Readiness & Resilience Leadership Apprentice

South Western News UK; City Of London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading railway company in London is seeking an apprentice to join their Readiness & Resilience team. The role involves supporting major event readiness, developing testing regimes, and enhancing documentation processes. Ideal candidates are motivated, organised, and possess excellent communication skills. This apprenticeship offers a competitive salary and numerous benefits including free travel on SWR services.

Benefits

Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services

75% discount on other train operating companies

Excellent pension scheme

Full training and support with development

Qualifications

• Desire to pursue a career in the railway industry.
• Flexibility to work early or late shifts and travel.
• Ability to work collaboratively within the team.

Responsibilities

• Support readiness for major events at SWR/NR Wessex.
• Assist in developing the testing and exercise regime.
• Document actions and attend industry meetings.

Skills

Excellent communication

Interpersonal skills

Highly organised

Excellent IT skills

Ability to challenge constructively

Education

Predicted or achieved Grade C/4 or above in English and Maths

Job description

For this apprenticeship, you will need to be aged 18+ years on the 1st September 2026.

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to bring people together to get the most out of life.

About the job

An exciting and unique cross-industry development opportunity within the trial Joint Readiness & Resilience team that is in place across South Western Railway and Network Rail's Wessex Route. This role will support the enhancement of SWR's and NR Wessex's continued readiness and resilience.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Support whole SWR/NR Wessex readiness for major events
• Assist the development of the SWR/NR Wessex testing and exercise regime
• Assist the function as required in times of crisis, e.g., by acting as a trained loggist within the Crisis Management Team.
• Ensure actions are properly documented and updated
• Attend industry meetings as required to ensure Readiness & Resilience representation
• Support with the production of various operational and resilience documentation
• Assist with lessons learned activity post major events
• Support command and control for pre-planned events, e.g., as a “command team advisor”

Role specific development

In addition to an excellent Apprentice Development Programme, the post holder will also be provided with role-specific training and development, e.g., accredited training with the Business Continuity Institute.

You'll need to have:

• A desire to pursue a career in the railway industry.
• Flexibility – this apprenticeship may involve early or late shifts and travel to other areas on our network.
• Excellent communication, with the ability to motivate others
• Great interpersonal skills to support building up own understanding of the structure of SWR and NR Wessex.
• An ability to work collaboratively within the joint Readiness & Resilience team
• Highly organised
• Excellent IT skills
• An ability to challenge constructively
• Be willing to go through security vetting

Desirable

• Predicted or achieved Grade C/4 or above in English and Maths, or Level 2 Functional Skills.

About the location

South Western Railway's HQ is based on the 4th Floor at South Bank Central, a stone's throw from the River Thames and a 10-minute walk from our busiest station, Waterloo. It is local to many well-known attractions, restaurants and retail facilities and is easily accessible by public transport.

Working pattern

Working an average of 37 hours per week.

The Reward

In return, we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all 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 a zero-tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, please note that we encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.