Southeastern Railway
Assistant Service Engineer Level 1- Secondment/ FTC until 31st March 2027

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Job Introduction
Are you looking for a career where you can make a real difference to our customers' day?
Southeastern is seeking a dedicated, customer-focused, and detail-oriented individual to join our team at Grove Park as an Interior Standards Operative on a fixed-term contract until 31 March 2027.
As an Interior Standards Operative, you will play a vital role in ensuring our trains are maintained to the highest standards of presentation, safety, and compliance. Your work will directly contribute to providing a clean, safe, and welcoming environment for our customers.
Can you move people? Apply now.
Main Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include:
- Carrying out repairs and maintenance to train interiors, including replacing seat covers, window films, seat bases, armrests, table tops, and toilet fixtures and fittings.
- Maintaining a customer-focused approach by ensuring train interiors are clean, welcoming, and presented to a high standard.
- Conducting comprehensive internal and external cleaning activities, including graffiti removal.
- Carrying out first-line fault finding and basic rectification of toilet faults.
- Preparing trains for seasonal conditions by completing winterisation activities, sanding operations, and checking and replenishing fluid levels, including screen wash and anti-ice fluid.
- Assisting with depot and sidings winterisation activities, including applying anti-ice and de-icing products to walkways, roadways, and conductor rails (under isolation), as well as snow clearance where required.
- Ensuring tools and equipment are correctly prepared and used at the start and end of each shift, reporting defective equipment promptly, and supporting maintenance procedures.
- Monitoring stock levels of materials, tools, and equipment and reporting shortages to ensure operational requirements are met.
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Why you're a good match
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The Ideal Candidate
To be successful in this role, we would expect you to demonstrate:
- Basic mechanical aptitude and practical skills.
- Strong teamwork and communication skills.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- The ability to work safely and follow procedures.
- A proactive approach to maintaining high standards of cleanliness and presentation.
- A commitment to delivering excellent customer experiences.
All successful candidates will need to undertake and pass a full safety critical medical before formal offer. If you have any questions regarding this please do email careers@southeasternrailway.co.uk.
Given the start and end times of shifts, it’s also best to have your own transport to get to and from your place of work.
As proud members of the Armed Forces Covenant and Disability Confident Scheme, we will offer you an interview if you apply under these schemes and meet the minimum criteria for the role. Find out more here.
Other Things To Know
- All successful applicants will need to pass a Personal Track Safety course or a Depot Track Safety course (full training provided).
- This vacancy may close early if we receive a large number of applications. So, make sure you get yours in early.
- All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references, a right to work verification, a basic criminal record check, and a pre-employment medical assessment. Work visa sponsorship isn’t available for this role.
- If you applied but weren’t successful in getting a similar role at Southeastern, please wait six months before applying again.


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What You’ll Get In Return
Along with your salary, the rewards you’ll get include:
- a final salary pension
- 24 days annual leave allowance (including bank holidays)
- free rail travel across our networks
- 4 on 4 off Shift Pattern
Meaning you can feel secure in your career as well as fulfilled by your work. Click here to see our full range of amazing benefits.
A Bit About Southeastern
We’re one of Britain's busiest train operators, serving London, Kent and parts of East Sussex. We run over 1,700 trains a day, carrying more than 500,000 passengers and serving 180 stations.
However, working on our railway is more than getting passengers from A to B. It’s about all the little moments that make a difference to their journey.
It’s also about making our railway a great place to work and building a team that represents the communities we serve. We’re committed to creating an inclusive, supportive environment, and we’re proud that this continues to be recognised through employer accreditations and our ongoing endorsement as a WORK180 Employer for Women.
Our ways of working are what we expect of everyone at Southeastern. They are powerful. Tiny moments, every day, from every one of us, add up to massive, positive change. Improving how it feels to work here and how it feels to travel with us.
At the heart of everything we do, our Safeguarding Team works to keep our customers, colleagues, and the public safe by improving safeguarding measures and knowledge making sure everyone gets home safe, every day.
Learn more about our railway here.
SE Trains Limited
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