Senior Network Lead

Arriva Rail London Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A train operating company in London is seeking a Senior Network Lead to supervise the Control Centre teams and provide strategic direction. The role demands strong leadership and communication skills to navigate major incident management and operational excellence. Ideal candidates will possess experience leading teams, preferably in a Control Centre environment. Key benefits include free travel on TfL Network and significant discounts. Join our transformative team to enhance passenger transport across Europe.

Benefits

Free Travel on TfL Network

Discounts on European rail services

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams at a senior level, ideally in the railway sector.
• Control Centre environment experience is advantageous.
• Fluency in English and strong communication skills.
• Understanding of customer information systems is desirable.
• General knowledge of the rail industry is advantageous.
• Knowledge of best practices in major incident management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Control team, ensuring operational excellence.
• Drive strategic service delivery and enhance learning.
• Command major incidents and ensure safety protocols.
• Engage with stakeholders to drive positive change.

Skills

Leadership

Operational management

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Crisis management

Customer experience

Job description

Senior Network Lead

Arriva Rail London

London / Shift Worker

Permanent

Closing Date : 9th December 2025

Arriva Rail London is an industry-leading train operating company, responsible for running the London Overground network under a Concession Agreement with Transport for London (TfL) and is part of the Arriva group.

Here at Arriva, we are on our way to becoming the leading passenger transport partner across Europe, delivering more than 2.2 billion passenger journeys across 14 different European countries every year. We have a vision to help shape a future where passenger transport is the best choice, through digitisation, sustainability, and continuous improvement, we want you to join us at the forefront of the passenger transport industry!

Are you ready to be part of a groundbreaking transformation? We are revolutionising our control team to be an industry-leading operational function. We have created a number of brand-new roles, and we want you to join us, as we redefine excellence and set new standards in operational control. Be part of our journey to lead the industry with innovation and expertise. Apply now to become a key player in our visionary team!

We are on the hunt for a Senior Network Lead to join our Control leadership team, you will provide strategic direction for our network by leading our Control Centre Teams, and we are looking for exceptional leaders to join Arriva Rail London. You will strategically lead the managers of network operations, collaborate with stakeholders, foster a continuous improvement environment, and champion specific projects within Control. You will also initiate and lead Command and Control processes during disruptive periods.

Seize this chance to play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of the London Overground network. As a Senior Network Lead, you'll guide teams to maintain seamless operations and manage critical incidents.

Apply now and become part of our dynamic team!

What you’ll be doing :

• Lead with Excellence : Provide exceptional leadership to the wider Control team, guiding the delivery of complex people processes and steering the rail network through major safety and performance incidents with strategic oversight.
• Champion Culture and Engagement : Foster a culture of operational excellence, diversity, and inclusion. Engage with senior stakeholders both internally and externally to drive positive change and maintain and develop strong relationships.
• Drive Strategic Service Delivery : Work independently to ensure optimal service delivery. Oversee the creation and execution of strategic plans, leveraging industry resources to achieve recovery targets and enhance performance.
• Enhance Learning and Improvement : Lead incident reviews, including Daily Conferences, to drive learning and continuous improvement. Initiate and manage investigations to address operational risks and challenges, ensuring thorough resolution.
• Command Major Incidents : Assume Strategic Command for Arriva Rail London during accidents or major incidents. Implement emergency procedures, provide strategic direction during disruptions, and ensure that both internal and external stakeholders deliver timely operations for the London Overground.
• Deputise as Needed : Step in as the London Overground Control Centre Operations Manager when required, providing leadership and continuity.
• Drive Performance and Risk Management : Identify areas for improvement and support governance at all levels. Highlight current and upcoming risks, propose mitigations, and track, analyse, and communicate key network performance indicators to enhance operational efficiency.

What we need from you :

• You will need to have had experience leading and managing teams at a senior level, with an operational background, ideally in the railway but this isn’t essential.
• Experience working in a Control Centre environment would be highly advantageous, as well as experience working within Customer Experience and Incident Management.
• You will need to be fluent in English, both written and verbally, and will need to have strong communication skills, with the ability to influence and liaise with Senior Stakeholders.
• An understanding of customer information systems and measures around these would be highly desirable as well as any knowledge of the London Overground and Network Rail operations, geography and train plans.
• General / high level knowledge of the rail industry would be highly advantageous including an understanding of concession models and key markers of successful operations.
• Knowledge of best practice in Strategic Command during major incident management is essential.
• The role involves five people rotating around a roster. Successful applicants will need to be able to get to Palestra House in Southwark for 06 : 00 in the morning and home 23 : 00 in the evening, seven days a week.

What you’ll get from us :

• Free Travel for you and a nominated person at your address on TfL Network - this alone is worth a potential total of £5,200 per annum
• Free travel on Arriva branded rail services around the country
• 75% discount off season tickets and leisure travel on other Train Operating Companies
• Discounts on European rail services after 1 year of service
• Arriva Village - web based discounts on various products / services on the high street
• Employee Assistance Programme - 24hr helpline, covering a multitude of subjects