Customer Experience Team Manager

FirstGroup Internal; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading rail company in the UK is seeking a Customer Experience Team Manager responsible for leading and developing the Customer Experience Ambassador team. The ideal candidate should have strong leadership skills, customer service excellence, and experience in managing safety-critical environments. The role offers a collaborative working culture, opportunities for innovation in customer experience, and a comprehensive benefits package including pension and travel discounts.

Benefits

Defined Contribution Pension Scheme

Incentive Scheme/Bonus up to 10%

Employee Assistance Programme

Free travel on Lumo services

Discounted Gym Membership

Life Assurance Cover 4 x your annual salary

Qualifications

• You are an inspiring and hands-on leader with a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences.
• You thrive in fast-paced environments, leading by example and creating a positive culture.
• You have a keen eye for detail and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Customer Experience Ambassador team.
• Act as a visible role model, championing excellence in customer experience.
• Monitor and maintain performance standards for outstanding service.

Skills

Leadership

Customer service excellence

Coaching and mentoring

Problem-solving

Attention to detail

Education

Level two food hygiene certificate

A1 assessor qualification (or equivalent)

IOSH qualified

Job description

Who are we?

Lumo is an Open Access rail company providing regular, cost-effective, 100% electric train travel between London and Edinburgh as an alternative to flying that is great value, kinder to the environment and just as time effective as taking a domestic flight.

Our people are key to our success, and we are recruiting an engaged, empowered, multi-skilled and flexible family of colleagues who live and breathe our values of:

• Being proud & passionate people
• Sustainability at our heart
• Staying safe & healthy
• Always learning and improving
• Inclusive one team culture

First Rail is one of the UK's most experienced rail operators, carrying more than 345m passengers across franchises (Great Western Railway and Avanti West Coast) and our open access operators (Hull Trains and Lumo). We operate all types of passenger railways - intercity, commuter, regional and sleeper services.

Lumo is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier. FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.

About the job

Our Customer Experience Team Manager role is for those passionate about customer experience excellence, people development and who have an engaging personality. They have a strong sense of pride in delivering industry leading reimagined travel experience and are accountable for customer experience service delivery through our ambassadorial approach, championing the voice of the customer and customer experience across Lumo Stirling and all its customer touchpoints.

Customer Experience Team Managers lead and develop colleagues in the delivery of the Lumo Stirling customer proposition through a high-profile, visible management style. They will work collaboratively with a can-do attitude, always seeking opportunities to optimise commercial performance and enhance customer experience, promoting the reputation of our business with our customers, stakeholders & partners at all times so that our customers can Travel Well.

Customer Experience Team Managers will lead teams of Customer Experience Ambassadors, coaching & developing colleagues, undertaking on call duties and acting as role models for the Customer Experience Ambassador team.

When required, they will undertake duties of a Customer Experience Ambassador, acting as Brand Ambassadors, delivering a dedicated, high-profile engaged presence across all on-train customer touchpoints so that our customers can Travel Well.

As a Safety Critical colleague, they will undertake emergency procedures when responding to an on-train emergency.

Customer Experience Team Managers will work collaboratively with a can-do attitude, always seeking opportunities to delight the customer and enhance their customer experience, promoting the reputation of our business with our customers, stakeholders & partners.

About you

• You are an inspiring and hands-on leader with a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences. You thrive in fast-paced environments, leading by example and creating a positive, can-do culture within your team. With strong people management and coaching skills, you empower others to achieve excellence, taking pride in developing performance, safety, and service standards that consistently exceed expectations.
• You have a keen eye for detail and a proactive approach to problem-solving, ensuring every customer interaction is handled with care, professionalism, and attention. You\'re confident in investigating incidents, implementing improvements, and driving compliance with operational and retail standards.
• Innovation excites you — you\'re always looking for ways to enhance the customer journey through creative ideas, digital tools, and teamwork. You embrace collaboration, champion company values, and take every opportunity to “delight” customers, particularly during times of disruption.
• With your strong leadership presence, safety awareness, and commitment to excellence, you ensure that every journey reflects the company's vision and values — helping every customer to Travel Well.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Lead, motivate, and develop the Customer Experience Ambassador team, fostering a proactive, customer-focused culture aligned with the company's Vision and Values.
• Act as a visible role model, championing excellence in customer experience, safety, and performance through coaching, mentoring, and competence management.
• Monitor and maintain performance standards, taking action where required to ensure consistent delivery of outstanding service and compliance with safety and retail regulations.
• Investigate accidents, incidents, and safety events promptly, implementing recommendations to manage risk and prevent recurrence.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement by engaging in work improvement initiatives, digital solutions, and community partnerships to enhance the customer journey.
• Ensure adherence to catering, hygiene, and TSA retail standards through regular audits and monitoring.
• Support effective customer communication and engagement, particularly during disruption, ensuring Passenger Information During Disruption (PIDD) standards are met.
• Provide on-call customer experience support, attend safety and development meetings, and perform Customer Experience Ambassador duties when required.
• Actively promote the company's Mission, Vision, and Values across all customer and stakeholder interactions, ensuring every opportunity to delight customers and help them Travel Well.

As a minimum, you will need to have:

• Level two food hygiene certificate and the relevant training to carry out food preparation.
• A1 assessor qualification (or equivalent), or working towards, and/or a training qualification, or working towards.
• Train Operations Liaison Officer (TOLO).
• IOSH qualified.
• Minimum of two years management of on train safety critical competence.
• Experience of leading a team in a Customer Experience environment.

About the location

You must be located within a 60-minute commute of Newcastle upon Tyne

Working pattern

37.5 hours per week

The Reward

• Defined Contribution Pension Scheme – We will pay in a minimum of 10% (5% employee contribution and 5% employer contribution) to a maximum total contribution of 20%.
• Incentive Scheme/Bonus of up to 10% of your annual salary
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Travel Offers – Free travel on Lumo services and travel offers for bus and rail tickets and Day Rover Rail tickets at a discounted price for friends and family (after 6 months of service).
• Shopping & Lifestyle Discounts
• Discounted Gym Membership
• Employee Share Plans (Save as you Earn and Buy as you Earn)
• NEXUS – Tyne and Wear Metro Discount
• Life Assurance Cover 4 x your annual salary
• Income Protection Scheme
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Access to a digital GP 24/7
• Tax Benefit Bike Scheme

We all belong at Lumo. FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

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