Competency Development Manager - Driver (3695)

Govia Thameslink Railway; Brighton; On-site; AUD 113,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free travel for you and family

75% travel discount for you and family

Discounted Oyster Card

Family-friendly policies

Job summary

Govia Thameslink Railway is recruiting a Competency Development Manager (Driver) for the Brighton Train Crew Depot. This role targets qualified drivers with at least four years of mainline experience and a strong safety record.

You will lead a team to assess, develop, and support drivers, coordinating with the Regional Competency Manager and depot staff to optimise competency across shifts. The role involves on‑cab work, travel to diverse locations, and occasional shifts that require higher

Qualifications

• Qualified train drivers with a minimum of four years' driving experience on the mainline railway network (not including Metro, light rail or preserved railways).
• Strong safety record and suitability determined by Head of Operational Standards.
• Knowledge of Electrostar fleets and valid route competency on the Southern network is highly advantageous.
• Existing competency as an A1 assessor is advantageous, training may be provided.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement development plans for drivers requiring additional support.
• Lead competency investigations following operational incidents to ensure safe, engaged drivers are available for service delivery.
• Manage the assessment cycles, monitor performance, and prioritise support based on drivers' needs.
• Collaborate with the Regional Competency Manager and depot colleagues to coordinate coaching and progression.

Skills

Mainline driving experience

Safety record

A1 assessor

Electrostar knowledge

Southern network competency

Job description

Currently looking to recruit a Competency Development Manager (Driver) for Brighton Train Crew Depot

Thisrole is suitable for qualified train drivers with a minimum of four years' driving experience on the mainline railway network. This does not include driving experience on Metro, light rail or preserved railways.

About the role:

We havere-evaluated how we can best support our drivers' competency management here at Southern and Gatwick Express. As part of this, the role of Competency Development Manager has been completely re-scoped. This is a key role, suitable for ambitious, qualified drivers looking to develop careers supporting colleagues within management, in which you will be given a free hand to develop your team of drivers by being accountable for their performance throughout assessment cycles. Within no time, you'll be confident knowing the ability, experience and competency of all of the drivers within your team, and through effective time management you will prioritise support appropriately depending on every driver's needs. You will create development plans for drivers requiring additional support, and undertake competency investigations following operational incidents, with the aim to ensure the maximum number of safe, engaged drivers are available to the business for service delivery.

There is no-on callcommitment associated with this role. You will be free to plan your working week to achieve the outcomes needed for engaging competency development, working with your Regional Competency Manager and local depot colleagues. Much of your time will be spent on our railway, in driving cabs and travelling to diverse locations. You will have time to engage in continuous personal development activity, which we will support you with through training and opportunities. The high level of personal flexibility within this role supports our company ambitions to employ a diverse workforce. However, at specific agreed times of the year, you will be expected to be available to drive trains for complete shifts to support provision of reliable passenger services. In addition, this role is not suitable for remote home working due to the need for drivers and colleagues to see their CDMs within the working environment.

Theexperience we are looking for is:

• This role is suitable for qualified train drivers with a minimum of four years' driving experience on the mainline railway network. This does not include driving experience on Metro, light rail or preserved railways.
• Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong safety record, and determination of suitability for this role from a competency perspective will be determined by the professional Head of Operational Standards.
• Knowledge of Electrostar fleets and valid route competency on the Southern network is highly advantageous.
• Existing competency as an A1 assessor is highly advantageous, although training may be provided to support early attainment of the qualification for suitable candidates

What's in it for you:

• Free travel on GTR and sister groups for you and your family
• 75% off travel on other train operating companies for you, and leisure for your family
• Discounted Oyster Card
• Family-friendly policies, including maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave
• Access to StarHub – our employee benefits platform offering discounts with a wide range of retailers and services
• Career development and progression opportunities across the UK's largest rail networks
• The opportunity to make a real difference to millions of customer journeys every year.

Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

“It was my brother’s suggestion to join the railway. He was already working in the industry and knew I had some university bills to pay off so told me to give it a go, get out of debt and see what I wanted to do next. After a while, it just felt like actually – this is exactly where I’m meant to be. I’m part of a great team and the on-board department as a whole are brilliant to work with. I feel at home here.”

Tonderai Matizha-Johnson
Area Operations Manager

“When I saw that GTR was advertising places for its apprenticeship scheme I looked into it straight away because I thought it was a great opportunity to learn whilst getting real life experience in a 9-5 job. I applied for a level three business administration apprenticeship and was thrilled to find out I had a place on the course! I was so excited that I didn’t even mind it was based 250 miles away from where I lived.”

“Working for GTR is very rewarding and fulfilling. You really feel like you're making a difference to customers, no matter what role you're in as at the end of the day they're the heart of our business. I’ve had lots of opportunities to explore other aspects of the business including supporting our station staff and gaining my Train Dispatch Licence which has been enriching for my experience here.”

“If you’ve always had an interest in rail, or maybe you’re just curious to find out what working in the railway might look like, GTR is the operator to go for. Not many companies do an official work experience program and this unique opportunity will give you a good grounding with varied activities to help you find the best place in the railway for you. It certainly did it for me.”

Nathaniel Owen
Station Manager

“I work as part of the Fleet Infrastructure team, which means ensuring our 18 Engineering locations operate safely and efficiently. We oversee all building and track maintenance works as well as various minor and major projects across the network.”

“I started in a small ticket office back in 1996 and have continued to work my way up ever since. A previous manager told me about a job he’d seen advertised for a trainer. ’d never considered a job in HR or mentoring before then, but he said I’d be perfect for it and I haven’t looked back since!”

Zoey Hudson
Head of Talent, Diversity and Inclusion

“Since April, I’ve helped to support our Kickstart Scheme. It’s been a really rewarding process to be part of because I know first‑hand how tough it can be to find work once you’re out of it.”

“I’m a Thameslink passenger host and team leader based at Luton station and I’m currently doing a Level 3 Supervisor apprenticeship so that I can improve my skills even further. I was hesitant to do the apprenticeship at first because of my age – I left school over 60 years ago without any qualifications! It’s been hard to get back into the routine of learning again.”

“It was my brother’s suggestion to join the railway. He was already working in the industry and knew I had some university bills to pay off so told me to give it a go, get out of debt and see what I wanted to do next. After a while, it just felt like actually – this is exactly where I’m meant to be. I’m part of a great team and the on‑board department as a whole are brilliant to work with. I feel at home here.”

Tonderai Matizha‑Johnson
Area Operations Manager

“When I saw that GTR was advertising places for its apprenticeship scheme I looked into it straight away because I thought it was a great opportunity to learn whilst getting real life experience in a 9-5 job. I applied for a level three business administration apprenticeship and was thrilled to find out I had a place on the course! I was so excited that I didn’t even mind it was based 250 miles away from where I lived.”

“Working for GTR is very rewarding and fulfilling. You really feel like you're making a difference to customers, no matter what role you're in as at the end of the day they're the heart of our business. I’ve had lots of opportunities to explore other aspects of the business including supporting our station staff and gaining my Train Dispatch Licence which has been enriching for my experience here.”

“If you’ve always had an interest in rail, or maybe you’re just curious to find out what working in the railway might look like, GTR is the operator to go for. Not many companies do an official work experience program and this unique opportunity will give you a good grounding with varied activities to help you find the best place in the railway for you. It certainly did it for me.”

Nathaniel Owen
Station Manager

“I work as part of the Fleet Infrastructure team, which means ensuring our 18 Engineering locations operate safely and efficiently. We oversee all building and track maintenance works as well as various minor and major projects across the network.”

“I started in a small ticket office back in 1996 and have continued to work my way up ever since. A previous manager told me about a job he’d seen advertised for a trainer. ’d never considered a job in HR or mentoring before then, but he said I’d be perfect for it and I haven’t looked back since!”

Zoey Hudson
Head of Talent, Diversity and Inclusion

“Since April, I’ve helped to support our Kickstart Scheme. It’s been a really rewarding process to be part of because I know first‑hand how tough it can be to find work once you’re out of it.”

“I’m a Thameslink passenger host and team leader based at Luton station and I’m currently doing a Level 3 Supervisor apprenticeship so that I can improve my skills even further. I was hesitant to do the apprenticeship at first because of my age – I left school over 60 years ago without any qualifications! It’s been hard to get back into the routine of learning again.”