Business Planning and Improvement Manager

Business Planning & Improvement Manager Closing Date: Friday 3rd July 2026 Shape the Future of CrossCountry Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for driving business performance, governance excellence, and continuous improvement? CrossCountry is seeking an experienced Business Planning & Improvement Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping our future direction. This is a unique opportunity to influence organisational strategy, strengthen key stakeholder relationships, and ensure our business plans deliver meaningful outcomes for our customers, colleagues and stakeholders. Working at the heart of the organisation, you'll lead the development of our Annual Business Plan, oversee governance and performance frameworks, and drive improvements that support delivery of our strategic priorities and contractual commitments. What You'll Be Doing Strategic Business Planning Lead the development, coordination and submission of CrossCountry's Annual Business Plan to the Department for Transport Operator (DfTO). Ensure business plans align with organisational strategy, client priorities and contractual obligations. Work with stakeholders across the business to develop initiatives that support strategic and medium-term objectives. Support communications and engagement activities linked to business planning. Stakeholder & Client Relationship Management Act as the primary day-to-day contact between CrossCountry and the Department for Transport Operator. Build strong, collaborative relationships that support successful delivery and positive outcomes. Establish credibility with senior stakeholders and external partners. Governance, Performance & Continuous Improvement Provide oversight of governance forums and decision-making processes, ensuring they are effective, efficient and value-adding. Drive improvements in planning, governance and performance management frameworks. Use data and insight to inform decisions, challenge assumptions and identify opportunities for improvement. Lead the preparation and quality assurance of performance scorecard evidence submissions. Identify and deliver initiatives that maximise performance outcomes and support achievement of Performance Based Fee targets. Develop robust business cases to support investment and organisational priorities. Leadership & Collaboration Lead, motivate and develop a high-performing team. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement. Work closely with colleagues across strategy, finance, performance and operational teams, as well as industry partners. Ensure all activities support National Rail Contract requirements and organisational objectives. About You You'll be an experienced professional with a track record of leading strategic planning, governance or performance improvement activities within complex and regulated environments. Essential Experience managing complex, contract-led stakeholder relationships. Proven ability to build trust and credibility with clients, regulators or oversight bodies. Experience working with performance frameworks, scorecards or qualitative assessment regimes. Strong analytical, planning and influencing skills. Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience. Desirable Experience within rail, transport or wider public sector environments. Knowledge of recognised programme, portfolio or PMO methodologies such as MoP, MSP, PRINCE2 or P3M. Experience managing business planning processes and evidence-based submissions. Background working with strategy, finance or performance functions. Professional qualifications in programme management, governance, risk or contract management. MBA or other relevant postgraduate qualification. Why Join CrossCountry? At CrossCountry, you'll have the opportunity to make a real impact on the future of one of Britain's most important rail operators. We offer a collaborative environment where innovation, continuous improvement and professional development are encouraged and supported. Diversity & Inclusion At CrossCountry, we believe our people should reflect the diverse communities we serve. Inclusion isn't just part of our strategy—it's central to our success. We're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and supported to achieve their full potential. Ready to make a difference? Apply now and help shape the future of CrossCountry. Did you know you can set up alerts for new job opportunities? Simply navigate to 'My Job Alerts' in the Jobs Hub to get started. Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania. If the right opportunity hasn’t appeared yet, express your interest in future positions by selecting Get Started below. 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