Operations Manager Somerset & Dorset

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced people leader, who truly puts their customers and colleagues at the very centre of what they do and who is not afraid to challenge the status quo in their drive to deliver.

This is no job for a beginner - you should be an expert in people management and a natural people person – professional, confident and skilled at developing great relationships. You will have what it takes to influence people and support them to deliver their very best!

As a champion of our customers, you will build and maintain a customer centric culture. You will support your team in delivering excellent customer experiences, whilst leading a governance agenda that supports legislative and policy compliance. Through your leadership, you will establish and develop an engaged, talented and high performing operations team, nurturing an innovative and continuous improvement culture.

You will work within and embed the divisional governance framework, ensuring that standard operational policies and procedures are adopted within the depot. You will be the lead Site Responsible Person for all aspects of depot compliance, governance and the engagement of our people, ensuring we establish and maintain a positive working environment.

This role is a multi-site operation which will include - Weymouth, Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Bridport, Minehead

What will you be doing?

• Ensuring cost effective delivery of a safe, punctual and reliable service
• Driving engagement with drivers, management & supervisory team and customers
• Developing a collaborative working relationship between operational, engineering and commercial teams
• Fostering excellent working relationships between drivers and supervisors to ensure a consistent customer experience
• Dynamically analysing and managing information, systems and data, both retrospectively and proactively, to ensure continuous improvement of service performance
• Delivering agreed plans and budgets, including established service levels and quality
• Meeting operating requirements of the business with excellent staff planning at the depot
• Developing an effective and productive working relationship with recognised trade union representatives and officials, fostering a mutual trust and respect culture
• Planning and managing a safety performance improvement programme
• Effectively managing depot operational team in all areas of people management, development, succession planning, absence and compliance
• Liaising with external bodies to improve performance on lost mileage and punctuality
• Acting as the ‘Transport Manager' for the company as defined by the Traffic Commissioner

What are we looking for?

• Proven leadership skills with experience of providing strategic and day-to-day direction
• Proven experience in managing collective relationships in a highly unionised environment
• Outstanding customer centric focus with a strong ethos of delivery
• A team builder and leader of high performing teams
• A passion for safety and drive to deliver a high performing safety behavioural culture
• Budgetary and financial experience with capability to analyse data, making considered recommendations
• Proven experience in demonstrating coaching and mentoring skills to create and develop strong team ethos and succession planning
• Ability to work well under pressure maintaining a calm and professional approach
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office applications, including Outlook, Word & Excel
• Proficient in the creation of written reports
• Aptitude to build and maintain stakeholder relations, indicative of a professional leader
• Flexible approach to work patterns, operating across all days/times reflecting the 24/7 nature of the business
• Certificate of Professional Competence in Passenger Transport (CPC)

What can we offer you?

• Free bus pass for you and your family on joining
• 25 days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
• First Xclusives – Discounts on many high street brands, supermarket's, holiday's and cinema tickets, to name a few
• First My Rewards - Discounted train travel for you and your family after 6 months service – travel as far as London and Edinburgh for £6!
• Generous pension and shares scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr, 365 days a year mental health support

Welcome to First Bus

At First Bus, we're proud to be part of so many journeys. We're part of first days at school, dream-job interviews, major sporting events and even life-changing events. Be it behind the wheel, or behind the scenes, we help people get to all of life's destinations.

And every day, we're working hard to make our services easier to use, more accessible, more reliable and more sustainable. We're not perfect, but we're clear about where we're going and how we'll get there. We want to be known for forward-thinking innovation, operational excellence and providing a best-in-class service. To deliver our ambition, we have a pretty neat plan laid out, and we'd love for you to join us for the next stage of your journey, and ours.

Apply now! We look forward to receiving you application.

Public transport serves everyone, whatever their differences. At First Bus, we want to be an employer open to you, no matter what your differences are. We aspire to be an inclusive organisation because diverse backgrounds, thinking and experiences bring so many benefits to our customers, communities and people. We welcome applications from all.