Operational Performance & Improvement Manager - 12 month Fixed Term Contract

Who are we

First Rail London (FRL) is the train operating company responsible for running the London Overground network under a concession agreement with Transport for London (TfL). The concession began in May 2026.

First Rail London is part of FirstGroup, one of the leading rail operators and one of the largest bus operators in the UK.  FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier.  FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.

About the job

The Operational Performance & Improvement Manager (OPIM) will lead the development and delivery of performance, people and operational improvement initiatives across the North London Railway (NLR), supporting the Service Delivery Centre (SDC). This role will work alongside the local management team for both First Rail London (FRL) and Network Rail (NR) to drive the completion of multiple continuous improvement projects for the NLR. This will primarily deliver elements of the Mildmay Line Operating Plan.
The role will drive a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and accountability, embedding sustainable change that delivers improved train performance, enhanced operational reliability and increased customer satisfaction across the Mildmay and Suffragette lines. The role will provide leadership and governance for improvement activity, support local management teams in achieving strategic objectives, and strengthen cross-route collaboration to deliver consistent operational excellence across the network.
This role support delivery across First Rail London (FRL) and Network Rail (NR)

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Lead the development and delivery of performance, operational and people improvement initiatives across the North London Railway. 
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement within the Upminster Service Delivery Centre, embedding sustainable change and best practice.
• Support the Control Leadership Team and local management teams in achieving strategic, operational and customer performance objectives.
• Own and facilitate performance and improvement forums, ensuring actions are tracked, delivered and aligned to business priorities. This includes Service Delivery Group (SDG).
• Analyse performance data and operational trends to identify improvement opportunities and supportevidence-based decision-making.
• Lead cross-functional projects that improve train performance, operational reliability, customer satisfaction and employee engagement.
• Promote collaboration between routes and functions, sharing best practice and driving a consistent approach to performance improvement.
• Facilitate structured problem-solving and root cause analysis to address recurring operational challenges and improve resilience.
• Monitor, measure and report on the effectiveness and benefits of improvement activities, providing clear updates to stakeholders.
• Act as a champion for operational excellence, fostering innovation, accountability and continuous improvement across the North London Railway.

As a minimum, you will need to have:

Essential

• Railways operations Experience
• Understanding of concession and industry performance regimes and processes
• In-depth knowledge of railway operational processes and procedures
• Understanding of how railway concession models work and how these factor into day to day delivery
• The ability to engage with people at all levels and manage constructive relationships 
• Effective problem solves
• High standard of written and verbal communication
• IT literate
• Confident, professional communicator
• Influential and persuasive
• GCSE (or equivalent) English and Mathematics

Desirable

• PIDD & CSS regime knowledge for passenger information metrics 
• London Overground and Network Rail geography for the North London Railway (Mildmay & Suffragette Lines). 
• General rail industry knowledge, including key markers of successful operation
• Change and project management experience
• Worked in a railway control environment 
• Customer service management experience
• Change and project management experience
• Incident management
• Leadership and management
• Relevant industry qualification
• Degree educated

The Reward

• Free Travel for you and a nominated person at your address on TfL Network - this alone is worth a potential total of £5,200 per annum
• 75% discount off season tickets and leisure travel on other Train Operating Companies
• Discounts on European rail services after 1 year of service
• First Xclusives – a benefits portal offering a wide range of benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Programme - 24hr helpline, covering a multitude of subjects

We all belong at First Rail London. FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/