Head Of Traincrew Resources - Rail

TXM Recruit; Tyseley; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A railway recruitment firm is seeking a proactive Head of Traincrew Resources to ensure efficient traincrew availability for operations. You will manage strategic planning and budget while liaising with various departments to optimize traincrew resourcing. Ideal candidates will have significant leadership experience in a unionised environment and in-depth knowledge of traincrew operations. This permanent, full-time role is based in Birmingham and offers a hybrid working pattern.

Qualifications

• Proven senior leadership experience within a complex operational environment.
• Extensive experience working in a heavily unionised environment.
• In-depth knowledge of traincrew operations and diagramming processes.
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience in budget ownership.
• Technically skilled in resource management systems to extract data.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy and planning for traincrew resourcing.
• Develop and maintain forecasting models and KPIs.
• Establish communication channels with internal departments.
• Manage department budget and resource expenditure efficiently.
• Support collective bargaining negotiations.
• Drive adoption of new technology for resource planning.
• Manage industrial relations risk effectively.
• Ensure timely delivery of resourcing elements for projects.
• Lead resource recovery during service disruptions.

Skills

Senior leadership experience

Experience in a unionised environment

Knowledge of traincrew operations

Commercial acumen

Technical skills in resource management systems

Stakeholder engagement skills

Risk management proficiency

Understanding of safety compliance

Tools

CrewPlan

Genius

Integrale

Job description

Are you the decisive leader who can command the complex world of traincrew resourcing and keep a major railway moving every single day? If so TXM Recruit are recruiting for a motivated manager to take on a Head of Traincrew Resources role and influence the future performance of a large train operator.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy and planning for the delivery of consistent and robust traincrew resourcing, ensuring Driver and Senior Conductor availability meets both current and future operational needs.
• Develop and maintain forecasting models, KPIs, and period returns to accurately reflect the impact and cost of recruitment, training, attrition, and coverage.
• Establish effective communication channels with internal departments such as Train Planning, Finance, and all traincrew management teams to ensure joined‑up delivery of traincrew resourcing.
• Manage the department's budget and influence wider resource expenditure to support operational efficiency and performance.
• Support and contribute to collective bargaining negotiations, ensuring resource agreements are implemented to maximise availability and reduce industrial relations risk.
• Drive the adoption and implementation of new technology to improve rostering, resource planning, and operational deployment.
• Manage industrial relations risk relating to resourcing, ensuring adherence to agreements and minimising exposure to system or human error.
• Ensure timely delivery of all resourcing elements linked to fleet projects, timetable changes, and engineering works.
• Lead on resource recovery during service disruption (excluding control‑specific responsibilities), providing assurance of operational continuity.

Required Skills and Experience

• Proven senior leadership experience within a complex operational environment, ideally in rail or a similarly safety‑critical, unionised industry. Demonstrates the ability to lead high‑performing teams and deliver outcomes under pressure.
• Extensive experience of working in a heavily unionised environment with multiple stakeholders. Capable of managing sensitive industrial relations issues with diplomacy, authority, and credibility. Strong understanding of collective agreements and how they impact resource deployment and business continuity.
• In‑depth knowledge of traincrew operations, rostering practices, and diagramming processes, with a particular focus on Driver and Senior Conductor roles. Able to interpret and apply terms and conditions across various agreements accurately and fairly.
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience of budget ownership, financial planning, and cost control. Demonstrated ability to build and present business cases to senior stakeholders, with a clear understanding of how resourcing impacts financial and operational performance.
• Technically skilled in resource management systems (e.g., CrewPlan, Genius, Integrale), with the ability to extract and interpret data, analyse trends, and develop actionable insights to improve resourcing outcomes.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills — both verbal and written. Able to influence, negotiate and build relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including trade unions, operational managers, and industry bodies.
• Highly proficient in risk management and scenario planning, particularly in the context of service recovery, industrial action mitigation, and timetable readiness. Understands the critical dependencies between people, process, and infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of safety and compliance standards relevant to traincrew operations, with a personal commitment to safe working practices and regulatory obligations.

Main Details

• Job Title: Head of Traincrew Resources
• Pay Rate: up to £85,000 per annum.
• Contract: Permanent, Full Time
• Working Pattern: Hybrid - 2/3 days per week in the office
• Location: Birmingham, West Midlands

This is a fantastic opportunity to join an exciting, friendly, and fast paced team, delivering essential services.

TXM Recruit is an equal opportunities employer. If you have any specific requirements or require assistance or reasonable adjustments to be made for you during the selection process due to disability or long‑term health condition, we will do our best to assist you.

Miren Chauhan
Delivery Consultant
Email: (url removed)