Technical Services Manager

XC Trains Limited; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

CrossCountry is seeking a Technical Services Manager to lead its fleet engineering function. You will provide expert technical guidance, manage safety-case activities, and shape engineering solutions across the business and external partners.

You will drive performance analyses, mentor the Technical Services team, and ensure high safety and reliability standards while coordinating with suppliers and industry bodies.

Qualifications

• Professional qualification in engineering with CEng status.
• Experience in railway engineering roles.
• Strong technical, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to translate complex engineering data into practical recommendations.
• Experience working with internal and external stakeholders.
• Confidence to lead and influence decisions in safety-critical settings.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional engineering leadership and technical advice to support the Safety Case.
• Lead assurance and compliance activities to meet engineering standards and obligations.
• Manage performance and reliability analysis to identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead and develop the Technical Services team with line management duties.
• Monitor and investigate safety-related incidents involving trains or infrastructure.
• Support Head of Fleet - Engineering to improve operational safety and interfaces.
• Build proactive relationships with infrastructure providers to optimise train–infrastructure interfaces.
• Collaborate with leasing companies/maintainers to enhance train safety and performance.
• Support projects that enhance fleet reliability, safety and performance.
• Participate in Fleet On Call rota.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Railway industry experience

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Safety-critical mindset

Education

Chartered Engineer (CEng) status

Job description

Technical Services Manager

Location: Birmingham / Hybrid Closing date: 29th September 2026

Shape the future of fleet engineering at CrossCountry

Are you an experienced railway engineer ready to take on a role where your expertise can make a real difference to safety, reliability and passenger experience? We’re looking for a Technical Services Manager to join CrossCountry and play a key role in the engineering management of our fleet. This is an opportunity to provide technical leadership, influence engineering solutions and work collaboratively across the rail industry to keep our trains safe, reliable and performing at their best. As Technical Services Manager, you’ll support the Head of Fleet and Engineering in delivering the obligations of the CrossCountry Safety Case, acting as the Professional Head of Engineering. You’ll provide expert technical advice, detailed reporting and effective project management, helping us maintain and continually improve the safety and performance of our services.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll lead our Technical Services team, working closely with our Train Service Provider and industry partners to deliver effective engineering solutions, with operational safety and performance at the heart of everything you do.

• Providing professional engineering leadership and technical advice in support of the Safety Case.
• Leading assurance and compliance activities to ensure engineering standards and obligations are met.
• Managing performance and reliability analysis, using insight to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Leading and developing the Technical Services team, including line management responsibilities.
• Monitoring, investigating and concluding the engineering aspects of safety-related incidents involving trains or infrastructure.
• Supporting the Head of Fleet - Engineering in improving operational safety, particularly around infrastructure engineering integrity and train/infrastructure interfaces.
• Building proactive relationships with infrastructure providers to manage and optimise engineering interfaces between the train and infrastructure, including the use of track- and train-based monitoring.
• Managing engineering relationships with train leasing companies and maintainers, working collaboratively to develop and implement solutions that improve train safety and performance.
• Supporting projects and initiatives that contribute to improved fleet reliability, safety and operational performance.
• Participating in the Fleet On Call rota.

This is a highly collaborative role where you’ll need to build strong relationships across CrossCountry and with external stakeholders, while being confident enough to provide clear technical challenge and expert advice when it matters.

What you’ll bring

We’re looking for a technically accomplished railway professional who can combine strong engineering expertise with leadership, communication and sound judgement. You’ll need:

• Professional qualifications in a relevant engineering discipline, including Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.
• Previous experience working in an engineering role within the railway industry.
• Strong technical, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to interpret complex engineering information and turn it into clear, practical recommendations.
• Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
• The confidence to lead, influence and make informed engineering decisions in a safety-critical environment.

Why CrossCountry?

At CrossCountry, you’ll be part of a team that plays an important role in connecting communities across the country. Your expertise will contribute directly to the safe, reliable and effective operation of our fleet - helping us deliver a better experience for our passengers.

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong - a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and the passengers we support every day.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences, including women, people from ethnic minority / global majority backgrounds, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, LGBTQ+ colleagues and those with caring responsibilities. We believe inclusion drives innovation, and we’re proud to be building a culture where everyone can thrive, contribute and reach their full potential.

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.