Train Cleaning Supervisor

BUSINESS FUNCTION:
Train Presentation
GRADE:
Train Presentation Supervisor Shifts
SALARY: £34,536 per annum
ROLE TYPE:
On Site

HOURS:

35 per week

As part of our Train Presentation team, you won’t just be a cleaning supervisor – you’ll be the driving force that keeps our teams motivated, our trains looking their best, and our passengers satisfied. Covering multiple sites, this is a role for someone who knows how to lead from the front: hands-off when things are running smoothly, hands-on when you’re needed.

You won’t be cleaning trains yourself, but you’ll be out on the ground – guiding, supporting, setting standards, and making sure everyone understands what “great” looks like. And when things go off track, you’ll be the calm, confident voice who steps in, makes decisions, has the tough conversations, and helps put things right.

People come to Northern for trains they can rely on – and your leadership will help make sure that’s exactly what they get.

• Leading, motivating, and organising train presentation teams across multiple depots
• Being a visible presence on site, checking in with teams, offering support, and making sure standards are being met
• Managing rotas, site visits, inspections, and performance checks to keep everything running smoothly
• Encouraging a culture of continuous improvement, coaching your teams to take pride in their work and confidence in their skills
• Helping colleagues thrive, especially those who may be newer to the language or environment, with patience, encouragement and support
• Using Excel and other digital tools to manage tasks and keep records up to date
• Travelling between sites when needed, supporting operations across the business
• Managing absence, performance and behaviours, including having the confidence to handle challenging conversations when they’re needed

Plus, you’ll be responsible for your own administration, including:

• Managing your diary, organising meetings, and coordinating room bookings
• Writing letters, communicating updates, and issuing feedback or meeting invites in line with Northern’s policies
• Making sure documentation is clear, professional and completed on time

You’re a confident, proactive leader who isn’t afraid to step forward, take ownership, and guide a team through busy, demanding shifts.

• You’ve successfully led and supervised teams before, ideally in a fast-paced, industrial or operational setting
• You’re a strong, patient communicator, able to support people with different needs, abilities, and confidence levels
• You’re comfortable having challenging conversations and know how to hold people to account in a fair, supportive way
• You’re confident making clear decisions, speaking up when needed, and setting expectations for others
• You’re confident with Microsoft Excel and happy using other digital tools to keep everything on track
• You’re calm under pressure and bring a structured, solution‑focused approach to your work
• You have a full, clean driving licence and have held it for at least two years (essential for insurance purposes)
• You understand the basics of health and safety (including COSHH), or you’re willing to learn

Experience in train cleaning isn’t essential, but if you’ve worked in an operational, industrial, or behind‑the‑scenes rail environment, that’s a real advantage.

This is a role in a safety critical environment, which means you’ll need to meet Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) requirements. To apply, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old at the time of application
• Currently live within 45 minutes of our Blackpool depot
• Have held a full UK driving licence for at least two years (for insurance purposes)
• Pass a safety critical medical assessment (including drugs and alcohol screening)
• Have no defective…