Operations Manager

FirstGroup; Angmering on Sea; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A new railway operator is seeking an Operations Manager in Angmering on Sea to lead a team focused on safety and customer service excellence. This role involves managing team performance, driving training initiatives, and ensuring compliance with operational standards. To succeed, you must have an A1 Assessor qualification and robust management skills. The role offers a minimum of 10% defined contribution pension, free travel perks, and various discounts on gym memberships and lifestyle products.

Benefits

Defined Contribution Pension Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounted Gym Membership

Free travel on Lumo services

Qualifications

• Must have strong customer and people management skills.
• Be digitally capable and adaptable to new technology.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of customer drivers, ensuring high operational standards.
• Drive performance improvement and manage attendance.
• Coordinate training and development for team members.

Skills

Customer service skills

Safety-conscious mindset

People management

Education

A1 Assessor / TAQA Level 3 qualification

Job description

Who are we?

First Rail Stirling is a brand-new enterprise and start‑up rail operator that will run an exciting long‑haul train service crossing the entire country. The service will run from London to Stirling, reuniting Stirling with a direct service to the West Coast of England during the day.

We are transforming the way people think about train travel, empoweringour team from 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, and sustainable.

FirstRail Stirling, operating under Lumo is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier. FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.

About the Role

As the Operations Manager for First Rail Stirling you will lead a team of apprentice customer driver, customer drivers and customer driver instructors in line with the Lumo behaviours to deliver consistently high standards in keeping with national or Company guidance, whether statutory, legislative or commercial. Have a passion for safety and operational excellence, an engaging personality and a strong sense of pride in delivering industry leading customer service in line with our customer needs.

To promote safety,punctuality, security, information, cleanliness and customer experience through all avenues, challenging poor practice and recognising excellence.

Manage training, development, performance and the welfare of your team

About You

You are confident in English, numerate, and hold an A1 Assessor / TAQA Level 3 qualification. You bring strong customer and people management skills, a safety‑conscious mindset, and the ability to interpret operational data and follow rules, regulations, and rostering guidelines. Digitally capable and adaptable, you embrace new technology and act as a proactive ambassador for the company, ensuring excellent service and operational performance.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and manage the Customer Drivers team, setting the tone and embedding Lumo's strategy as a ground‑breaking Open Access Operator.
• Provide guidance and direction for Customer Driver Instructors and ensure all team members maintain required competencies.
• Ensure compliance with operational rules, safety standards, customer service expectations, and the use of digital systems.
• Coordinate and deliver training, briefings, and continuous development for the team.
• Investigate accidents, incidents, and safety issues, implementing corrective actions to reduce risk.
• Drive performance improvement to exceed operational targets, managing attendance, disciplinary matters, and personal performance.
• Report to the General Manager and attend relevant meetings, maintaining awareness of individual and team development needs.
• Undertake on‑call duties and support all activities required to maximise opportunities to delight customers

The Reward

• Defined Contribution Pension Scheme – We will pay in a minimum of 10% (5% employee contribution and 5% employer contribution) to a maximum total contribution of 20%.
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Travel Offers – Free travel on Lumo services and travel offers for bus and rail tickets and Day Rover Rail tickets at a discounted price for friends and family (after 6 months of service).
• Shopping & Lifestyle Discounts
• Discounted Gym Membership
• Employee Share Plans (Save as you Earn and Buy as you Earn)
• Access to a digital GP 24 / 7
• Tax Benefit Bike Scheme

Our Vision

We are committed to making Lumo-Stirling an inclusive place of work that, to ensure we deliver a railway that is inclusive for our customers .

We all belong at Lumo-Stirling. We are committed to making Lumo-Stirling an inclusive place of work that, to ensure we deliver a railway that is inclusive for our customers.

Our vision for Lumo-Stirling is to provide 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, 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.