IOW Fleet Production Manager

South Western News UK; Ryde; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free duty and leisure travel on SWR

Free leisure travel for spouse/partner

75% discount on many other train ops

Full training and support with develop

Excellent pension scheme

Job summary

South Western Railway is seeking a Deputy Depot Manager at Ryde St Johns depot to lead a multi-disciplinary team, ensure safety, and manage maintenance work in line with plans and ISO standards. You will drive continuous improvement, supervise staff, and maintain depot facilities while coordinating with external partners.

This role requires strong leadership and a solid understanding of rolling stock maintenance.

Qualifications

• Experience supervising staff at a depot or similar facility.
• Strong leadership and safety governance capabilities.
• Ability to develop training plans and assess competence.
• Familiarity with depot maintenance processes and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Line manage colleagues at Ryde St Johns depot to minimise absenteeism.
• Ensure Class 484 fleet availability and adherence to CWN.
• Oversee planned maintenance and overhaul per plans and instructions.
• Escalate issues with Viva Rail per TSSSA agreement.
• Prepare outgoing services to specification and maintain stock control.
• Identify training needs and arrange staff competency assessments.
• Manage depot facilities, budget, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establish and publish KPI data each period.
• Investigate incidents or grievances as required.
• Ensure ISO 44001 collaborative working and flexible Island/Mainline operations.
• Maintain safety and a robust fire precautions regime at the depot.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Depot management

Staff supervision

Communication skills

Education

HNC or equivalent engineering/technical qualification

Job description

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to bring people together to get the most out of life.

About the job

• Be accountable for leading, directing, motivating, and empowering all staff at Ryde St Johns Depot, ensuring that all policies, procedures, safety requirements and legislation used within South Western Railway are adhered to.
• Takes ownership to ensure safety is high priority and safety concerns are dealt with.
• Accountable for ensuring any accidents and incidents are investigated in a timely manner.
• To ensure all maintenance and overhaul work at Ryde St Johns Depot is undertaken in line with the agreed plans and specifications.
• Ensures a consistent approach to Right Time Departures and Train Presentation requirements.
• Be responsible for ensuring that the Class 484 fleet maintenance is completed to the required standards and policies ensuring this fleet is available for the published services.
• Work with VivaRail in line with the TSSSA agreement and escalates any issues that become apparent with the agreement.
• Undertake first line On Call.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Line manage all colleagues based at, or assigned to, both depots, ensuring absenteeism is kept to a minimum.
• Ensure the Class 484 fleet is available for service in line with published CWN.
• Ensure all planned maintenance and overhaul work is carried out in line with relevant plans/projects and the relevant vehicle maintenance or contract instructions.
• Viva rail contractual arrangements ensuring any issues are raised and escalated to the depot manager.
• Ensure that all outgoing services from the depot have been prepared, cleaned, and maintained in line with specification.
• Ensure material processes and stock control systems are maintained and kept up to date.
• To identify and arrange training and competence assessment for new entrants as well as current employees.
• Manage facility maintenance and upgrades without having an adverse impact on depot operations.
• Manage depot expenditures within the agreed budget and identify sustainable efficiencies in cost wherever possible.
• Establish depot KPIs with the management team, maintain and publish KPI's each period.
• Undertake, or nominate, investigation manager for any investigations as necessary either operational, or post incident.
• Report depot activity and maintenance progress, problems, and potential solutions to the depot manager.
• Produce recruitment plan and resource staff as required to maintain establishment.
• Upkeep of Quality Assurance procedures to ISO standards for Traction and Rolling Stock maintenance and Depot Facilities.
• Ensure training plans are developed and plans made for staff attendance to training programmes.
• Ensure staff undertaking tasks are competent to do so.
• Nominated fire precautions manager at Ryde St Johns depot.
• Focal point of contact for Network Rail and Viva Rail for any depot associated issues.
• Focal point of contact for outside agencies for example BTP.
• Ensure customer facing defects and operational defects for the fleet are identified, reported, logged, and repaired as quickly as possible.
• Authority to contract up to limit of authority delegated to post holder.
• Undertakes investigations and or hearings for grievances or disciplinary matters as required.
• Promotes and enables ISO 44001 collaborative working.
• Promotes and encourages flexible working between Island line and mainline sites as and when workloads dictate.
• Promotes and leads a continuous improvement approach.
• Additional tasks as specified by the depot manager.

You’ll need to be:

• Education to an HNC, or significant proven maintenance experience including supervision of staff.
• Engineering or Technical apprentice qualification desirable.
• At least one year in supervisory or depot management role.
• Understanding of rolling stock in operation at the location.
• Good understanding of the routes covered by the SWR franchise.
• Good communication and report writing skills.
• Knowledge of depot maintenance procedures.
• Knowledge of company procedures and policies.
• Good operational knowledge.

Working pattern

Working an average of 37 hours per week over 5 days

Monday to Friday 0700-1530.

Some weekend work expected.

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR.

Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all 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 a 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.

If you require additionalsupport to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, 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/