Transport for London
Rail & London Underground Management Scheme
Applications for the 2012 intake are now closed.
The Tube is undergoing the biggest transformation in its 150 year history. Many lines are getting new trains, stations are being modernized and expanded and new control systems to drive up performance are being delivered. At the same time it is vital that we keep the day to day service running smoothly for the four million people a day who use the service to move around the capital.
On this scheme, you'll balance it all. It won't be easy - this is the most challenging period we've ever experienced and you'll need to be able to handle anything that comes your way. Through the sheer responsibility and exposure you'll be given, you'll gain the skills and experience you need to develop into an outstanding future leader.
How it works
Providing a world-class customer service is the lynch-pin of our business, so one of your first placements will be a supervisor running a significant central station and a large team of around 60 people. You'll listen, negotiate and inspire - often at the same time. Hundreds of thousands of passengers could come to you with almost any issue - you'll need to be calm, resilient and decisive.
You'll also need an eye for detail to make sure that we're delivering a quality service to every passenger, every day. It is complex and challenging work. But you'll handle it in the way you know how.
After this initial period, you will begin to focus more on your chosen stream. You'll have the option to explore all areas of London Underground, so you choose the challenge that suits you best.
Customer Service Delivery
On this programme you will be at the heart of our service delivery. We will develop you to lead a team of station or train staff focused on delivering a world class service.
Motivating and directing your team you'll be responsible for the journeys of hundreds of thousands of customers daily, making sure they have the service they want and the information they need. Your people leadership and management skills will be put to the test as you stamp your commitment on events, never losing sight of the ultimate goal - customer delight.
With Tube lines being upgraded and services improved, this is an unprecedented period of change - and you'll be at the heart of it all. After the scheme you'll have the chance to put your skills into practice leading your staff to delivery world class customer service - time after time.
Service Development
Here, you'll be improving the journeys of our four million customers daily. You'll be planning future service levels and major investment programmes over the years ahead. You'll be involved in analysing customers' demands and developing ideas and plans to match. From market research, corporate strategy, transport planning and strategic analysis to project development and corporate communications, you will have a hands on approach to shaping our future. The scheme will enable you to move to a range of planning roles where you could be responsible for major investment or strategic initiatives that will affect customers' journeys for years ahead.
Please note that both streams of this scheme typically involve shift work likely to include periods of nights and weekends. As this is a core part of the scheme we ask that, before applying, you think carefully about whether this is something that you would be willing to undertake and the potential impacts on your personal life.
Placements
Placements usually last three to four months. You'll contribute to real work and develop an understanding of how each team contributes to our business.
You'll gain practical experience of working in London Underground's services - trains, stations or service control - as well as all the skills and knowledge you need, including safety critical qualifications, people management skills and technical knowledge. We'll arrange your initial placements, but as you progress you'll look to source ones that will challenge you further.
From there, your ambition could take you far. Having seen how we work from ground level and up, we'd expect you to progress into a senior leadership role.
Further education and professional studies
You'll embark on our customised, accelerated, six-to-eight-week training programme. We've included classroom learning to cover the essentials and put our own mark on things with plenty of on-site and simulated elements for you to get a feel for the role too.
We'll also support you to gain professional or postgraduate qualifications. Depending on the course, we offer full study support, such as professional body registration, course fees and college attendance leave. This can also include membership of a professional institution such as the Institute of Railway Operators, the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, or the Institute of Logistics and Transport. We also provide management, technical and professional skills development, from in-house coaching to courses at our training centre.
Entry requirements
You'll need a 2:1 honours degree. But for us, it's more about your approach than the specific subject. You won't always know what to expect, so you'll need to be able to think on your feet. Motivating your team into doing the same, you'll bring the energy needed to get things done. This isn't a typical graduate scheme - you'll make big decisions, see an immediate impact and meet the challenges of a role on which the city relies.
- Graduate in appropriate discipline with appropriate classification - 2:1
- Ability to work at any Tube location in London
- High standards of written communication, verbal, numerical and inductive (ability to deal with ambiguous data) reasoning
- High standards of verbal communication
- Skilled in analysis and problem solving
- Keen on embracing change
- Collaborative, and keen to share information, knowledge and skills
- A strong focus on internal and external customers
- A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Keen to seek out new opportunities for learning and career progression and challenges
- Be able to identify the goals of any project and work steadily towards them
- Able to take a structured and methodical approach to any task, identifying priorities and setting deadlines
At application stage we will ask you to express an interest in a particular area of the scheme, for example Customer Service Delivery or Service Development. This is purely an expression of interest and there will be opportunities to discuss the options and suitability in more depth at assessment stage.
If you're successful you'll have to pass pre-employment checks before joining. These will include reference checks, qualifications checks, right to work in the UK and in some cases a medical and a Criminal Records Bureau check.
Applications
Applications close on 3 January 2012.
Applications
