Engineering Manager (Trams)

Edinburgh Trams; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading tramway operator in Edinburgh is looking for an Engineering Manager to oversee tram vehicle maintenance and ensure efficient operation. The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of experience in the rail industry, strong contract management skills, and a relevant engineering qualification. This full-time role involves managing a £4.5m maintenance contract while collaborating with the engineering team for continuous improvements.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years relevant experience within the rail industry.
• Proven contract and project management experience.
• Management experience with contractors at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Manage the tram vehicle maintenance contract totalling £4.5m annually.
• Monitor and control planned and reactive maintenance work.
• Work closely with the Head of Engineering for maintenance improvement.

Skills

Contract Management

Project Management

Engineering Knowledge

Budget Monitoring

Education

Relevant degree or professional engineering qualifications

Job description

Overview

Edinburgh Trams has an exciting opportunity for an Engineering Manager (Trams) to join their team. Edinburgh Trams is the award-winning operator of the city’s tramway with a vision to be an integral part of the future success of Edinburgh and the Lothians by providing world-class, environmentally friendly, and socially inclusive transport. The addition of new services, industry-leading levels of customer service and a range of dynamic initiatives have all contributed to Edinburgh’s tramway becoming one of the UK’s most successful transport systems. Delivering ‘Excellence for Edinburgh’ is our mantra. Our values are to be Trusted, Innovative, Passionate and Smart. We believe that if we are true to our values our company can look forward to even greater success and, as importantly, each of us will feel ever more proud, satisfied, and happy in our work.

Role Details

There is an excellent opportunity to permanently join the Engineering team to manage the tram maintenance.

As an integral part of the Edinburgh Trams engineering team, you will manage the tram vehicle maintenance contract. Your role is to ensure that the tram vehicles are maintained to required standards, providing Edinburgh with an efficient tram system benefitting both passengers and other road users, and that the contract is correctly administered and managed.

Responsibilities

• The post holder will have responsibility for managing the tram vehicle maintenance contract. The approximate annual value of the maintenance work is £4.5m. This will involve detailed monitoring and control of planned and reactive maintenance work, along with the necessary approvals and certification of work for payment purposes on a 4 weekly period basis. This will involve close budget monitoring and approval of any changes to the maintenance plans.
• Professional contract management of the maintainer.
• Working in partnership with the Head of Engineering to effectively and efficiently manage, measure and improve vehicle maintenance. This will include planning and implementation of renewal activities.
• Assist in operational incidents, and any other duties that may be associated with the main tasks of the post, as required.
• Assist and support Company events, including preparation and attending, such as rugby games and concerts.

Role details

• The role is full time, 40 hours a week, working 5 days over 7 days, predominately Monday to Friday although occasional night-time/weekend working will be required.
• You will also be expected to support the company

Minimum requirements

• You must have a relevant degree or professional engineering qualifications (i.e. IEng, CEng).
• Experienced Engineer, with at least 10 years relevant experience within the rail industry, with working knowledge of traction and fleet maintenance.
• Proven contract and project management experience, with a flexible approach to work and tasks.
• Management experience, including management of contractors at all levels.
• Experience of producing management information and reports.
• Ability to cope with competing demands and deadlines.

How To Apply

Interested candidates can submit their application on our Careers website by midnight on 21 September 2025.

We are fortunate that some of our roles attract a high level of interest, therefore, we may have to close vacancies earlier than advertised. Early application submissions are highly recommended. This also means that we are unable to provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates at initial screening stage due to receiving high levels of applications.

Selection process

If your application passes the initial screening, you will be invited to attend an interview. A Job Description can be provided upon request. The start date will be confirmed through the selection process.