Schedules Manager

First Group; West of England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

First Group is seeking a Schedules Manager to join our Network team on a full-time basis. You will lead the scheduling function, ensuring efficient, compliant and cost-effective driver rosters and duties aligned to business goals.

You will manage a team of Senior Schedulers and Schedulers, driving performance and continuous improvement. Collaboration with Network Planning, Operations and HR is essential to align schedules with strategic service objectives.

Qualifications

• Experience leading scheduling teams.
• Strong numerical and data literacy for workforce planning and optimisation.
• Proficiency with scheduling systems (e.g. Optibus) and scheduling principles.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and optimisation of driver duties and rosters to align with efficiency, wellbeing and service delivery.
• Collaborate with Network Planning, Operations and HR to ensure schedules support availability and strategic objectives.
• Act as the primary escalation point for trade union engagement on scheduling matters.
• Ensure compliance with SLAs and Service Change Checkpoints across scheduling teams.
• Manage workload balancing and resource allocation to guarantee resilience and high performance.
• Contribute to crisis and contingency planning for service disruptions.
• Drive continuous improvement in scheduling practices using best-in-class tools and governance.
• Oversee regulatory and legal scheduling compliance related to driver hours and local agreements.
• Support tender and franchise bidding processes with robust scheduling analysis.
• Perform ad-hoc duties as required by the UK Head of Schedules.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical Skills

Scheduling Systems

Stakeholder Engagement

Commercial Acumen

Regulatory Knowledge

EV Fleet Scheduling

Performance Under Pressure

Tools

Optibus

Job description

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Schedules Manager to join our Network team on a full time permanent basis.

The Schedules Manager oversees the scheduling function within one of the organisation's core businesses, ensuring the delivery of efficient, compliant, and cost-effective duty and roster schedules.

Reporting to the UK Head of Schedules, they manage a team of locally aligned Senior Schedulers and Schedulers, driving performance, innovation, and alignment with operational and strategic goals.

The role is pivotal in supporting workforce wellbeing, service delivery, and business growth through effective planning, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement. The role holder will collaborate cross-functionally with Network Planning, Operations, and HR to align schedules with strategic service and workforce goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Scheduling Strategy and Optimisation: Lead the development and optimisation of driver duties and rosters, ensuring alignment with operational efficiency, driver wellbeing, and service delivery objectives for their respective business or area.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with Network Planning, Network Process and Governance, Operations, and HR to ensure schedules support workforce availability, retention, and strategic service objectives.
• Trade Union Engagement and Escalation: Act as the primary escalation point for trade union engagement on scheduling matters if a solution can't be addressed, ensuring compliance with agreements and fostering constructive relationships.
• Governance and Service Change Compliance: Ensure their team's adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Service Change Checkpoints across all scheduling teams.
• Resource Management and Team Resilience: Work with the process and governance sub function of Network to guarantee workload balancing and resource allocation across scheduling teams to ensure resilience and high performance.
• Crisis and Contingency Planning: Contribute to crisis and contingency planning, ensuring scheduling flexibility and responsiveness to service disruptions.
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Drive continuous improvement in scheduling practices, embedding best-in-class tools and software, governance, and performance frame works.
• Regulatory and Operational Compliance: Oversee compliance with regulatory requirements, including driver hours legislation, local agreements, and data submissions (e.g. BODS, DAS, Ticketer).
• Bid and Franchise Support: Support integrated tender and franchise bidding processes with robust scheduling analysis and modelling.
• Ad-hoc support: Other duties commensurate with the role as may be deemed appropriate by the UK Head of Schedules.

Skills & Experience

• Leadership and Team Management: Strong leadership experience, with a track record of managing and developing schedulingteams.
• Analytical and Planning Expertise: High level of numeracy and data literacy, with experience in workforce planning and optimisation.
• Technical Scheduling Proficiency: Proficiency in scheduling systems (e.g. Optibus) and understanding of scheduling principles and constraints.
• Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, including trade union negotiation.
• Commercial and Financial Acumen: Commercial awareness and experience contributing to budgeting, forecasting, and tender processes.
• Regulatory and Legal Knowledge: Knowledge of regulatory and legal frameworks related to driver hours and scheduling compliance.
• EV Management: Experience in managing scheduling for electric vehicle (EV) fleets is desirable.
• Performance Under Pressure: Ability to work in a high-pressured environment consistently delivering on objectives within timeframe.
• Local Operational Insight: Geographical knowledge of the areas of operation and responsibility is preferred.
• Performance Under Pressure: Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities, and deliver to tight deadlines.