Operational Compliance Team Leader

Arriva UK Trains Limited; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Arriva UK Trains Limited is seeking an experienced Head of Compliance to lead ARTS’ audit and compliance activities. You will own the audit programme, manage the compliance team, and drive improvements using AI-assisted tools and Power BI for insightful reporting.

The role requires hands-on leadership, experience in regulated environments, and a strong focus on evidence, CAPA tracking and supplier assurance. National travel is expected.

Qualifications

• Proven line management experience in a small compliance/audit/operational assurance team.
• Demonstrable track record delivering an audit programme in a regulated industry.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 and ISO 45001; lead auditor qualification preferred.
• Strong understanding of supplier assurance and contract compliance.
• Experience with findings management and CAPA tracking.
• Excellent report writing for senior leadership.
• Daily use of enterprise AI tools to draft narratives and MI.

Responsibilities

• Plan, schedule and deliver the approved audit programme for suppliers and operations.
• QA routine to ensure audit papers and records are consistent and fit for external scrutiny.
• Line manage the compliance team: setting objectives, performance, and development.
• Own supplier assurance and escalate material non-conformances when needed.
• Oversee PSVAR and taxi/PHV compliance across rail replacement services.
• Maintain CAPA log and chase closure of actions.

Skills

Line management

Audit delivery

Report writing

Data interrogation

Education

Lead auditor qualification

ISO 9001/45001 knowledge

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Power Query

AI tools (Copilot / ChatGPT)

Job description

Calling all operational & compliance professionals! Can you help us in our ambition of delivering a game changing 5-star service for our customers? Do you possess the drive, ambition and experience to be come and show us how to be better than we are today? And are you looking for a workplace whereby you can be happy, looked after and your contributions make a real difference? Then we want to hear from you! Here at Arriva Road Transport Services, we shine brightest in our service provision, and we exist to prove alternative transport can be better than the journey it replaces. We are going places - literally! We deliver over 80,000 rail replacement journeys, facilitate 20,000 taxi journeys and supply dedicated frontline support to our customers every year. We have a plan to build on our success so far and have an opening in a key role in operational compliance and want someone to join us, who will drive us forward in every way possible.

Purpose of role: To be responsible for the operational delivery of ARTS’ compliance and audit activities through leadership of the Compliance Team. Ownership of day-to-day supplier and internal audit delivery, manages the compliance administration workload, and ensures findings are followed through to closure. Additionally, the creation, management and ownership of business information/data that provides operational assurance that ARTS and its supplier network are meeting their contractual, regulatory and quality obligations — using modern digital and AI-assisted methods as the default.

Direct responsibilities include:

• Audit programme delivery. Plan, schedule and deliver the approved ARTS audit programme — supplier audits, operational audits and compliance checks — on a risk-based cycle, to agreed timescales and to evidence-ready standards.
• Quality assurance. Run the QA routine over ARTS’ compliance activities and supplier outputs, ensuring audit working papers, permit records and compliance documentation are consistent, traceable and fit for external scrutiny.
• Line management of the compliance team. Lead two Lead Auditors, the Taxi Permit Administrator and the Compliance Administrator. Set objectives, manage performance, authorise leave, run 1:1s, address capability issues, and develop the team.
• Supplier assurance. Own the operational relationship with audited suppliers, escalating material non-conformances to the Head of Operations and Head of Safety, and ensuring corrective actions are tracked and closed.
• PSVAR and taxi/PHV compliance. Provide oversight of the Taxi Permit Administrator’s workload, ensuring permits, vehicle records and driver documentation are current, and PSVAR obligations are evidenced on rail replacement services.
• Findings closure and CAPA. Maintain the corrective and preventative action (CAPA) log, chase findings owners, verify closure evidence and escalated overdue or recurring issues.
• Reporting cadence. Produce and own the weekly compliance dashboard and monthly audit pack for operational leadership, highlighting trends, repeat findings and emerging supplier risk — using AI to draft narrative and Power BI to visualise.
• Audit readiness. Support the Head of Safety and external certification bodies during ISO 9001, 45001 and 22301 surveillance audits, presenting the compliance team’s evidence base.
• Digital and AI uplift of the compliance function. Identify, pilot and scale AI-assisted and rules-based improvements to audit templates, findings tracking, supplier evidence collection and MI narrative.
• Develop the digital maturity of the compliance team.

Experience required includes:

• Essential Proven line management experience with a small compliance, audit or operational assurance team
• Demonstrable track record delivering an audit programme in a regulated industry (rail, bus, coach, logistics, aviation, utilities or similar)
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 (lead auditor qualification preferred — see Qualifications)
• Strong understanding of supplier assurance and contract compliance
• Confident with findings management, CAPA tracking and evidence discipline
• Clear, concise report writing for operational leadership
• Practical, daily user of enterprise AI tools (Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise, Claude, Gemini or equivalent) for drafting audit narrative, summarising evidence, producing first-cut findings reports and MI commentary — with the judgement to verify and edit before release
• Responsible AI use: understands Arriva Group data classification and will not expose supplier PII, TOC-sensitive information or commercial data to unapproved tools
• Comfortable interrogating data directly — Excel to intermediate level, Power Query for cleaning, Power BI (or equivalent) for dashboards
• Ability to hold suppliers and internal colleagues to account without escalating unnecessarily
• Comfortable travelling nationally for supplier audits (typically 4–8 days per month)

Desirable

• Familiarity with PSVAR and DVSA-regulated operations
• Prior exposure to rail replacement, scheduled coach or taxi/PHV operations
• Experience in using a digital audit management system (e.g. iAuditor, Intelex, My Compliance, Ideagen Q-Pulse)
• Experience designing or scaling AI-assisted workflows in a compliance, audit or operations function
• Experience supporting a business through ISO surveillance or re-certification audits
• IEMA or environmental auditing awareness
• Formal training in responsible AI use, AI governance, or digital transformation

Behavioural Competencies

• Delivery-focused. Gets things done on time, chases closure, protects the audit schedule from drift.
• Evidence-led. Rely on facts, documents and traceable records rather than opinion or persuasion.
• Digitally curious and AI-literate. Looks for opportunities to use AI and digital tooling to lift audit quality and team productivity; treats AI output as a first draft, not a final answer.
• Fair and firm as a line manager. Develops the team, gives clear feedback, and does not avoid difficult conversations.
• Calm under challenge.
• Collaborative. Works across Operations, Safety and Client-facing teams without creating friction.
• Ethical and independent-minded. Willing to flag issues that are commercially awkward when the evidence demands it, including emerging risks around AI-assisted work.

Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania.

Thanks for your interest in working on our team!!