Head of Route Stations- X2 Positions Available

Head of Route Stations
- x2 positions available

**Location**:
Blackfriars, GB

**Department Name**:
Southern Region

**About Network Rail**:
Our passengers and freight users are at the heart of everything we do. We help connect people to their friends and families and get goods to their destination safely and efficiently. We're an organisation where people matter. **Watch our video to find out more**

We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don't always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we'll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.

**Brief Description**:
It’s an exciting time to be joining Network Rail Southern Managed Stations. We are looking at the way we work to deliver on more sustainable performance in our Kent and Sussex Stations (London Bridge, Victoria and Charing Cross) and our Wessex stations (Waterloo and Clapham Junction & Guildford). We are in search of two people who can be our next Head of Route Stations.

This role is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of a team of frontline station colleagues across some of the country’s busiest and highest profile stations. Embracing our Southern Culture Principles, you will be focusing on Service, People and Safety whilst delivering inspirational strategic leadership to stations teams for the purpose of transforming the passenger experience.

You will lead, develop and establish an improvement strategy for route managed stations encompassing station asset, operations and retail. Commercial awareness is also required as the role will have significant budget accountability and you will be delivering commercial value, work to identify and implement industry best practice by engaging others, driving change and positively influence stakeholders. Senior stakeholder management experience is required as the role will interface with Exec level across Network Rail and external organisations. You will also collaborate with Train Operating Companies and other stakeholders such as property, retail, safety, assurance and other teams.

This role is truly fast paced and operational and you will be spending most of your time between stations and our London office in Puddle Dock, Blackfriars. If this sounds like something you would want, like and could do, we’re waiting to hear from you.

**About the role (External)**:
**Key Accountabilities**
- Create a route stations strategy to identify business opportunities across the station portfolio. Lead initiatives across all stations to create improvements in safety, improve the user experience, enhance our reputation and maximise value at the route’s managed stations.
- Provide leadership and direction to the route managed stations to optimise delivery of safety, operational and financial objectives.
- Lead and develop a programme to improve the people, processes and facilities of the route stations portfolio.
- Lead station managers in developing collaborative relationships and plans with retailers, the business community, local authorities and other station stakeholders to deliver excellent customer service and realise business improvements, as measured by customer satisfaction surveys including National Passenger Survey.
- Evaluate the right sizing of station facilities on the route and influence the DfT franchise renewal programme to deliver the plan.
- Develop a culture of professional and consistent management of the managed stations utilising best industry practice.
- Take the lead role in managing route interface with key station development projects.
- Establish the consistent implementation of station services and promote the sharing of best practice at Network Rail's managed stations. Implement the introduction of consistent measuring tools to be used for business reporting as required.
- Maximise route income from retail activities at stations and optimise income from QX through cost control at Managed Stations.

**Job Skills, Experience and Qualifications**

**Essential**
- Qualified to degree level or equivalent
- Commercially astute, persuasive and customer focussed
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Proven ability to negotiate in a complex commercial environment
- Effective team leader with proven presentation and inter personal skills
- Knowledge of relevant contracts and contractual environment
- Substantial experience of managing contractual relationships
- Literate, analytical and numerate

**Desirable**
- Qualification in safety management
- Understanding corporate governance e.g. procurement rules
- Experience in a customer service industry
- Experience in operating within a unionised environment
- Understanding of business improvement processes
- Understanding railway industry structure and responsibility- **

There are two positions available under this advertisement, preference on station can be discussed at interview stage or please