Lead Scheduling & Workforce Optimization

First Group; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

First Group is seeking a Schedules Manager to lead the scheduling function within the Network team in the United Kingdom. The role involves managing a team of Senior Schedulers and Schedulers, driving performance, innovation, and alignment with strategic goals across driver rosters and duties.

You will collaborate with Network Planning, Operations and HR to ensure schedules support workforce wellbeing, service delivery, and business growth, while maintaining regulatory compliance and achieving

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead scheduling teams and drive efficiency.
• Strong numeracy and data literacy for workforce planning.
• Experience with driver hours regulations and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and optimisation of driver duties and rosters.
• Collaborate with Planning, Operations and HR to align schedules with objectives.
• Act as escalation point for trade union engagement on scheduling matters.
• Ensure adherence to SLAs and scheduling governance across teams.
• Manage workload balancing and resource allocation for resilience.
• Contribute to crisis and contingency planning for disruptions.
• Drive continuous improvement with scheduling tools and governance.
• Oversee regulatory compliance related to driver hours and local agreements.
• Support tender and franchise bidding with scheduling analysis.
• Perform ad-hoc duties as required by UK Head of Schedules.

Skills

Leadership & Team Management

Analytical & Planning

Technical Scheduling

Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

Commercial & Financial Acumen

Regulatory & Legal Knowledge

EV Fleet Scheduling

Performance Under Pressure

Local Operational Insight

Tools

Optibus

Job description

First Group is seeking a Schedules Manager to lead the scheduling function within the Network team in the United Kingdom. The role involves managing a team of Senior Schedulers and Schedulers, driving performance, innovation, and alignment with strategic goals across driver rosters and duties.

You will collaborate with Network Planning, Operations and HR to ensure schedules support workforce wellbeing, service delivery, and business growth, while maintaining regulatory compliance and achieving