Fleet Operations Controller

FirstGroup; Swindon; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-going development

Defined benefit pension scheme

Free rail travel for you and family

Company-sponsored health care plan

Discounted shopping and gym membership

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

GWR in Swindon is seeking a Fleet Operations Controller to ensure trains are in the right place at the right time, with the right capacity and traction. You will proactively manage fleet return to depots for maintenance, while prioritising customer needs in a fast-moving environment.

The role requires flexibility to work 24/7, including nights and weekends, and occasional travel across the GWR network. A collaborative approach and strong decision-making are essential to keep services reliable.

Qualifications

• Ability to collaborate with a range of colleagues and stakeholders to find effective solutions.
• Able to make timely, informed decisions, especially during disruption periods.
• Consider both immediate and longer-term impacts of decisions.
• Enjoy solving problems and anticipate challenges before they arise.
• Keep customer experience at the heart of decision-making.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Take ownership of delivering outcomes and seek practical solutions.
• Committed to working safely and escalating when needed.

Responsibilities

• Manage the allocation of GWR's fleet across services to deliver capacity and facilities for customers.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to maximise fleet availability and support the daily train plan.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Hitachi to ensure fleet availability for maintenance plans.
• Balance fleet requirements by understanding depot capacity and resolving issues.
• Keep safety at the heart of decisions and escalate when appropriate.
• Provide clear, accurate updates on fleet position to colleagues and the wider business.
• Respond to changing circumstances and minimise disruption impact for customers and staff.

Skills

Collaboration

Decision making

Customer focus

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Ownership

Safety

Job description

Who are we:

GWR is the proud custodian of Brunel's railway - one of the most prestigious networks in the world. We have some of the newest trains in the country and exciting plans to extend our services. With more than one hundred million passenger journeys each year, we carry people to over 275 stations in the South West, from Cornwall and South Wales to London, passing through beautiful country and some of the UK's top tourist destinations.

We are transforming the way people think about train travel, empowering our team of over 6,000 people from all different backgrounds to make it a great experience for our customers. Together, we will revalue rail as a very special way to travel – relaxing, fast, efficient, friendly and fun.

About the team:

Based in our Integrated Control Centre in Swindon, the Train Service Delivery team is at the heart of Great Western Railway's operation, helping thousands of customers reach their destinations safely and reliably every day.

Working in a fast-paced, 24/7 environment, the team plays a vital role in keeping our railway moving. From managing the live train service and coordinating operational responses to providing accurate customer information and supporting service recovery during disruption, the team works to deliver the best possible experience for our customers.

You'll work closely with colleagues across GWR, including Control Room leaders, Area Operations Managers and Engineering teams, as well as industry partners such as Network Rail and other Train Operating Companies. It's a highly collaborative environment where situations can change quickly, every day can bring a new challenge and no two shifts are quite the same.

The team is responsible for the day-to-day management and delivery of the GWR service, bringing together train planning, customer information, area operations, service management and incident recovery. We also work to identify and support opportunities to improve performance and the overall customer experience.

About the job:

As a Fleet Operations Controller, you'll play an important role in making sure the right trains are in the right place at the right time.

You'll help ensure our services have the appropriate number of seats, the right traction for the route and that we maximise fleet availability. You'll also proactively manage the fleet to make sure trains return to depots when required for maintenance and inspections, while keeping the needs of our customers at the heart of the decisions you make.

This is a role where things can change quickly, so you'll need to be comfortable making informed decisions, working with a range of people and finding solutions when challenges arise.

What you'll be doing:

• Managing the allocation of GWR's fleet across our services to help deliver the promised capacity and facilities for our customers.
• Working proactively with internal and external stakeholders to maximise fleet availability and support the daily train plan.
• Working closely with GWR Engineering and Hitachi to ensure the required fleet is available to support maintenance plans.
• Balancing fleet requirements by maintaining an accurate understanding of depot capacity and helping resolve issues when they arise.
• Keeping safety at the heart of your decisions, identifying safe solutions within your level of competence and escalating issues when appropriate.
• Providing clear and accurate updates on the fleet position to colleagues and the wider business.
• Responding positively to changing circumstances and working collaboratively to minimise the impact of disruption on our customers and colleagues.

Skills and Experience

We're looking for someone who:

• Can work collaboratively with a range of colleagues and stakeholders to find effective solutions.
• Is comfortable making timely, informed decisions, particularly during periods of disruption.
• Can consider both the immediate and longer-term impact of decisions.
• Enjoys solving problems and can anticipate potential challenges before they become issues.
• Understands the importance of putting the customer experience at the heart of decision‑making.
• Has strong attention to detail and can manage competing priorities.
• Takes ownership of delivering outcomes and is committed to finding practical solutions.
• Is committed to working safely and knows when to seek support or escalation of an issue.

Desirable experience and knowledge:

• Experience of stakeholder management and working with a range of internal and external stakeholders, suppliers or customers.
• Experience of working in a fleet, rail, transport or operational environment.
• Experience of train service management, fleet planning or a similar operational role.
• Knowledge of the systems and processes used within train service management or fleet planning.

Working pattern:

24/7 coverage is required for this role, so a shift pattern is required, including nights and weekend working

Although based in Swindon,occasional travel across the GWR network may be required

The Reward:

As well as a great team environment and comprehensive training, all GWR colleagues enjoy a range of benefits:

• on-going development
• defined benefit pension scheme
• free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family
• company-sponsored health care plan
• discounted shopping and gym membership
• employee assistance programme.

We all belong at GWR. This is our vision for providing an inclusive environment for all our colleagues, 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 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 such as 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.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/

INGWR