Position Title: Schedules Manager
Reports to: UK Head of Schedules
Location: South or West of England - Bristol or Portsmouth
Network in First Bus
The First Bus Network CoE is responsible for bus service performance and producing the day-to-day operating plan for our fleet across the UK. Data and route performance analysis is key in managing our service profitability and reliability. Our core services include designing bus routes and timetables, creating vehicle and driver duties to ensure operational efficiency and complying with regulatory requirements. Using advanced planning systems, the team also prepare contract and tender bids for First, all with the goal of supporting reliable and customer-focused delivery.
Position Summary
The Schedules Manager oversees the scheduling function within one of the organisation's core businesses, ensuring the delivery of efficient, compliant, and cost-effective duty and roster schedules. Reporting to the UK Head of Schedules, they manage a team of locally aligned Senior Schedulers and Schedulers, driving performance, innovation, and alignment with operational and strategic goals. The role is pivotal in supporting workforce wellbeing, service delivery, and business growth through effective planning, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement. The role holder will collaborate cross-functionally with Network Planning, Operations, and HR to align schedules with strategic service and workforce goals.
TheSchedules Manager will act with integrity and role model First Bus values and behaviours (‘our Way') across their business units and the broader business; and through effective stakeholder management, they will ensure the needs of local authorities, investors, customers, partners, and colleagues are met.
Key Responsibilities
* Scheduling Strategy and Optimisation: Lead the development and optimisation of driver duties and rosters, ensuring alignment with operational efficiency, driver wellbeing, and service delivery objectives for their respective business or area.
* Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with Network Planning, Network Process and Governance, Operations, and HR to ensure schedules support workforce availability, retention, and strategic service objectives.
* Trade Union Engagement and Escalation: Act as the primary escalation point for trade union engagement on scheduling matters if a solution can't be addressed, ensuring compliance with agreements and fostering constructive relationships.
* Governance and Service Change Compliance: Ensure their team's adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Service Change Checkpoints across all scheduling teams.
* Resource Management and Team Resilience: Work with the process and governance sub function of Network to guarantee workload balancing and resource allocation across scheduling teams to ensure resilience and high performance.
* Crisis and Contingency Planning: Contribute to crisis and contingency planning, ensuring scheduling flexibility and responsiveness to service disruptions.
* Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Drive continuous improvement in scheduling practices, embedding best-in-class tools and software, governance, and performance frameworks.
* Regulatory and Operational Compliance: Oversee compliance with regulatory requirements, including driver hours legislation, local agreements, and data submissions (e.g. BODS, DAS, Ticketer).
* Bid and Franchise Support: Support integrated tender and franchise bidding processes with robust scheduling analysis and modelling.
* Ad-hoc support: Other duties commensurate with the role as may be deemed appropriate by the UK Head of Schedules.
Key Relationships
* Trade Unions
* UK Head of Schedules
* Network Planning Managers
* Head of Network
* Schedulers and Senior Schedulers
* Process Excellence and Compliance Manager
* UK Lead – Network Systems and Data
* Operations, Engineering and Finance colleagues in First Bus
* External stakeholders including Local Authorities
Skills & Experience required:
* Leadership and Team Management: Strong leadership experience, with a track record of managing and developing scheduling teams.
* Analytical and Planning Expertise: High level of numeracy and data literacy, with experience in workforce planning and optimisation.
* Technical Scheduling Proficiency: Proficiency in scheduling systems (e.g. Optibus) and understanding of scheduling principles and constraints.
* Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, including trade union negotiation.
* Commercial and Financial Acumen: Commercial awareness and experience contributing to budgeting, forecasting, and tender processes.
* Regulatory and Legal Knowledge: Knowledge of regulatory and legal frameworks related to driver hours and scheduling compliance.
* EV Management: Experience in managing scheduling for electric vehicle (EV) fleets is desirable.
* Performance Under Pressure: Ability to work in a high-pressured environment consistently delivering on objectives within timeframe.
* Local Operational Insight: Geographical knowledge of the areas of operation and responsibility is preferred.
* Performance Under Pressure: Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities, and deliver to tight deadlines.
Key Performance Indicators
* Scheduling Efficiency
* Driver Turnover
* Driver Engagement
* Scheduling Efficiency DoA Adherence
Behaviours (“our Way”)
* Always Care: Show empathy and fairness in interactions
* Do what is Right: Lead with integrity and accountability
* Succeed Together: Embrace teamwork and knowledge sharing
* Shape the Future: Be proactive, Curious and growth mindset
Company, Health, Safety and Environmental Responsibilities
* Adhere to all FirstGroup and First Bus policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation.
* Promote and implement, where appropriate, safe working practices by means of campaigns, initiatives and promote a positive attitude to safety through personal leadership.
* Support the Company's environmental campaigns and be aware of the Company's annual environmental targets.
Rewards & Benefits
* Your health is important to us which is why we offer Simply Health & Smart Health for you and your dependents at no cost to you! This offering includes cash back benefits across optical & dental as well as virtual GP appointments, mental health support and nutrition and fitness advise. Our EAP provision offers24hr, 365 days a year mental healthsupport
* We are also committed to your financial wellbeing, and we offer a platformwith many discounts on high street brands and supermarkets etc
* Working at First you also receive discounted train travel for you and your family after 6 months serviceas well as a free bus pass
* Cycle to work scheme
* 25 days' holiday + bank holidays
* Pension scheme and chance to buy discounted First Group shares
* Enhanced maternity / paternity pay
* Flexible working
We put a big focus on physical and mental wellbeing at First Bus. We recognise that anyone can be affected by the stresses and strain of work, or life outside it. You'll find a range of health-promotion initiatives, and you will have 24/7 access to our confidential Employee Assistance Programme.
Please apply now. We look forward to receiving your 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.
Applicants are advised that background checks will be conducted as a standard part of our recruitment process.
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