Northern
Train Cleaning Supervisor
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BUSINESS FUNCTION: Train Presentation
GRADE: Train Presentation Supervisor Shifts
SALARY: £34,536 per annum
ROLE TYPE: On Site
HOURS: 35 per week
As part of our Train Presentation team, you won’t just be a cleaning supervisor – you’ll be the driving force that keeps our teams motivated, our trains looking their best, and our passengers satisfied. Covering multiple sites, this is a role for someone who knows how to lead from the front: hands-off when things are running smoothly, hands-on when you’re needed. You won’t be cleaning trains yourself, but you’ll be out on the ground – guiding, supporting, setting standards, and making sure everyone understands what “great” looks like. And when things go off track, you’ll be the calm, confident voice who steps in, makes decisions, has the tough conversations, and helps put things right.
People come to Northern for trains they can rely on – and your leadership will help make sure that’s exactly what they get.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Leading, motivating, and organising train presentation teams across multiple depots
- Being a visible presence on site, checking in with teams, offering support, and making sure standards are being met
- Managing rotas, site visits, inspections, and performance checks to keep everything running smoothly
- Encouraging a culture of continuous improvement, coaching your teams to take pride in their work and confidence in their skills
- Helping colleagues thrive, especially those who may be newer to the language or environment, with patience, encouragement and support
- Using Excel and other digital tools to manage tasks and keep records up to date
- Travelling between sites when needed, supporting operations across the business
- Managing absence, performance and behaviours, including having the confidence to handle challenging conversations when they’re needed
Plus, you’ll be responsible for your own administration, including:
- Managing your diary, organising meetings, and coordinating room bookings
- Writing letters, communicating updates, and issuing feedback or meeting invites in line with Northern’s policies
- Making sure documentation is clear, professional and completed on time
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About You
You’re a confident, proactive leader who isn’t afraid to step forward, take ownership, and guide a team through busy, demanding shifts.
- You’ve successfully led and supervised teams before, ideally in a fast-paced, industrial or operational setting
- You’re a strong, patient communicator, able to support people with different needs, abilities, and confidence levels
- You’re comfortable having challenging conversations and know how to hold people to account in a fair, supportive way
- You’re confident making clear decisions, speaking up when needed, and setting expectations for others
- You’re confident with Microsoft Excel and happy using other digital tools to keep everything on track
- You’re calm under pressure and bring a structured, solution-focused approach to your work
- You have a full, clean driving licence and have held it for at least two years (essential for insurance purposes)
- You understand the basics of health and safety (including COSHH), or you’re willing to learn
Experience in train cleaning isn’t essential, but if you’ve worked in an operational, industrial, or behind-the-scenes rail environment, that’s a real advantage.
Important to know
This is a role in a safety critical environment, which means you’ll need to meet Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) requirements. To apply, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old at the time of application
- Currently live within 45 minutes of our Blackpool depot
- Have held a full UK driving licence for at least two years (for insurance purposes)
- Pass a safety critical medical assessment (including drugs and alcohol screening)
- Have no defective colour vision
What’s in it for you?
At Northern, we don’t just value our people - we go the extra mile to support them. Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to:
- Free Travel: Unlimited free travel for you, your partner, and your dependents on Northern services. Plus up to 75% discount on other networks in the UK and Europe.
- Generous Pension Scheme: We top up your contributions by 1.5 times.
- Enhanced Family Benefits: We offer 9 months of full pay for maternity leave and 2 weeks for paternity leave.
- Cycle to Work Scheme: Save up to 42% on a bike and spread the cost.
- Exclusive Discounts: From shopping to wellbeing, Northern Perks has you covered.
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 support for family, lifestyle, and more.
- Training and Career Development: We offer tailored training to our colleagues and opportunities to gain recognised qualifications. Plus enhanced career pathways no matter what part of the business you’re in.
- Recognition: We know how important it is to show how much we appreciate our people. That’s why we have our Northern Lights and Northern Sparks Awards, recognising and celebrating brilliance every day.
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Why Northern?
We’re more than just a train operator. We’re the heartbeat of the North – connecting communities, creating opportunities, and driving sustainable growth. With 2,650 trains running daily, we’re on a mission to improve rail travel and enhance the customer experience while protecting the environment.
Back in 1825, the first passenger train set off in the North of England, beginning a journey that would transform travel across the world. We’ve recently celebrated 200 years of the modern railway and, as we reflect on that legacy, our focus is now on the future as Great British Rail takes shape. Join us at this pivotal moment in rail history and play your part in our journey.
A place for everyone
The best journeys happen when everyone feels welcome on board.
At Northern, we don’t just move people from A to B - we’re building a team where everyone feels they belong. Our talent team can make reasonable adjustments to the process if that’s something you need. We're also a Level 2 Disability Confident employer, so if you meet the minimum criteria for the role, we’ll always offer an interview.
We automate parts of our screening process to remove any unconscious bias and to make sure every application is treated fairly. All successful offers will be subject to a medical assessment.
No matter your background, experience, or whether you call it a bap, barm, or cob… there’s a place for you here in the railway.
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