Head of Rail Commercial

**Head of Rail Commercial**

**London, Hybrid**

**Closing date: 25th April 2025**

**Salary: £85,000 - £95,000**

Are you passionate about the railway industry and eager to make a meaningful impact on the future of transportation? At Arriva UK Trains, we are dedicated to delivering high quality, reliable, and sustainable rail services across the United Kingdom. As part of the Arriva Group, one of the largest providers of passenger transport in Europe, we pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction and environmental responsibility.

Arriva UK Trains is at the heart of the UK’s rail industry, supporting a diverse portfolio of leading rail operators including CrossCountry Trains, Arriva Rail London and Chiltern Railways. We also drive operational excellence through our Arriva Rail Services which includes Grand Central, Arriva Traincare and Arriva Road Transport Services. With a focus on innovation and growth, Arriva UK Trains leads the way in expanding our footprint through strategic tendering and acquisitions, shaping the future of rail travel across the UK.

Our team is the driving force behind our success, and we are looking for dynamic, dedicated individuals to join us on our journey.

Embrace the challenge and become part of a company that is at the forefront of shaping the future of rail travel. Together, let’s make every journey better.

Are you ready to make a significant impact in the rail industry? As the Head of Rail Commercial, you'll play a pivotal role in bringing together procurement, strategy, and engineering to drive the evolution of our fleet strategy and commercial partnerships.

In this leadership role, you will manage a dedicated team of 1, while providing guidance and influence across a matrix organisation spanning 5 operating companies. You’ll be at the forefront of driving collaboration, optimizing total acquisition costs, exploring innovative environmental and decarbonisation solutions, and fostering strong supplier relationships.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of rail and leave a lasting legacy through strategic leadership and sustainable practices.

**What you will be doing**:

- You will drive strategic plans by leading the development of 1-, 3-, and 5- year fleet and sourcing strategies, focusing on cost savings, value opportunities and category growth.
- The Head of Rail Commercial will work closely with stakeholders and will be responsible for running regular reviews with key stakeholders, aligning initiatives to ensure seamless execution across all teams.
- You will shape the marketplace by conducting spend analysis and market research, developing product/ service specifications, and managing the full tendering process to ensure compliance and adherence to company policies.
- This is a Senior Leadership position, you will be inspiring and managing a team, delegating effectively with the goal of optimising and driving performance whilst creating development and succession plans for continued success.
- Ownership of key supplier relationships will also be another key part of this role, resolving conflicts, driving performance and identifying opportunities to optimise costs efficiently whilst securing supply.
- You will be at the forefront of driving innovation by introducing new process improvements, generating revenue-boosting ideas whilst also managing and reducing category spend, challenging existing specifications to drive efficiency.
- The Head of Rail Commercial will also be responsible for maximising value through contracts by ensuring that suppliers deliver exceptional value by leading performance reviews, benchmarking and negotiating the best contract terms for the organisation.

**What you will need**:

- This individual will need to be a driven, results-orientated self-starter with a high level of energy and initiative and the ability to make decisions that balance conflicting interests.
- You will need to have strong expertise in managing a wide range of supplier relationships from tactical to long-term strategic partnerships.
- Problem solving is at the heart of this role, therefore strong analytical and problem-solving skills are a necessity so that you are able to tackle things head on.
- We are looking for a strong communicator who is skilled at engaging senior stakeholders, with exceptional verbal and negotiation skills.
- You will need to have a deep understanding of the UK and international Rolling Stock markets as well as proven experience in category management, supplier relationship management and commercial risk management.
- This individual will also need to have strong experience in contract and project management with excellent market analysis skills.
- The Head of Rail Commercial will need to have had experience working for a Train Operator or Rolling Stock Manufacturer or in a similar industry.

**What you'll get**:

- Free Arriva UK Rail travel for you and immediate family.
- 25 days holidays and statut