Commercial Planning Manager

Main purpose of the role:

To support the company strategy for medium and long term growth by ensuring it has the required infrastructure and fleet in place

Direct Responsibilities

• Analyse forthcoming tender tranches to identify opportunities for growth in the business and submit tender tranche papers for review

• Working with the Directors and the Project Portfolio Manager to identify potential new garage sites, reviewing opportunities for new work to support the preparation of business cases

• Develop and implement strategies for the introduction of electric and/or other zero emission vehicles in terms of garage infrastructure, charging / fuelling, and identifying suitable vehicles

• Liaising with TfL, local authorities and other partners in respect of the implementation of garage and infrastructure schemes

• Understanding of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, Government and Local Authority planning and transport strategies to maximise future growth for the company

• Support the formulation of the fleet plan to ensure that all aspects of fleet planning are considered and allowed for including vehicle types, garage capacities and the business’ responsibilities under current and future tendering regimes

• Co-ordinate and ensure effective communication with the garage engineering teams, fleet administration to facilitate all fleet cascades and movements

• Liaise with TfL and contractors to ensure all commissioning work is completed in a timely manner for new vehicles entering service

• Work with garage management teams to identify potential type training issues arising from fleet moves

• Support the planning and mobilisation of new contract wins, supporting garages in respect of staffing levels, fleet plan and all relevant issues

• Assist the communications support manager with the implementation of the staff communications strategy

• Review communication to ensure garage teams, trade unions and drivers receive and fully understand relevant information for schedule changes

• Support operational planning for proposals from the schedules team – for example, implementing changes to relief points

• Support schedule compilers to ensure that destination blinds are ordered in a timely manner for new vehicles and the implementation of cascade plans

• Support the development of IT solutions that simplify and improve the quality of data handling and decision making.

• Preparation and circulation of four-weekly route performance data within the company.

• Support the professional development of team members and succession planning

• Represent the company as required on an ad hoc basis

• Be aware of the commercially sensitive nature of data and ideas and respect that at all times.

• Health and Safety - as a manager within the organisation, take responsibility for ensuring that you are familiar with any health and safety risks and issues that are relevant to the work activities and areas for which you have responsibility and for ensuring compliance with legal requirements and Company Policy. Detailed H&S Responsibilities are published in the Arriva HS&E Management System

• Diversity - be an ambassador for Diversity, promote and implement the company’s Diversity Policy at all times and provide regular, timely and informative summaries of diversity information across UK Bus instigating remedial or generative action as appropriate.

• Corporate social responsibility – uphold, safeguard and promote the reputation and values of the organisation throughout all internal and external business relationships and activities.

Knowledge, skills & experience

• Understanding of the London bus market and environs
• Knowledge of the London bus network with particular emphasis on the Arriva London bus routes
• Project management , analytical and problem-solving skills
• Commercial and budgetary awareness and understanding, with particular regard to the tender process and its impact and understanding of the QICs regime
• Experience of building relationships with stakeholders and partners, in particular relevant TfL departments and local authorities
• Understanding of the Company’s bus fleet and the requirements and restrictions of the contract work
• Graduate level education, or professional qualification and related experience
• An understanding of financial management, commercial and strategic awareness
• Proven communication, presentation, mediation and negotiation skills
• Commitment to personal development and development of indirect reports
• Hold, or be working towards, membership of the Chartered Institute of Transport
• Consistently demonstrates Arriva’s Leadership Behaviours
• Demonstrable and evidenced relationship building and influencing behaviours
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Reporting relationships

Responsible to: Commercial Manager.

Accountable for: No direct reports.

Key stakeholders

Externally: relevant contacts at Transport for London, Local Authorities, other relevant partners and contractors

Internally: commercial, schedules, performance, operating and engineering teams; Trades Union officers