Senior Service Delivery Manager

Ford & Stanley Select; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group is seeking a Senior Service Delivery Manager to lead the 24/7 control teams across Shoeburyness and Upminster in a safety-critical railway environment. You will stay closely connected to live operations while guiding the team through disruption and changing priorities.

The role focuses on operational leadership, resilience, planning support, and hands-on involvement when needed, with long-term potential to influence future rail operations and

Qualifications

• Demonstrable leadership in fast-paced operational settings.
• Experience with live control rooms or similar safety-critical environments.
• Understanding of control room operations and related rail/transport processes.
• Exposure to rostering or resource planning is advantageous.
• Ability to own a team and provide clear direction.
• Calm, confident response to disruption and shifting priorities.
• Willingness to remain close to the operation when required.
• Comfort with autonomous decision-making in a busy 24/7 context.

Responsibilities

• Lead the 24/7 Service Delivery teams across Shoeburyness and Upminster.
• Maintain oversight of the live control environment and respond to changes.
• Support and develop the operational team with visible leadership.
• Ensure resilience to disruption and major incidents.
• Assist with planning, rostering and resource coverage.
• Contribute to future development as the railway evolves.

Skills

Operational Leadership

Live Operational Environment

Control Environment Knowledge

Operational Planning

Leadership & Ownership

Resilience & Adaptability

Hands-On Approach

Autonomous Decision-Making

Job description

Senior Service Delivery Manager | £70,000 - £75,000 | Essex & East London | Permanent

The Opportunity

If you're an experienced operational leader who thrives in a fast-paced, safety-critical environment, this is an opportunity to take ownership of an established 24/7 control team at an important point of change for the wider railway.

You'll lead the Service Delivery team across Shoeburyness and Upminster, providing clear, hands‑on leadership within a live railway environment where increasing services, disruption and changing operational demands mean priorities can shift quickly.

The immediate focus will be on ensuring the control function continues to operate effectively and has the resilience to respond when circumstances change. You'll support and develop the existing team, manage competing operational priorities and provide confident leadership through both day-to-day service delivery and periods of significant disruption.

This is not a purely strategic management position. You'll remain closely connected to the live operation and will be expected to step in and support the team directly when circumstances require it, while maintaining oversight of the wider control environment and its operational requirements.

Beyond the immediate operational demands, there is also an opportunity to influence how the control function develops as the railway transitions towards GBR, with ambitions for the operation to become increasingly strategic, integrated and technology-enabled.

For an experienced operational leader, particularly someone with exposure to rail, transport or another safety-critical control environment, this is an opportunity to take ownership of a critical operational function while helping shape its future direction.

Senior Service Delivery Manager Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership: Leading the 24/7 Service Delivery teams across Shoeburyness and Upminster, providing clear direction and maintaining effective operational delivery.
• Control Operations: Maintaining oversight of the live control environment, responding to changing priorities, disruption and operational challenges as they arise.
• Team Leadership: Supporting and developing an established operational team, providing visible leadership and stepping in directly when circumstances require additional support.
• Operational Resilience: Ensuring the function has the people, processes and flexibility required to respond effectively to disruption, major incidents and changing service requirements.
• Planning & Resources: Supporting operational planning, resourcing and rostering requirements to ensure appropriate coverage across the control function.
• Continuous Development: Contributing to the future development of the control operation as the wider railway transitions towards a more strategic, integrated and technology-enabled operating model.

Ideal Senior Service Delivery Manager

• Operational Leadership Experience: Demonstrable leadership experience, ideally including at least 1-2 years leading operational teams.
• Live Operational Environment: Experience working within a fast-paced operational environment where priorities can change quickly and effective decision-making is essential.
• Control Environment Knowledge: Understanding of control room operations, ideally incorporating experience or knowledge of train operations, drivers, depots or other safety‑critical operational functions.
• Operational Planning: Experience or understanding of operational planning, with exposure to rostering or resource planning advantageous.
• Leadership & Ownership: A strong and credible leader who is comfortable taking ownership of an established team and providing clear direction.
• Resilience & Adaptability: Able to remain effective when operational priorities change, responding calmly and confidently to disruption and competing demands.
• Hands‑On Approach: Proactive and willing to remain close to the operation, stepping in and supporting the team directly when required.
• Autonomous Decision‑Making: Comfortable working with autonomy and making decisions within a busy 24/7 operational environment.

Location & Working Arrangements

Location: Responsibility across Shoeburyness and Upminster, with an expectation to work between both locations.

Hours: 37 contracted hours per week, with managers expected to manage their time according to operational requirements.

On-Call: The position forms part of the on-call structure.

Operational Flexibility: The control function operates 24/7. The role does not ordinarily work night shifts or weekends, although flexibility is required for out-of-hours visits, major incidents and exceptional short-notice operational cover.

Senior Service Delivery Manager Salary

£70,000, rising to £75,000 upon successful completion of probation.

About Ford & Stanley Group

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group are in the business of people and performance. Our mission is to create one million better workdays through facilitating great recruitment, leadership and occupational mental fitness. We support our clients in their most challenging business areas - recruiting, developing and retaining the best talent from shop floorto boardroom.

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Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all opportunity seekers. We shall adhere to such a policy at all times and will review on an on‑going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. We will treat everyone equally irrespective sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civilpartnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or political beliefs and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy.