Driver Team Manager- Leeds

XC Trains Limited; Leeds; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Arriva in Leeds is seeking a Driver Team Manager with a proven track record as a Fully Qualified Train Driver. You will lead a team, drive safety and performance standards, and manage coaching and development.

The role requires strong decision-making, on-call flexibility, and budget awareness to support service delivery. The position emphasizes hands-on leadership in a technical railway environment, with the ability to manage from a distance when required and to take decisive action to meet

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Fully Qualified Train Driver.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a team, with coaching and mentorship.
• Strong communication skills and decision making under pressure.
• Comfort with budgeting and financial targets in a railway context.
• Willingness to work varied shifts, on-call and out-of-hours as required.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Driver team to meet safety and performance standards.
• Coach and develop team members, fostering initiative and contribution.
• Coordinate with external suppliers and colleagues; manage budget responsibilities.
• Respond to safety or performance issues and communicate decisions promptly.
• Support shift rosters, on-call duties, and disruption coverage to maintain service.

Skills

Team management

Coaching

Leadership

Communication

Budget awareness

Job description

Driver Team Manager Leeds

An opportunity has arisen for a passionate individual to fulfil the role of Driver Team Manager at Leeds. You must have a minimum of 5 years experience as a Fully Qualified Train Driver. This role requires that you are a Fully Qualified Train Driver and have at least five years experience to apply. You will be accountable for the team achieving the set standards in safety and performance as well as financial targets. You will be expected to demonstrate a real commitment to delivering ever-higher standards of driving excellence. Alongside your initiative and your positive, proactive, professional approach, your most important asset is your ability to manage people. From effective coaching and communicating, to developing the strengths of each team member and creating opportunities for them to make a positive contribution. You will be the first point of call for follow up in the event of safety of the line or performance issues with your team.

This leadership role is in a technical environment with direct responsibility for the achievement of the assessment and competency requirements for the team and maintaining professional driving standards. This role requires a ‘hands on’ approach coupled with an ability to manage effectively from a distance. You must be willing to take action when objectives and targets are not met. Whatever difficulties your team may face – it’s imperative that you are capable of making firm decisions in a safety critical environment to achieve our business objectives. There is an on-call and out of hours duty requirement for this position, as well as the commitment and flexibility to support the business during periods of disruption in order to maintain service for our customers.

• Demonstrate a sound understanding of on-train safety requirements and railway operations
• Ability of report writing / investigatory skills
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as managing a team
• Liaising with external suppliers and colleagues
• Previous experience of managing a budget (desirable)
• Ability to work various shifts
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to deal appropriately with difficult situations

This is a safety critical post.

We acknowledge the importance of our people's diverse experiences, talents and cultures. Embracing diversity and creating inclusion is a key component of our talent strategy. The creation of a diverse, inclusive workforce is central to our ability to unlock potential and enhance our success.

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.

Closing date: Tuesday 27th October 2026.