Operations Manager - Rail

Rogers McHugh Recruitment; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading Soft Facilities Management provider is seeking an Operations Manager for a key national rail cleaning contract. This role involves managing a GBP7m contract and a team of 120 employees, ensuring operational excellence and compliance with safety standards while driving growth across the Midlands rail network.

Benefits

Car Allowance

Free First Class rail travel

Company pension

Holidays

Additional perks

Qualifications

• Strong background in Soft FM / Rail / Transport cleaning operations.
• Proven experience managing large-scale teams across multiple sites.
• Able to travel frequently across the contract patch.

Responsibilities

• Full operational responsibility for delivery of cleaning services across the contract.
• Lead, manage and motivate a large, multi-site team.
• Drive continuous improvement and identify opportunities for contract growth.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Commercial awareness

Job description

Operations Manager Rail Cleaning (Soft FM)

Midlands-based (Coventry to Preston patch)
c. GBP55,000 + Car Allowance + Benefits (including free First Class rail travel)

The Opportunity

A leading Soft Facilities Management provider is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to take ownership of a key national rail cleaning contract. This role comes at a pivotal time, following the retirement of a long-standing manager, and offers the chance to oversee and further develop a GBP7m contract with significant growth potential.

About the Contract

• Sector: Rail Soft FM

• Coverage: London Euston to Edinburgh (majority of work between Coventry and Preston)

• Sites: 16 primary stations and 9 First Class lounges

• Current Value: GBP7 million (with expansion opportunities)

• Team: Direct line management of 120 employed staff

  • Note: No agency staff permitted on this account

Key Responsibilities

• Full operational responsibility for delivery of cleaning services across the contract

• Lead, manage and motivate a large, multi-site team across the Midlands rail network

• Ensure compliance with service level agreements (SLAs) and safety standards

• Manage budgets, resource planning, and performance reporting

• Drive continuous improvement and identify opportunities for contract growth

• Liaise closely with client stakeholders and internal support functions

• Maintain high levels of employee engagement and operational excellence

Candidate Profile

• Strong background in Soft FM / Rail / Transport cleaning operations

• Proven experience managing large-scale teams across multiple sites

• Excellent leadership, communication, and organisational skills

• Commercially aware with ability to manage budgets and drive efficiencies

• Able to travel frequently across the contract patch

• Comfortable working in a regulated, customer-facing environment

Package & Benefits

• Salary: circa GBP55,000

• Car Allowance

• Benefits: including free First Class rail travel across the network

• Company pension, holidays, and additional perks

Location

This role is Midlands-based, ideally located for travel between Coventry and Preston. Regular travel across the network is required.