Job title: Senior Performance Manager
Salary: Up to £60k
Grade: Band 3
Contract type: TfL
Reference: 3994
Contract details: Permanent
Location: Palestra, London (Hybrid) – including travel and off site working
Application closing date: 30/4/2026 at 23:59
External - All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory right‑to‑work checks. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. At the present time TfL is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
Hybrid working – Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4‑week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.
Overview
Senior Performance Manager (SPM) is a core contract performance management role that ensures the quality of service provided by Bus Operators meets set contractual minimum standards across a variety of services, vehicle and driver measures. The overarching purpose of the role is to ensure that the London Bus network delivers a high‑quality customer offering that meets passenger expectations, contractual minimum standards and KPIs. Working collaboratively with a designated group of Bus Operators providing circa 25% of services under contract to TfL, the SPM works constructively and in partnership with those contractors to identify and implement improvements in performance and service quality.
Key Accountabilities
* Responsible for the performance and quality of service delivery for a designated group of Bus Operators. Build and maintain strong and effective working relationships to ensure proposals to improve performance and service quality are developed and progressed to implementation.
* Immediate point of escalation for internal and external stakeholder matters relating to the performance of routes operated by a designated Bus Operator.
* In partnership with SHE, accountable for the safe implementation of service changes to ensure that London bus contracts traverse London’s streets safely and reliably.
* Work closely with the Head of Bus Performance Management and Tender Evaluation teams to ensure improvements to service quality are obtained at best value for TfL and to assist in commercial and technical negotiations between TfL and Bus Operators.
* Accountable for ensuring the accuracy of Bus Information systems so that all service information details are correct to ensure customers and both internal and external stakeholders receive correct information for journeys or to support live operational planning and contractual payments.
* Accountable for ensuring that all necessary information is provided to the Contracts Team and other internal departments in a timely manner so that contract variations for service changes can be processed and systems updated to protect operators' commercial positions and ensure correct payments.
* Assess and make recommendations to the Head of Bus Performance Management on operator data suspensions to approve contractual performance removal for deviation from the minimum performance standards for reliability in a given TfL quarter.
* Identify areas of poor performance relating to operator service, driver and vehicle measures. Develop and deploy service performance related changes and improvements working collaboratively with Bus Operators to ensure minimum contractual standards are met in a timely manner in line with the contractual framework agreement.
* Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify & develop short & long‑term mitigation proposals in response to Borough or TfL projects. Oversee mitigation proposals and produce supporting papers identifying the associated costs to secure approvals required by governance both internally and externally in conjunction with the Bus Schedule Improvement Specialist, select and develop schemes to improve reliability of a given route and present at the Bus Service Meeting for formal sign‑off by the Director of London Buses.
* Work with Schedule Optimisation supplier to ensure data quality is maintained and embed any updates to the platform or data changes.
* Manage and professionally develop staff and also develop a Transport Training Apprentice or Graduate during their placement.
Knowledge
* A thorough understanding of TfL Bus Operator contract provisions (Essential)
* Good geographical knowledge of the London bus network and understanding of Bus operational practices (Desirable)
* Excellent commercial knowledge, preferably in the public transport sector (Essential)
* A good understanding of TfL's and the Bus Operations Directorate business objectives and priorities (Desirable)
* Working knowledge of software packages (incl. Word, Excel and Database packages) is desirable or the ability to quickly acquire such knowledge is (Essential)
* A professional transport qualification or equivalent experience (Essential)
Skills
* An effective communicator able to confidently negotiate with Bus operators to Director level on a range of commercial and technical issues relating to performance and the bus fleet (Essential)
* High standard of literacy, numeracy and reasoning skills with an eye for detail, coupled with an analytical and logical approach, capable of understanding, interpreting, presenting & explaining information effectively (Essential)
* Ability to work accurately and flexibly to achieve tight deadlines, sometimes under pressure, prioritising workloads (Essential)
* Proven ability to work collaboratively within cross‑functional teams, fostering a positive and inclusive team culture. Demonstrates strong leadership skills effectively motivating & developing team members to achieve shared goals (Essential)
* Demonstrates a strong commercial mindset by proactively identifying opportunities to improve contract performance, reduce costs, and drive value for both the business and its clients. Uses data‑driven insights to inform decisions, manage risk, and ensure services are delivered efficiently, sustainably and in line with strategic objectives (Essential)
Experience
* Comprehensive experience of public transport operating practices
* Familiar with the bus operating environment
* Managing complex interaction and relationships between suppliers and internal clients
* Comprehensive experience of commercial negotiations and developing business relationships with a wide range of people
* Experience of developing and maintaining accurate databases and using the information contained therein to exploit commercial opportunities and/or improve customer experience
* Experience of Team leadership and development
Application Process
* Please apply using your CV only
* Think carefully about the skills, knowledge and experience in the advert and cover this in your CV
* PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.
Benefits
* Final salary pension scheme
* Free travel for you on the TfL network
* Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class ticket for National Rail travel from home
* 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
* TfL is committed to work‑life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow
* Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional)
* Tax‑efficient cycle‑to‑work programme
* Retail, health, leisure and travel offers
* Discounted Eurostar travel
We will make every effort to give you as much notice as possible, however some interviews/assessments could be organised at short notice.
Vetting Process
At Transport for London, safety, trust and fairness sit at the heart of how we recruit. Our Vetting Charter explains the checks we carry out before you join us, helping ensure we create a safe, inclusive and reliable network for everyone who depends on our services. We simply ask that the information you provide is honest and accurate so we can progress your application smoothly. If something doesn’t match or can’t be verified, we may not be able to move forward with your application, but we’ll always treat you with transparency, respect and clear communication throughout. We may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
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