On Board Customer Experience Supervisor

Job description / Role

The role of the On Board Customer Experience Supervisor (OBCEM) is to lead our frontline teams (Train Captains, Passenger Hosts) to deliver an industry leading end-to-end customer experience. You will be responsible for ensuring that our customers have a high quality travel experience whilst travelling on our Passenger Trains, delivered by well trained and highly motivated team members and supported by the provision of well-presented and maintained facilities. You will play an important role in the integrated operations management team. In collaboration with Stations Managers you will work to deliver our Business Plan objectives, realise our vision, build and nurture internal and external relationships, embed our brand culture, maximise business and revenue opportunities and deliver the retailing strategy on board.

You will be responsible for the outsourced contracts that support SAR in the delivery of the Customer product, which includes Catering, Cleaning and Maintenance on Board, incl on board baggage control.

Key accountabilities

Driving and continually improving our Customer Experience:
• Lead our people to ensure consistently high quality customer experience is delivered on a daily basis, delivering our Business Plan objectives as they relate to all SAR Passenger Trains;
• Contribute to and encourage a culture of cross functional working, with our customers in mind, so that you are able to deliver the ideal end to end journey experience;
• Work closely with the procurement managers and others to ensure delivery of agreed service levels in terms of supplier contract performance; Adopt a ‘one team culture’ with other managers inside and outside of your area to ensure consistency, red hot ideas are shared and learning adopted;
• Keep a close focus on customer feedback and for On Board Services to continually look for ways to build and improve the experience our customers receive;
• Work collaboratively with the Customer Services team to identify areas requiring improvement and generate actions as to how issues will be tackled;
• Make a positive contribution to the Operations Managers team, helping develop and deliver local plans, projects etc;
• When on duty, perform the role of ‘person in charge’ at your location and provide direction to all managers and team members as appropriate.
• Our People, Brand and Culture:
• Provide inspirational leadership, clear vision and direction to your people to ensure delivery of SAR brand, values and vision, to create an amazing experience for our people and our customers;
• Encourage a culture of curiosity which continuously looks for ways to improve the experience we offer, implementing change and innovation where appropriate to improve customer experience;
• Promote a culture to ensure our people are willing and able to solve any customer issues in real time, considering business priorities of revenue, safety and brand;
• Work collaboratively with the HR to ensure your teams receive relevant, timely training and continual development so they feel empowered, equipped and enabled to deliver an amazing experience to SAR customers;
• In line with our brand vision, work collaboratively with the People Team to appoint and develop people who will create the ‘wow’ feeling for our customers;
• Communicate regularly and proactively with your team, ensuring standards, specifications, business targets and the briefing cycle are effectively communicated so that your people understand what is required and are capable and motivated and confident to deliver consistently high levels of customer experience;
• Effectively manage the performance of your team using the appropriate SAR HR processes to ensure they are engaged, capable, available and motivated to deliver consistently high levels of customer experience.
• Ensuring safety is our number one priority:
• Work collaboratively with the On Board team to meet, and strive to exceed, local safety and environmental targets derived from the SAR Business Plan and Safety Plan;
• Promote a culture to ensure safety is everyone’s business;
• Ensure adherence to all health & safety, security and fire safety procedures;
• Work collaboratively with the HR to ensure your people receive relevant and timely safety and competence training;
• Ensure that safety critical competencies are maintained and periodic monitoring undertaken according to Safety Management System requirements;
• Aligned with the rest of the Operations management team, drive improvements to employee and customer safety through development and implementation of processes and action plans based on: trend analysis; investigation of accidents; incidents and near misses and timely close out of recommendations and communication and implementation of safety & security management policies and systems.
• Creating, driving and delivering our Revenue:
• Deliver the SAR On Board ticket retailing strategy in our day-to-day retailing activities ensuring that our activities align with the strategic direction of the business;
• Deliver revenue targets through the effective operation of On Board Catering and upselling opportunities;
• Provide feedback and ideas to the Revenue, Sales and Marketing teams in order to maximise business opportunities and instil a commercially focused customer excellence culture throughout the On Board Team;
• Contribute to the development of enhanced services to attract new customers, retain existing customers and that compete with other rail companies and modes of transport;
• Creating and leading stakeholder relationships:
• Work collaboratively to identify, build and maintain key stakeholder relationships;
• Represent and be the face of SAR in the local community. Be an ambassador for the company and the brand;
• Maintain a constructive relationship and interface with Network Operations, other departments, tenants, suppliers, local service partners and other stakeholders as appropriate, to ensure the consistent delivery of customer experience, service

Key accountabilities
• quality, operational performance, and safety and security standards;
• Continually improving our Performance:
• Contribute to the design and implement processes and action plans to ensure the safe, efficient and consistent delivery of right-time train departures and minimisation of delay to trains;
• Work cross-functionally with other departments to develop, implement, and review scenario-based contingency plans for service disruption to minimise impact of disruption on our customers;
• Execute our proactive response to service disruption and Passenger Information during Disruption (PIDD) to ensure we deliver for our customers and solve issues in real time.
• Delivering our Finance goals:
• Contribute to the delivery of all financial targets for On Board Train Operation;
• Identify opportunities to reduce costs and introduce business efficiencies
• Work with the resourcing team to ensure On Board operations are resourced in a cost effective way through proactive manpower planning and effective resource deployment;
• Proactively manage suppliers to ensure consistently high quality standards and value for money, working in a timely manner to resolve any issues to the benefit of SARs business and customers;
• Ensure any financial risk to the business is mitigated and minimised through effective leadership and regular dialogue with key stakeholders;
• Participate in the internal and external audit programme, ensuring any actions assigned are closed out within the specified timescale;
• Adherence to the Cash Regulations and delegated authority procedures.

Personal Safety Responsibilities

General
• Take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself, your staff and of other persons who may be affected by acts or omissions of you or your staff.
• Co-operate with SAR staff to deliver its services safely, in particular not intentionally or recklessly interfering with or misusing anything provided in the interests of health, safety and welfare.
• Ensure compliance with externally imposed standards and internal safety procedures within your scope of responsibility.
• Ensuring compliance with the SAR Drug & Alcohol policy.
• Ensuring that any staff for which you are responsible are fully briefed on the requirements of their Role Profile / Safety Responsibility Statement and that such staff receive any information, instruction or training that may be required.
• Comply with the safety validation of change procedure.

Leadership
• Always conduct yourself in a safe manner and set a good example to your staff, customers, colleagues, contractors and the general public.
• Ensure that you regularly set safety objectives for and appraise the performance of any staff which you are responsible for.
• Ensuring attendance by you and any staff which you are responsible for to safety meetings as required.
• Ensuring a deputy is appointed to undertake your responsibilities in your absence. You must ensure that s/he is competent to carry out the necessary duties and understands and accepts the responsibilities in this statement.
• Manage departmental budgets to ensure that there are suitable and sufficient resources to achieve safety objectives and implement required risk controls.
• Ensuring that any staff for which you are responsible are fully briefed on the requirements of their Role Profile / Safety Responsibility Statement and that such staff receive any information, instruction or training that may be required.

Risk Assessment
• Ensuring that all workplace and task assessments are completed at all locations and for all staff which you are responsible for and that any necessary control measures are implemented and monitored.
• Ensuring that all workplace and task assessments are maintained and subject to periodic review in accordance with risk assessment procedures.

Recruitment and Training
• Ensure that training needs are identified for you and for your staff and liaise with the relevant departments to provide training.
• You must attend the following courses within three months of appointment: Corporate Induction, Fire Training Primary Module and Manual Handling.
• You must attend the following courses within six months of appointment: Strategic Safety Management, IOSH Managing Safely, Fire Precautions Manager, Risk Assessment, Accident Investigation

Procurement
• Ensure that SAR procurement procedures are followed and that levels of authorisation are adhered to, particularly in relation to safety critical suppliers.

Security, Crime and Vandalism
• Ensure that arrangements for security, as briefed to you and your staff, are maintained at all times.

Dealing with Emergencies
• Ensure that in the event of an emergency you and staff that you are responsible for adhere to laid down instructions / arrangements.
• Ensure that suitable arrangements are in place and maintained in respect of First Aid provision.

Competence Standards - Ensure that competence standards for safety critical staff under your control are applied and monitored.
• Participate fully in safety briefings and meetings and communicate fully with all staff you are responsible for within your area of responsibility.
• Ensure that all safety briefings are carried out within your area of responsibility and that briefings are recorded.

Operating Procedures
• Ensure that all operating procedures that are applicable to your role and staff you are responsible for are briefed and compliance monitored.
• Ensure that you comply with all relevant procedures in respect of Safety Critical work.

Safety of Vehicles
• Ensure that all plant and equipment on vehicles for which you are responsible is maintained in a safe and efficient working order in accordance with SAR procedures.
• Ensure that you report any defects to train vehicles in accordance with company procedures

Safety of Premises
• Ensure that all plant and equipment for which you are responsible is maintained in a safe and efficient working order in accordance with SAR procedures.
• Ensure that you report any hazards that you identify at SAR locations in accordance with company procedures.
• Ensure that you make arrangements to rectify any hazards in premises that you control.

Occupational Health and Safety Controls
• Ensure that suitable and sufficient assessments are carried out for staff you are responsible for to determine the potential effects of fatigue.
• Ensure that suitable and sufficient measures are in place to control any hazards associated with fatigue and that you and your staff are provided with information and instruction about the effects of fatigue.
• Ensure that suitable and sufficient assessments are undertaken for all identified health hazards, including chemical, physical and biological within your area of responsibility in accordance with the relevant procedures.
• Ensure that suitable and sufficient measures are in place to control exposure to such health hazards and that you and any staff you are responsible for are provided with sufficient information, instruction and training about the hazard, control measures and the potential effects to health.
• Ensure that any personal protective equipment that has been issued to you or any staff you are responsible for is used and maintained in accordance with instructions.
• Ensure that only approved personal protective equipment is used and procured within your area of responsibility.

Management of Contractors
• Ensure that any contractors working where you are responsible for are authorised to be there, receive the required safety briefings, adhere to local safety arrangements and work in accordance with the relevant Works Access Notice.
• Ensure that any contractors you employ obtain the necessary safety approval to undertake the work in question.
• Ensure that any contractor considered not to be working in a safe manner is stopped immediately and advice is sought from the Property or Safety and Environment Departments.

Consultation
• Consult with staff, in particular Health and Safety Representatives, in respect of any matter which affects health and safety, in accordance with the relevant legislation.
• Consult with staff, in particular Health and Safety Representatives, in good time in respect of any changes which may affect health and safety.

Accident Reporting, Investigation and Analysis
• Ensure that all accidents, incidents and near misses are reported and thoroughly investigated and that remedial actions are taken and monitored to ensure that they are effective, in accordance with the relevant procedures.
• Ensure that any instances of ill-health suffered by you, or staff you are responsible for, are reported in accordance with SAR procedures.

Inspections and Tours
• Ensure that planned inspections are undertaken and remedial action taken in accordance with SAR procedures.

Audit
• Maintain suitable and sufficient records for audit purposes.
• Co-operate fully with any internal and external audits as required and ensure that all audit findings are tracked and closed out.

Requirements

• Ideally a degree holder in relevant discipline
• Ideally holds membership or accreditation from a professional body, such as the Institute of Railway Operations, or relevant hospitality or transportation degree.

Skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• A proven record of leading teams to deliver positive results.
• A proven record in leading and delivering high quality customer experience.
• The right style to motivate, lead and influence others in line with SAR Vision, brand and culture.
• Experience of financial management.
• A passion for innovation.
• Experience of involvement in projects.
• Experience of safety management systems and regulatory compliance.
• Numeracy and sound analytical skills.
• Self-motivation and drive, thriving with accountability and responsibility.

Experience
• Minimum 15 years general experience
• Minimum 10 years of general operations management experience
• 5 years of specific operations management experience within the rail industry
• Working knowledge of train scheduling, train utilization, train crew roster, control centre operations, station operations, train operations and depot operations
• Good understanding of the rail systems basics such as passenger, freight or heavy haul operations and signalling systems, automatic gates and fare collection, track and crossovers, control and communication systems and E&M systems, their functions and operations.

Additional / special features of the role
• Ensure compliance with the Serco Management System and all relevant business processes, procedures and work instructions to deliver all work with appropriate quality and governance standards
• Ensure security and integrity of all data provided including reporting performance, finance and customer information; reference Serco non-disclosure policy
• To exercise personal duty of care for their own health, safety and welfare and for those affected by their acts or omissions; reference SMS GSOP-HSE1-6 Serco organisational HSE responsibilities
• Ensure compliance with all training requirements of Serco and ensure adherence to these requirements at all times whilst in employment
• Report any accidents, incidents, breaches or potential breaches to appropriate management or the speak up process

About the Company

Serco is a FTSE 250 international service company which combines commercial know-how with a deep public service ethos.

Serco customers are looking for expertise in managing their people, processes, technology and assets more effectively. We advise economic decision makers, design innovative solutions, integrate systems and - most of all - deliver quality services directly to the public.

Serco supplies to governments, government enterprise, agencies and companies who seek a trusted outsourcing partner with a solid track-record of service excellence. Serco people offer operational, logistical and technical expertise in the Transport, Justice and Immigration, Defence, Education and Healthcare industries as well as in the commercial sectors of Facilities Management.

Serco Middle East have been in the Region since 1947, starting out delivering Air Traffic Control Services in Bahrain; a service we are proudly still running today and have expanded to include many other Airports in the region.

We have expanded significantly since that time across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. We have been supporting the RTA to operate the Dubai Metro since 2009, are preparing to launch the flagship Saudi Arabia Passenger Rail service from Riyadh to Qassim in 2016. We deliver Facility Management services to both Cleveland Clinic and Healthpoint Hospitals in Abu Dhabi, large-scale medical facilities in Saudi Arabia and a range of educational and commercial properties in the UAE. We also deliver postgraduate education to Officers in the Qatar Armed Forces through the Joaan Bin Jassim Joint Command and Staff College in Doha.

Focusing on our core values, and creating a positive environment for employees to thrive, we look forward to a bright future as we continue to grow with the region.