Maintenance Planning Manager

Maintenance Planning Manager
We are seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Maintenance Planning Manager to lead planning and coordination of heavy maintenance, project modifications, and component overhauls across a defined fleet of traction and rolling stock assets. This role plays a key part in supporting operational excellence through efficient planning, workflow management, and strong supplier collaboration.

Join a high-performing Maintenance Services team dedicated to delivering comprehensive engineering, asset management, and project management services. Their mission is to ensure fleet assets operate at industry-leading performance levels while maintaining the highest standards of passenger satisfaction.

The key responsibilities for this Maintenance Planning Manager role are:

Maintenance & Project Planning

• Develop and maintain robust short- and long-term maintenance schedules for a designated fleet of traction and rolling stock vehicles.
• Plan for routine and non-complex heavy maintenance, project modifications, and component overhauls in accordance with lease and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure no more than the allowed number of vehicles are taken out of service simultaneously, maintaining operational availability.
• Coordinate directly with operators and service providers to agree on maintenance slots, overhaul requirements, and delivery schedules.
• Adjust and optimise maintenance plans based on operational performance, engineering inputs, and real-time data.

Workflow & Event Management

• Manage the end-to-end workflow for planned maintenance and contracted events, ensuring all activities are properly logged and completed.
• Ensure suppliers record full details of repairs, modifications, tracked component changes, and associated costs in a timely manner.
• Oversee the accuracy and completion of 'Work Completion Statements' for every event and maintain auditable records in asset management systems.
• Monitor workflows for both soggy lease (maintenance by supplier) and dry lease (maintenance by operator) agreements.
• Track and report the status of all ongoing maintenance and project events using internal tools (e.g., 'Common User Spreadsheet'), ensuring visibility across teams.

Data Management & Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of maintenance, overhaul, and project activities in the organisation's asset management databases.
• Report on performance against maintenance programmes, including KPIs such as input/output punctuality, cost control, and contractor compliance.
• Highlight and escalate delays, discrepancies, or risk areas to engineering, commercial, or finance stakeholders as appropriate.
• Reconcile mileage and service date data with operators to ensure compliance with planned intervals.

Material & Supply Chain Coordination

• Work closely with supply chain teams to manage the ordering, issue, and return of free-issue materials for planned events.
• Track material usage and flag availability risks related to critical components or materials.
• Support blanket purchase agreement reviews by supplying event forecasts and usage trends.
• ensure new suppliers or depot locations are approved and recorded as required.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Partner with Fleet, Engineering, and Commercial teams to support contract reviews, lease discussions, and asset performance analysis.
• Support Finance with data for budget planning, monthly reviews, forecasts, and whole-life cost models.
• Assist with re-leasing analysis, pricing exercises, and 'what-if' planning scenarios.
• Attend cross-functional meetings to report on schedule progress, contractor performance, and outstanding issues.

System & Process Improvement

• Contribute to the development and testing of new IT tools, workflow systems, and reporting mechanisms.
• Suggest improvements to maintenance planning processes and asset management practices.
• Ensure all work aligns with company procedures and industry best practice.
• Support audits, compliance checks, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Experience required for this Maintenance Planning Manager role are:

• Understanding of works procurement and operating lease requirements.

• None