Traincrew Utilisation Manager

People come to Northern for trains they can rely on. Behind every service is a huge amount of planning to make sure the right people are in the right place at the right time. That's where this role comes in.

As part of our Operational Readiness team, you'd take ownership of how Northern uses one of its most important resources – our traincrew. This isn't about producing reports and watching from the sidelines. You'll be the person who turns data into action, helping us improve productivity, make better use of resources, and deliver real value for our customers and colleagues.

Working closely with operational leaders, depot teams, rostering specialists and planners, you'll shape how traincrew performance is measured across the business. You'll create a single source of truth for traincrew data, identify opportunities for improvement, and make sure change delivers lasting results. If you enjoy solving complex operational challenges and influencing decisions that have a direct impact on business performance, you'll find plenty to get your teeth into here.

You’ll lead the development of Northern's traincrew utilisation framework, helping us understand where we’re performing well and where we can do better.

Day to day, you’ll:

• Define and manage traincrew utilisation measures, including productivity, availability and spare utilisation
• Create and maintain trusted data sources and reporting that support operational and strategic decision‑making
• Analyse trends, identify inefficiencies and develop practical solutions that improve performance
• Work with depot, planning and rostering teams to optimise resource utilisation and workforce productivity
• Challenge existing ways of working where data shows opportunities for improvement
• Support the delivery of the wider Traincrew Strategy by ensuring programme activity translates into measurable operational and financial benefits
• Track, validate and report performance improvements and realised savings
• Promote consistent ways of working across depots and operational teams
• Build strong relationships across the business, influencing stakeholders to embrace and sustain change

You know how to find the story behind the numbers and, more importantly, how to turn that story into action.

Strong analytical skills, operational experience and the ability to influence others – that’s three things you’ll bring to the role.

We’re looking for someone who has:

• Experience using data to improve operational or business performance
• Experience working in a complex operational environment, ideally within rostering, planning or workforce management
• The ability to translate analysis into practical improvements that deliver measurable results
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with confidence to challenge constructively when needed
• Experience working with large datasets and multiple information sources
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and attention to detail

It would be useful if you also have experience within rail, transport or another safety‑critical industry, along with an understanding of workforce planning, rostering or absence management, but these aren’t essential.

Most importantly, you’ll be someone who enjoys making things happen, can see opportunities others miss, and is motivated by improving how a large operational business performs.

At Northern, we don’t just value our people – we go the extra mile to support them. Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to.

Unlimited free travel for you, your partner, and your dependents on Northern services. Plus up to 75% discount on other networks in the UK and Europe.

We top up your contributions by 1.5 times.

We offer 9 months of full pay for maternity leave and 2 weeks for paternity leave.

Save up to 42% on a bike and spread the cost.

Lease a brand new electric or plug‑in hybrid car.

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