Duty Fleet Planner

East Midlands Trains; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional rail service provider in the East Midlands is seeking a proactive Duty Fleet Planner. The role focuses on managing fleet activities to ensure optimal operation, safety, and regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Engineering or Management and proven leadership experience in a safety-critical environment. This position offers a competitive salary, excellent pension, and flexible working arrangements. Join us to make a difference in our operations and customer experience.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

32 days’ holiday per year

Flexible working hours

Free First-Class duty travel

75% discount on national leisure travel

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in a complex, safety-critical environment.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of operational business drivers.
• Experience influencing across multiple functions and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead and strategise the fleet planning function.
• Ensure trains are available in the right place and condition.
• Ensure all planning activities meet contractual and regulatory standards.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

Degree in Engineering, Management, or related discipline

Tools

MS Office

Planning systems (e.g., Integrale)

Job description

We are proud to be One Team at East Midlands Railway (EMR). We are passionate about keeping people safe, delighting our customers , doing the right thing, and putting customers at the heart of our sustainable railway for the East Midlands.

With over 2,600 employees, our people are the reason we are so successful. Nine times accredited as a Top Employer, we value our people and are dedicated to making sure that everybody feels empowered to bring their authentic self to work.

At EMR we want to proactively embrace diversity across our workforce and recognise that we are under‑represented in terms of females and ethnic minority groups. We’re therefore taking positive steps to promote a positive and inclusive culture; we welcome applications from those that identify with these groups to better represent our communities.

We have an exciting opportunity to join #TeamEMR as a Duty Fleet Planner.

As a Duty Fleet Planner, you play a key role in keeping our fleet running smoothly and efficiently. You will lead all fleet planning activities to ensure the right trains are in the right place, at the right time, and in the right condition. Balancing operational needs with maintenance demands, you will drive reliability, safety, and cost efficiency, all while overseeing the “Golden Plan” to make sure every aspect of fleet activity supports our business and contractual goals.

Key responsibilities include:

Lead & Strategise

• Drive the fleet planning function, aligning Engineering, Operations, and TMPs with business goals.
• Own and deliver the “Golden Plan”, turning long‑term fleet strategy into practical maintenance plans.
• Coach, develop, and motivate your team, fostering capability, resilience, and continuous improvement.
• Represent Engineering in cross‑functional forums, influencing key stakeholders to achieve results.

Deliver Operational Excellence

• Ensure trains are available, in the right place and condition, to meet operational demand.
• Oversee maintenance, presentation, and overhaul scheduling to maximise fleet availability and reliability.
• Lead contingency and recovery planning during service disruptions.
• Analyse fleet performance and implement improvements to enhance efficiency and reliability.

Ensure Compliance & Drive Improvement

• Ensure all planning activities meet contractual, regulatory, and company standards.
• Lead audits, embed best practice, and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain robust policies and procedures in line with the NRC.
• Champion GDPR compliance and data integrity across the planning function.

Who we’re looking for

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Duty Fleet Planner who can lead our fleet planning function with confidence and impact.

• Degree or equivalent qualification in Engineering, Management, or a related discipline.
• Proven leadership experience in a complex, safety‑critical, or operational planning environment.
• Strong strategic and analytical skills, with the ability to turn data into actionable insights.
• Experience influencing across multiple functions and external partners.
• High level of IT literacy, including MS Office and planning systems (e.g., Integrale).
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of operational business drivers.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable experience includes in‑depth knowledge of the UK rail industry, fleet maintenance processes, and contractual frameworks, along with experience in performance management, KPI reporting, and continuous improvement. Technical expertise that enables coverage of Duty Maintenance Manager responsibilities when required is also advantageous.

As well as a competitive salary, we’ll also offeryou :

• An excellent defined benefit pension scheme
• 32 days’ holiday per year, rising to 34 after 2 years
• Flexible working hours
• Free First‑Class duty travel on the EMR network
• Free standard leisure travel on the EMR network and Train Operating Companies under Transport UK & LNER
• 75% discount on national leisure travel (inc partner and dependants)
• Friends and Family discounted tickets on the EMR network
• Various training opportunities
• Employee benefits portal with access to generous discounts, Cycle 2 Work Scheme …and many more!

We are open minded to applications from people who wish to have flexible working. Many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

Ready to take on this exciting opportunity? Submit your online application form and upload your CV. As we operate a blind screening process please remove all personal information including your name from your CV.