Rail Services Graduate - Commercial

Arriva UK Trains Limited; Crewe; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Arriva UK Trains Limited is inviting graduates to join the two-year Arriva Rail Services Graduate Programme in Crewe, with hybrid working and occasional travel to other sites.

As a Graduate specialising in Commercial Development you will gain experience in bid and tender management, commercial analysis, business development and customer insights, building the skills to influence strategic decisions.

Qualifications

• To be considered, you should be on track to achieve a degree (2:1 preferred, strong 2:2 considered).
• Open to graduates from all disciplines with a willingness to travel in the UK.
• You must have the right to work in the UK and be available September 2027.

Responsibilities

• Support opportunities that strengthen Arriva's market position and services.
• Gain experience in bid and tender management and commercial analysis.
• Develop insights from data to support strategic commercial decisions.

Skills

Curiosity

Proactivity

Problem solving

Communication

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Team collaboration

Commercial mindset

Education

Degree 2:1 preferred

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Every day, millions of people rely on transport to access the people, places and opportunities that matter most. At Arriva, we're shaping the future of passenger transport and investing in the people who will help lead it. We are one of Europe's leading passenger transport partners, helping people get to work, education, healthcare, family and the moments that matter. Operating across 11 countries, with around 35,000 colleagues and more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys each year, we're a business with the scale to make a difference and the ambition to keep moving forward. Through our Graduate Programme, we're looking for talented graduates who are curious, motivated to learn and ready to grow their careers with us. If you're ready to make an impact, we'd love to hear from you.

The Graduate Opportunity

As an Arriva Rail Services Graduate specialising in Commercial Development, you'll gain first-hand experience of the activities that drive growth and long-term success across Arriva's rail business. You'll work with experienced colleagues to support opportunities that strengthen our market position and enhance the services we provide. During the programme, you'll develop experience in areas such as bid and tender management, commercial analysis, business development and customer insights. You'll build an understanding of how commercial decisions are made and develop the analytical and strategic skills needed to support future growth across the rail sector.

Location: This role is based at our Crewe depot and will require travel to York, Leeds and Derby. The role operates on a hybrid basis, with a minimum of three days per week at the depot or another Arriva workplace.

What We’re Looking For

We're not expecting you to have all the answers. We're looking for graduates with curiosity, drive and the confidence to keep learning. People who take ownership, build positive relationships and want to make a meaningful contribution from day one. What matters most is your potential. We're looking for people who are eager to learn, motivated to grow and ready to develop their Arriva Graduate EDGE.

About You

We're open to applications from graduates of all degree disciplines. We're particularly interested in people who:

• Are curious, proactive and eager to learn
• Enjoy solving problems and thinking creatively
• Have strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Can analyse information and use data to support decision-making
• Enjoy working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders
• Are interested in commercial strategy, business development and customer insight
• Are curious about how organisations identify opportunities and make commercial decisions
• Enjoy analysing market, customer and performance information
• Want to develop experience in bids, tenders and commercial growth

The Graduate Programme

Alongside your role, you'll be part of our two-year graduate development programme, benefiting from structured learning, mentoring, exposure to senior leaders and a connected graduate network across Arriva. The breadth of experience gained throughout the programme will help you develop the commercial awareness, analytical skills and strategic thinking needed to support growth across Arriva Rail Services. You may also have opportunities to undertake relevant learning and professional development in areas such as commercial management, bid and tender management, business development and project management.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for this opportunity, you'll need:

• To be on track to achieve, or have already achieved, a degree (2:1 preferred, with strong 2:2 applications considered)
• The right to work in the UK permanently
• Availability to join the programme in September 2027
• Willingness to travel where required in the UK

Arriva

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.

Application Closing Date

The closing date for applications is close of play Friday 27 November 2026. We'd encourage you to apply at your earliest convenience, as we review applications as they are received and may close this opportunity early.