Job Description
Maintenance Planning Manager
We are seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Maintenance Planning Manager to lead planning and coordination of heavy maintenance, project modifications, and component overhauls across a defined fleet of traction and rolling stock assets. This role plays a key part in supporting operational excellence through efficient planning, workflow management, and strong supplier collaboration.
Join a high-performing Maintenance Services team dedicated to delivering comprehensive engineering, asset management, and project management services. Their mission is to ensure fleet assets operate at industry-leading performance levels while maintaining the highest standards of passenger satisfaction.
The key responsibilities for this Maintenance Planning Manager role are:
Maintenance & Project Planning
1. Develop and maintain robust short- and long-term maintenance schedules for a designated fleet of traction and rolling stock vehicles.
2. Plan for routine and non-complex heavy maintenance, project modifications, and component overhauls in accordance with lease and regulatory requirements.
3. Ensure no more than the allowed number of vehicles are taken out of service simultaneously, maintaining operational availability.
4. Coordinate directly with operators and service providers to agree on maintenance slots, overhaul requirements, and delivery schedules.
5. Adjust and optimise maintenance plans based on operational performance, engineering inputs, and real-time data.
Workflow & Event Management
6. Manage the end-to-end workflow for planned maintenance and contracted events, ensuring all activities are properly logged and completed.
7. Ensure suppliers record full details of repairs, modifications, tracked component changes, and associated costs in a timely manner.
8. Oversee the accuracy and completion of 'Work Completion Statements' for every event and maintain auditable records in asset management systems.
9. Monitor workflows for both soggy lease (maintenance by supplier) and dry lease (maintenance by operator) agreements.
10. Track and report the status of all ongoing maintenance and project events using internal tools (e.g., 'Common User Spreadsheet'), ensuring visibility across teams.
Data Management & Reporting
11. Maintain accurate records of maintenance, overhaul, and project activities in the organisation's asset management databases.
12. Report on performance against maintenance programmes, including KPIs such as input/output punctuality, cost control, and contractor compliance.
13. Highlight and escalate delays, discrepancies, or risk areas to engineering, commercial, or finance stakeholders as appropriate.
14. Reconcile mileage and service date data with operators to ensure compliance with planned intervals.
Material & Supply Chain Coordination
15. Work closely with supply chain teams to manage the ordering, issue, and return of free-issue materials for planned events.
16. Track material usage and flag availability risks related to critical components or materials.
17. Support blanket purchase agreement reviews by supplying event forecasts and usage trends.
18. ensure new suppliers or depot locations are approved and recorded as required.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
19. Partner with Fleet, Engineering, and Commercial teams to support contract reviews, lease discussions, and asset performance analysis.
20. Support Finance with data for budget planning, monthly reviews, forecasts, and whole-life cost models.
21. Assist with re-leasing analysis, pricing exercises, and "what-if" planning scenarios.
22. Attend cross-functional meetings to report on schedule progress, contractor performance, and outstanding issues.
System & Process Improvement
23. Contribute to the development and testing of new IT tools, workflow systems, and reporting mechanisms.
24. Suggest improvements to maintenance planning processes and asset management practices.
25. Ensure all work aligns with company procedures and industry best practice.
26. Support audits, compliance checks, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Experience required for this Maintenance Planning Manager role are:
27. Understanding of works procurement and operating lease requirements.
28. Experience in planning and managing maintenance schedules for rolling stock or similar assets.
29. Strong supplier and stakeholder management skills.
30. High attention to detail and ability to manage complex planning data.
31. Familiarity with rail systems (e.g., RAVERS, TOPS, GEMINI, TRUST) or equivalent asset databases.
32. Confident working in a commercial, customer-facing environment.
Desirable knowledge, skills & experience for this Maintenance Planning Manager role are:
33. Project planning experience.
34. Financial and budgeting acumen.
35. Skilled in Microsoft Office and adaptable to new IT systems.
36. Knowledge of railway vehicles and maintenance planning practices (preferred but not essential).