Zero-Emission Bus Development Manager

Job Title: Zero-Emission Bus Development Manager (Bus Operations) 

Position Type: Full Time

Grade: Pay Band 3

Salary: Circa £54,000 - £56,000 per annum depending on skills, knowledge, and experience

Location: Palestra (London) / Hybrid

Contract: Permanent (TfL)

Number of roles: 1

Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.

Role Overview 

London Buses carry the lion’s share of passengers across the capital, offering one of the most affordable and accessible means of travel for up to four million journeys a day, across more than 600 routes. We are in the middle of a programme of improvements, as set out in our Bus Action Plan. This includes leading the decarbonisation of public transport to tackle climate change with plans to make the fleet zero emission no later than 2034; we are also exploring options to bring this forward to 2030 from a strategic and financial perspective. In addition, the wider team is driving forward plans to eradicate fatalities involving buses by 2030 and increasing ridership through improved journey times and a better customer experience.

Our bus network is well connected and served by around 9,000 vehicles, with our bus contracts worth around £2 billion a year. This makes Bus Operations one of the most dynamic and high-profile places to work, and a great place to get experience in an internationally recognised business.

We are looking for one person to join our successful team to ensure our high profile and exciting journey to zero-emission can be accomplished. Whether it is helping to set the strategy, reporting on progress, working with operators on their projects, assessing new ideas or driving forward pilots - these roles bring together a mix of analysis, commercial, stakeholder management and implementation in one place.

The wider Contracts and Development team (of which the Zero-Emission Bus Development is one of many teams) is flexible and dynamic and also covers a range of areas. The role may be required to support the implementation of other commercial strategies and contracting policy, to ensure that the London Bus Network continues to deliver value for money and service quality that meet passenger expectations, the Mayor’s policy objectives and achieves TfL's KPIs and financial targets.

As we are in the public eye, the team must also engage with a variety of influential stakeholders and promote our activities to internal and external audiences. As our operational environment is dynamic and changes on regular basis, the role will require an individual that can adapt quickly and work collaboratively to meet business priorities. The role will also require the individual to make recommendations to inform decision-making and matrix managing delivery partners.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead on key activities to support the decarbonisation of the bus fleet across areas including fleet, infrastructure, garages and the overall programme.
• Supporting the Senior Zero-Emission Bus Development Manager in ongoing and specific commercial engagement with bus operators and industry/suppliers across a range of areas, including the implementation of new zero-emission vehicle technologies and influencing garage and power strategy and development.
• Assist the Senior Zero-Emission Bus Development Manager in developing and implementing changes to existing contractual arrangements, through negotiation with bus operating companies, where appropriate.
• Support the Senior Managers in ensuring tendering and contracting activities undertaken for the Bus Operations directorate follow the agreed governance and legal compliance policies and procedures.
• Utilise systems, technology and processes to support and manage bus service tendering, contracting and performance management activities; including the analysis and preparing reports on financial information, benchmarking and efficiencies and to assist in evaluating market trends, the levels of profitability within the bus market and industry to input into long term financial and business planning.
• Understanding the London and wider bus market to provide market intelligence to support continued competition.
• Identify and suggest continuous improvement opportunities and ongoing development of all aspects of London Buses tendering and contracting policies. Reporting on efficiency, innovation, performance improvement and best practice.
• Work as an integrated manager across the wider Bus Business Development team, in particular supporting peers and the Senior Zero-Emission Bus Development Manager in both the management and development of the team and delivering our business objectives.

Candidates need a good balance of existing skills, knowledge and/or experience and potential in the following areas:

Skills

• Excellent written, numeracy, IT, oral and presentation skills and the ability to explain and present performance results and analysis to senior management and bus companies.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people at all levels across the organisation and outside.
• Ability to influence people at different levels within the organisation and outside, including negotiating and successfully facilitating joint decision-making. 
• Excellent analytical skills and sufficient knowledge of issues to evaluate options and recommend solutions and decisions.
• Build effective working relations (partnering) with people at all levels across the organisation and outside.

Knowledge

• Level 6 qualification (e.g degree level or equivalent qualification or experience).
• Understanding of TfL and Bus Operations' business objectives.
• Understand and appreciate the political landscape and the Mayor's objectives for public transport improvements, including the environment, safety or patronage.
• A good understanding of European and UK Procurement Law.
• Good supplier sourcing and contract development and/or strong general commercial background, preferably in the public transport sector.
• Implementing and helping to develop commercial policies, standards, processes, procedures, business improvement, and performance management.
• Legal factors, financial controls and procurement processes and techniques.

Experience

• Experience of public transport operating practices desirable, ideally within the bus operating environment.
• Experience of operating in a dynamic working environment, handling multiple tasks and deadlines, delivering to time, budget, and quality
• Working in a strategy, project or sponsorship environment.
• Track record of managing and negotiating contractual issues
• Accountability for delivering against targets.
• Experience of working in matrix-managed environments.
• Working within governance frameworks.
• Developing, managing and maintaining relationships with suppliers and other key stakeholders.
• Representing an organisation to internal and external stakeholders.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair. 

Application Process

Please submit an up-to-date copy of your CV.  In addition to your CV please provide a brief covering letter setting out why you are applying.

Please consider your motivation for the role and the skills, knowledge and experience in the advert in your application. PDF format preferred in Arial font 12 and do not include any photographs or images. 

The closing date for applications is 16th November 2025@ 23:59 

Benefits 

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow.  Rewards vary according to the business area but mostly include: 

• Final salary pension scheme  
• Free travel for you on the TfL network  
• Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home or 75% reimbursement on a 28-day flexi ticket 
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays  
• TfL is committed to work-life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow. 
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional)
• Salary Sacrifice Scheme for Electric Vehicles on successful completion of Probation 
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme 
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers.  
• Discounted Eurostar travel