Title:  Manager, Rail Occupations

About Us

The Department of Transport and Planning oversees key planning, transport and land use policy decisions and management across the State. A life-cycle approach to planning, building, connecting and sustaining communities means our people can come together to; improve services, deliver sustainable projects, focus on customer engagement, streamline regulatory approval pathways, facilitate community consultation and better realise local economic opportunities for more liveable communities across Victoria.

Network Operations is a Group within the Department of Transport and Planning, and is responsible for the day to day operations of the Victorian transport network.

We’re focused on outcomes that deliver more choice, connections and confidence in our travel, ensuring the whole transport network works as one to deliver better services and outcomes.

About the Role

The Manager, Rail Occupations, is responsible for the effective scheduling and delivery of rail occupations across Victoria. Working closely with internal and external partners, the role provides leadership to a high-performing team while managing a broad range of coordination, planning, preparedness and readiness activities.

The position is essential in balancing scheduling risks and priorities within the rail occupations schedules, change control and effective impact mitigation, through the delivery of alternative passenger service. The role requires an exemplary ability to collaborate and negotiate with senior stakeholders across multiple delivery agencies, rail operators, other government departments and other entities that occupy or disrupt the rail network, in order to provide senior level direction into all scheduling and delivery activities.

The incumbent will require high level technical rail operations skills and have a strong knowledge of the transport network, including rail, road, public transport and freight.  The incumbent will also be customer-focussed, providing an assurance role in ensuring continuity of service during periods of planned network closure.

The role also requires strong communication, diplomacy and negotiation skills as the position will be required to provide expertise in thought leadership and direction, at a senior level, across the transport industry.

To access the Position Description, please click here.

Position Outcomes / Accountabilities

• Led a coordinated and effective end-to-end delivery of the program of planned rail disruptions, on behalf of the transport sector, achieving the State’s transport objectives, while minimising risk and ensuring all passenger and freight impacts are known and mitigated
• Understood all program of works and effectively collaborated and negotiated with key stakeholders (internal and external) in the prioritisation, scheduling and delivery of rail occupations in the State
• Facilitated thorough and consistent coordination of the preparedness and readiness process for planned rail disruptions, including negotiation with senior stakeholders on complex program issues which may have significant commercial, contractual or reputational risk for the State
• Ensured any risk resulting from planned disruptions planning, coordination or delivery is identified, communicated and controlled in a timely manner, at all program stages
• Ensured the effective planning and delivery of alternative passenger services resulting from planned network closures, in accordance with MR4 and MR5 contractual obligations and best passenger outcomes
• Lead coordination and working groups to ensure overall program of planned transport network closures is well-coordinated and understood across industry
• Aligned team with the organisational values and goals through effective people management; maximised effectiveness by managing and motivating a high performing team; clearly defines role expectations; monitors performance; provides timely and constructive feedback and facilitated employee development; ensures staff are effectively deployed through effective workforce planning practices
• Underook other tasks or duties as required by the business

Key Selection Criteria

The Department of Transport and Planning is seeking a highly skilled Manager, Rail Occupations to lead and manage the Rail Occupations team. This position offers an exciting opportunity to influence key strategic projects that support the development of the transport system.

In this role, you will apply your critical thinking and problem-solving expertise to evaluate and resolve complex issues, delivering tangible business outcomes. Your ability to think strategically and prevent recurring problems will be crucial in enhancing operational efficiency. You will also be expected to leverage your influence and persuasion skills to gain support for proposals and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring successful outcomes and fostering strong relationships.

Your excellent stakeholder management abilities will enable you to identify and address the underlying needs of stakeholders while building mutually beneficial partnerships. Communication will be key, as you will be expected to engage with diverse audiences, convey information clearly, and navigate sensitive topics with professionalism.

As a leader, you will effectively manage a team, ensuring staff are deployed efficiently and aligned with organizational goals. Your focus will be on workforce planning, optimizing team effectiveness, and translating strategy into actionable projects that achieve key outcomes. You will play a critical role in defining governance structures to manage risks and ensure the success of initiatives.

To excel in this role, you must have proven experience in project delivery, interpersonal skills, and managing complex team dynamics. Your ability to think critically, communicate with impact, and manage projects will be key to your success in this pivotal position.

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to the development of vital infrastructure in Victoria’s transport sector.

Personal Attributes

On a personal level, the candidate will be resilient, maintaining composure and decisiveness under pressure to guide teams through challenging situations. They will also be highly adaptable, able to quickly adjust systems and processes to meet shifting priorities and demands.

Qualifications and Experience

Mandatory

• Experience of at least five (5) years in rail, transport or related industries

Desirable

•  A tertiary qualification in engineering, project management, transport planning or related field would be well regarded
• Previous experience in rail occupation scheduling and delivery would be well regarded
• Demonstrated expertise in rail network operations or projects would be well regarded
• Demonstrated experience in utilising technology (such as Power BI) to produce high quality briefings and reports would be well regarded

What we offer

• Meaningful work making Victorian communities more accessible and liveable
• Professional growth and development opportunities across the department and the wider Victorian Public Services
• A hybrid working model focused on collaboration and teamwork
• Optimal work-life balance initiatives including flexible working arrangements
• Opportunity to work across multiple urban and suburban hubs
• We prioritise the development of a safe and inclusive culture

Culture Value

We are an equal opportunity employer, embracing a diverse range of applicants such as veterans, and people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA community members, individuals with disabilities and/or health conditions, as well as those from varied faith and cultural backgrounds. At our department, we prioritize the development of a safe, inclusive, and high-performance culture through shared actions and behaviours that align with our strategy and direction. This empowers our employees to effectively contribute to our goals.

How to Apply

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Applications close 11.59pm on Thursday the 15th of May, 2025. 

Please include a resume and cover letter. All applications must be submitted through the online portal. We’re unable to consider email or manual applications at this time.

For further information about the role please contact Stuart Mckenzie – Associate Director, Planned Disruptions via stuart.mckenzie@transport.vic.gov.au

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Transport and Planning will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know by phone or email if you need any adjustments to fully participate in the recruitment process. If you require the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g., large print) due to viewing difficulties or other accessibility needs, we are happy to accommodate.

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