Operations Manager
Location Boness and Kinneil Railway Station West Lothian Scotland
Salary £ 35 000 - £ 45 000 (dependant on experience)
Hours Full time (40hrs per week) rostered to suit operational requirements
Employer Scottish Railway Preservation Society
Reporting to General Manager
Responsible for Operations Department (Steam Diesel Carriage and Wagon Signalling and Stations)
The Scottish Railway Preservation Society are looking for an Operations Manager that will be responsible for delivering the safe operation of the Societys heritage railway activitiesIf you are methodical thorough focused on detail driven by the highest standards and have a passion for railways the Operations Manager role may be for you The role is tasked with delivering strong operational leadership and high standards of compliance with the Safety Management System and Competence Management System
You will be able to demonstrate our organisational values with commitment and dedication working with a large team across a varied number of operations
Role Description
Our Operations Department looks after the safe operation of all trains on the line and we are proud to work with a large team of volunteers including guards footplate staff traffic management incident recording contingency planning shunting special traffic site security and administration of the Heritage Operations Processing System (&lsquo HOPS) a web-based tool for the day-to-day running and management of preserved and heritage railways
The Operations Manager provides leadership and day-to-day management of this team and the volunteer Heads of Department (covering Steam Diesel Carriage and Wagon Signal and Telecommunications and Stations) A key part of the role is the training mentoring and ongoing assessment of all staff within your remit (both paid and voluntary) ensuring consistently high standards of safety competence and customer serviceExperience
Experience of working on an operational railway in an operations role with both paid and volunteer staff either on the national network or a heritage railway is essential Hands-on experience as a guard signalman or footplate crew would be desirable
Key skills and attributes
This role requires someone who has a proven record in promoting and improving customer service to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction and a proven record of strong organisational and planning skills An effective and engaging networker you should be an excellent communicator who understands the importance of building and nurturing relationships with our vast network of stakeholders including our neighbours along the five miles of the BKR line and in the wider railway eco-system
You should be an experienced leader and a team player used to working with people to get the very best from them with a can-do attitude and who takes responsibility for getting tasks done in a safe and compliant mannerYou should have the ability to establish systems and processes to enable the smooth coordination of activities You should personally align to our values of
- Preserving our traction and rolling stock our infrastructure our archives and our people Preserving the best of and learning from our history
- Supporting our volunteers to achieve what they are passionate about recognising that passion is different for different people
- Protecting valuing and continually cultivating a robust and positive safety culture training people to be mindful of the dangers of railways
- Promoting the aims of the Society internally to the wider public and to industry bodies
- Looking after our people and creating a sense of belonging and engaging with visitors to celebrate Scotlands railway heritage
- Advocating two-way communication to cultivate a sense of unity across the organisation
You will be responsible for ensuring ongoing compliance with Society policies procedures and guideline