Station & Customer Operations Manager

Role: Station & Customer Operations Manager
Location: Marylebone Station, London
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract - 12 Months
Salary: Up to £75,000 per annum


Role Purpose

Chiltern Railways is committed to delivering stations that are safe, intuitive, accessible, and designed around the needs of our customers. We are seeking a Stations & Customer Operations specialist to lead the strategic planning and development of station operations, ensuring that future designs, upgrades, and major projects reflect both operational practicality and exceptional customer experience.

This role focuses on long-term planning, design influence, and operational readiness—not day to day station management. You will shape how our stations evolve, ensuring that passenger handling, customer experience, and operational requirements are embedded into every project and investment decision. You will engage in projects that are being delivered internally or that are being developed with third parties or S106 funding, you may lead the delivery of smaller schemes.

Key Accountabilities
Strategic Station Operational Planning

- Develop long-term operational concepts for Chiltern stations, ensuring they support future growth, accessibility improvements, and customer focused design.
- Produce operational input for major station projects, timetable changes, and network developments.
- Ensure station planning aligns with Chiltern’s strategic objectives, safety standards, and customer experience ambitions.

Passenger Handling & Flow Strategy

- Analyse passenger movement patterns and future demand to inform station layouts, circulation space, and platform operations.
- Identify opportunities to improve passenger flow, reduce congestion, and enhance resilience during disruption.
- Provide expert advice on crowd management principles for project and design teams.

Station Design & Infrastructure Influence

- Act as Chiltern’s operational and customer experience voice in station design, refurbishment, and third-party development projects.
- Review architectural drawings, design proposals, and construction plans to ensure they reflect operational reality and customer needs.
- Work closely with Network Rail, developers, and engineering teams to ensure station infrastructure supports safe and efficient operations.

Customer Experience & Service Design

- Champion customer experience in all station related planning decisions, ensuring stations are intuitive, inclusive, and welcoming.
- Shape improvements to wayfinding, signage, accessibility, ambience, and station facilities.
- Support the development of future customer service models, including technology enabled solutions.

Stakeholder Engagement

- Represent Chiltern Railways in planning groups, design reviews, and project boards.
- Collaborate with Network Rail, local authorities, contractors, and industry partners to ensure Chiltern’s requirements are understood and delivered.
- Communicate complex operational and customer experience needs clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences.

Safety, Assurance & Readiness

- Lead operational readiness planning for station assets, ensuring safe and smooth introduction into service.
- Conduct risk assessments and operational reviews for station related projects.
- Ensure compliance with safety standards, accessibility regulations, and industry best practice.

Person Specification

You’ll thrive in this role if you combine strategic thinking with a deep understanding of how stations function and how customers experience them. You’re someone who can influence design, shape future operations, and bring a customer first perspective to complex planning challenges.

Essential Experience

- Strong background in station operations, passenger handling, or operational planning within rail or a similar transport environment.
- Experience contributing to station design, refurbishment, or infrastructure projects.
- Understanding of customer experience principles and inclusive design.
- Ability to interpret technical drawings, operational data, and design proposals.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable Experience

- Experience with crowd modelling, simulation tools, or demand forecasting.
- Knowledge of accessibility standards, wayfinding principles, and inclusive design.
- Familiarity with safety management systems and operational readiness processes.
- Experience working with Network Rail or other rail industry partners.

What You’ll Bring

- A customer first mindset with a strategic understanding of station operations.
- Strong analytical thinking and the ability to translate insight into clear, actionable planning requirements.
- Confidence influencing designers, engineers, and senior stakeholders.
- A collaborative working style and the ability to build trust across teams.
- A passion for shaping the stations of the future and improving the customer journey.