Driver Manager

Arriva Kent Thameside Limited; Hemel Hempstead; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Career development

Leadership training

Job summary

Arriva Kent Thameside Limited is seeking a Driver Manager in Hemel Hempstead to lead a team of bus drivers, coach performance, and ensure safe, reliable customer service. You will mentor drivers, manage attendance with a focus on wellbeing, and enforce tachograph and working time compliance.

The role requires strong leadership, communications, and a customer-first mindset. A PCV licence is advantageous, and occasional evenings/weekends may be needed.

Qualifications

• Experience leading bus/transport teams.
• Strong leadership and communication skills with a focus on developing people.
• Experience managing performance, coaching employees, and handling employee relations professionally.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of bus drivers to achieve safety, reliability and customer service standards.
• Create a positive working environment that values drivers.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching, and return-to-work interviews.
• Support driver development through training and continuous improvement.
• Manage attendance, conduct and wellbeing in line with policies.
• Ensure compliance with transport legislation including tachographs and working time directives.
• Oversee driver rotas, shifts and holidays for efficiency.
• Investigate incidents and customer complaints and implement corrective actions.
• Monitor KPIs like punctuality and safety to drive improvement.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Communication

Performance coaching

IT skills

PCV licence (advantage)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Driver Manager - Hemel Hempstead Join Arriva and Lead the Future of Bus Operations

At Arriva, we know great service starts with great people. We are looking for a passionate and people-focused Driver Manager to lead, support, and develop our team of professional bus drivers while delivering safe, reliable, and exceptional customer service to the communities we serve. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced transport leader who thrives in a fast-paced operational environment and enjoys building high-performing teams. As a Driver Manager, you will play a vital role in shaping driver performance, promoting a positive depot culture, and ensuring our passengers receive the best possible journey experience every day.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading, motivating, and developing a team of bus drivers to achieve high standards of safety, reliability, and customer service.
• Creating a positive and supportive working environment where drivers feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.
• Conducting regular one-to-one meetings, performance reviews, coaching sessions, and return-to-work interviews.
• Supporting driver development through training, mentoring, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Managing driver attendance, performance, conduct, and wellbeing in line with company policies and procedures.
• Ensuring compliance with all relevant transport legislation, including tachograph regulations, driver hours, and working time directives.
• Overseeing driver rotas, shift allocation, and holiday planning to maintain operational efficiency and service reliability.
• Investigating incidents, customer complaints, and operational issues while implementing effective resolutions and corrective actions.
• Monitoring KPIs including punctuality, safety performance, fuel efficiency, and customer feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Working closely with engineering, operations, and customer service teams to ensure seamless day-to-day depot performance.
• Championing a strong health and safety culture across all areas of the operation.

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking a confident and approachable leader who can inspire teams and deliver results through strong people management and operational excellence. You will ideally have:

• Previous supervisory or management experience within the bus, transport, logistics, or wider operational sector.
• Strong leadership and communication skills with a genuine passion for developing people.
• Experience managing performance, coaching employees, and handling employee relations matters professionally and fairly.
• A solid understanding of PCV/HGV regulations, driver hours, tachograph compliance, and transport legislation.
• Excellent organisational and decision-making abilities in a busy operational environment.
• A customer-first mindset with a focus on delivering reliable and high-quality public transport services.
• Strong IT skills, including experience using operational systems and Microsoft Office applications.
• A valid PCV licence would be advantageous but is not essential.
• Flexibility to support operational requirements, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Why Join Arriva?

Joining Arriva means becoming part of one of the UK’s leading public transport providers. You’ll have the opportunity to make a real difference to both employees and passengers while building a rewarding long-term career in the bus industry.

• Competitive salary of £49,570 and benefits package
• Career development and progression opportunities
• Ongoing leadership and management training
• Supportive and inclusive working environment
• The opportunity to shape and develop high-performing driver teams
• A key leadership role within a respected and growing transport organisation

If you are an experienced transport professional with a passion for people development, operational leadership, and delivering outstanding customer service, we would love to hear from you.

Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania.

Thanks for your interest in working on our team!! Our expansion is opening up exciting prospects! As our team grows, we’re on the lookout for the brightest talent to join us. Our ongoing success hinges on this!