Lead and direct the day-to-day activities and staff at both Soho and Coventry Depot’s and all outstations locations to meet the requirements of LNR & WMR to achieve the specified rolling stock availability, reliability, and customer experience environment whilst ensuring all specifications and standards are met.

You will work with key stakeholders, to achieve the specified rolling stock availability and reliability requirements, ensuring all specifications and standards are met. Assist the Depot Manager - Soho and Coventry as and when required.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the day-to-day management of staff to ensure that they work safely and effectively in accordance with the relevant standards and specifications.
• Ensure that shift production outputs and SLA targets are met for all rolling stock maintenance activities through effective use of resources.
• Deliver and maintain a safe working environment and ensure safety is at the forefront of all activities
• Lead and develop a cost effective, motivated and customer focused workforce and promote the use of continuous improvement at all levels
• Effective management of day-to-day depot activities ensuring all rolling stock is presented in the highest of standards, on time and in line with the agreed service level agreements
• Ensuring that the environmental performance within the depot is continually improved
• Responsible for producing resource / workload indicators to show effective deployment of resources to meet budget
• Deploy the fleet into revenue earning service, ensuring the requirements of the train service plan are met, with particular attention to ensuring that stock allocations and formations comply with DfTO obligations.
• Maintain the integrity of Maintenance Management systems to ensure rolling stock is maintained to the specified schedules and that availability is maximised.
• Provide staff with technical advice and make technical decisions in accordance with Engineering department standards and Railway Group Standards.
• Liaise with Fleet Engineers and technical office to ensure that modifications, campaigns, in process inspections and fleet safety checks are planned correctly, fully resourced and delivered to meet the set outcomes.
• Carry out investigations into accidents and incidents in the workplace in accordance with the Safety and Standards Manual.
• Maintain and enforce the planned general inspection roster and ensure that issues raised are captured and resolved in a timely manner.
• Carry out planned general inspections as required.
• Ensure effective key performance indicators (KPI’s) are adhered to.
• Produce period end reports when required.
• Identify and lead opportunities for continuous improvement to deliver improved outcomes.
• Liaise with the Training and Competency team to assess, motivate, train and develop staff to maintain an effective workforce capable of meeting its objectives.
• Cover out of hours management “on call” on a rostered basis.
• The undertaking of other activities as directed by the Depot Manager to support the delivery of LNR & WMR objectives

Requirements

• Have served an apprenticeship or equivalent, supported by appropriate technical studies.
• Sound knowledge of railway operating and safety standards, rules and instructions
• Sound knowledge and understanding of a variety of traction and rolling stock and the maintenance standards applicable to them.
• Good knowledge and understanding of Health, Safety and Environmental legislation
• Good communication skills are required, including both verbal and written
• Strong team leader and motivator
• Ability to proactively identify opportunities for and to lead continuous improvement
• Able to solve technical problems where timescales are limited.
• Good computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft office and enterprise systems.
• Self-motivated and able to react to a wide variety of situations.
• Have practical experience in a maintenance environment with proven technical fault-finding track record
• Proven track record of managing a large group of staff and meeting business specification
• Good understanding of reliability driven targets and how fleet performance is measured each railway performance period, both technical and non-technical

Benefits

• Competitive Salary + Benefits
• Free travel on all our trains
• 75% off all other train company travel tickets
• Pension – one of the best schemes available
• Retail discounts
• Career development opportunities

About WM Trains

London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway operate rail services across the Midlands, the Northwest and London, with Birmingham at the heart of our network.

West Midlands Railway provides most of the local services across the region, offering direct connections to towns and cities including Redditch, Stratford‑upon‑Avon, Worcester, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Telford and Northampton. Our London Northwestern Railway brand serves the route between London and Liverpool via key locations such as Crewe, Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Northampton.

On 1st February 2026, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway entered public ownership and both services are now part of WM Trains Limited operated by DFTO. Our mission remains unchanged: to provide a safe, comfortable and reliable service for passengers across 235 miles of track and 150 stations, from London to Liverpool and Hereford to Lichfield.

We expect over 80 million journeys to be made this year, that’s more than 1,252 services every day, and we remain committed to delivering the rail experience our passengers expect.