transport environments.
• Proven people leader with experience developing management teams and building succession.
• Strong operational planning, problem solving and stakeholder management capability.
• Inclusive, visible leader who role models safety, accountability and customer focus.