Performance & Standards Manager

Performance & Standards Manager  
Caledonian Sleeper – London Euston
Permanent, Full Time, 37.5 hours
Competitive salary plus benefits 
 
Caledonian Sleeper have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated Performance & Standards Manager to join the Caledonian Sleeper (CSL) Guest Experience Team in Euston.
 
The primary objective of this role is to cultivate a fully trained, motivated, and well-supported team capable of delivering industry-leading levels of hospitality to our guests, whether onboard, at the station, or within our guest lounges in your designated region. 

In this role you will, emphasise the importance of first impressions by managing onboard Coaches to support Team Leaders, Hosts, and CSL lounge and station teams, fostering a highly effective and collaborative environment. Your role involves being present on the service, as well as in stations and lounges, to ensure visibility and audit the consistency of service to delight our guests. 

Additionally, this role includes periodic project management tasks to support the overall Guest Experience function.

Main responsibilities of the role include:
 
In this hands-on position, you will lead a team of approximately 35-40 frontline Team Leaders, Hosts, Lounge, and Station Staff. Your responsibilities will involve overseeing performance and people management, ensuring audit quality standards, and fostering an inclusive 'one team' culture.

• Safety - Foster a Zero Harm culture by conducting scheduled Leadership tours and timely completion of General Inspections, with actions taken being Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART).
• Training - Ensure timely completion of all mandatory CSL training for employees, in addition to any supplemental training requirements, and maintain comprehensive training records.
• Absence Compliance – Oversee the meticulous management and accurate recording of all absences through HR and Absence Manager to ensure compliance.
• Voice of the Guest – Drive overall guest satisfaction targets by monitoring complaints versus compliments and taking necessary actions to align with business strategy to exceed guest expectations.
• Lead team recruitment and onboarding processes for frontline teams to ensure that the Guest Experience Service Delivery team is staffed with skilled individuals who embody CSL Values.
• Inspire and develop the cross-functional service delivery team in your region to achieve CSL's objectives and vision.
• Manage absences for all employees, ensuring compliance targets are met and providing full support to teams. Take the lead on absence management processes, including stage triggers and Capability assessments.
• Implement performance management for all direct reports through personalised development plans using My Catch-Up. Take the lead on all people management policies, including Disciplinary, Grievance, and Safety Investigations, ensuring resolution.
• Motivate, develop, and create growth opportunities for the entire GE service delivery team in your region to achieve CSL's goals and aspirations.
• Collaborate closely with the Catering & Ops Manager and Service Delivery Coordinator to uphold best practices in our service delivery function in alignment with our service standards.
• Support all aspects of Guest Experience disruption and recovery through effective team management.
• Exemplify and uphold CSL values in interactions with guests, team members, stakeholders, the community, and the public, fostering collaborative relationships.
• Ensure compliance with statutory Health and Safety regulations and CSL mandates, updating and closing regional actions within specified timelines.
• Participate actively and engage with local union representatives in monthly meetings, taking necessary actions as required.
• Support the establishment of robust processes to ensure consistency across service delivery operations.
• Ensure all colleagues are adequately assessed to meet safety and service standards.
• Collaborate with the GE Business Lead on projects and initiatives to improve the service delivery
• Assist fellow Line Managers in handling crew-related correspondence, such as investigation paperwork and crew letters.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of projects within the Guest Experience Service Delivery.
• Collaborate with the relevant colleagues to organise hotel, uniform, crew kits, and IT requirements as part of the onboarding process.
• Assist in monitoring disruptions, communicating with hotels, and coordinating breakfast orders as needed.
• Work with the roster function to meet weekly staffing requirements.
• Review Team Leader Reports, escalate issues to relevant departments, and update team members to drive continuous improvement.
• Coordinating all Drug & Alcohol testing for adhoc, for cause, and random testing, with monthly reporting.
• Establish, update, and track mandatory training for onboard crew, including Fire & Rules training, using a spreadsheet and provide monthly reports.
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with other Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and Network Rail at stations in your region. Serve as the primary point of contact at stations, organising monthly meetings with minutes to be submitted at the end of each period.

Responsibilities may evolve with changes in the business, and the post holder should be flexible and adaptable to meet new demands.

What you’ll need to do the role:
 

• Profound product and service knowledge necessary for providing an exceptional hospitality experience that delights our guests.
• Leadership and management experience within a team.
• Demonstrated excellence in customer service skills and leading by example.
• Operational background in delivering outstanding customer service in transportation or hospitality settings.
• Experience in bringing a company's vision to life consistently and robustly in an operational setting.
• Exceptional communication skills adaptable to various audiences.
• Strong presentation skills for delivering presentations at a senior level.
• Proficiency in writing documents related to standards, policies, and procedures.
• IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft applications.
• Sound office management and organisational skills.
• Flexibility in approach.
• Preferable experience in back-office management of an EPOS/POS system.
• Ability to efficiently manage data output.

Preferred:

• Previous experience in a unionised environment.
• Competency in managing large teams in a customer-facing setting.

Additional / Special features of the role:

• Caledonian Sleeper is an overnight service, and this position will require working both dayshifts and nightshifts. Weekend and evening work will also be necessary.
• Willingness to travel for overnight stays away from the home base and regular travel across the network for oversight responsibilities.
• Flexibility to travel to all CSL bases to ensure standards in Lounges and Stations and engage face-to-face with teams.
• Daytime accommodation is provided when working.
• Collaboration with your fellow team planning to ensure adequate management and front-line exposure over each period for span of control.
• Scheduled for Guest Experience on Call Duty every 8-12 weeks to assist with service delivery, with an On Call Pay Enhancement provided.

 
What we offer:
 

• Competitive salary 
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays 
• Free Scotland wide rail travel with ScotRail for the employee and eligible family members 
• Allocation of complimentary tickets each year for Caledonian Sleeper travel 
• Contributory pension scheme
   

Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens, we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. 

At Caledonian Sleeper Limited we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all and matches the diverse profile of our guests. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from all if you feel you match the skill requirements of the role.

We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview. 

Caledonian Sleeper is an iconic brand with a heritage stretching back a century and a half to the early years of Scotland-London sleepers.

Part of an exclusive club, Caledonian Sleeper is one of only two sleeper trains in the UK, and we like to think it is the most scenic! Whisking guests from the bright lights of London through the night to the iconic cities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverness, and Glasgow or to the jaw dropping scenery of the west Highlands of Scotland around Fort William. We are proud to serve the UK’s most remote railway station too, Corrour.

Caledonian Sleeper sets new standards in overnight rail travel, offering a choice of affordable seats, private guestrooms, some with en-suites and double beds, as well as our much-loved Club Car to around 200,000 guests per year.

Serco is acting as the resourcing partner for Caledonian Sleeper Limited which is operated by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government.