Candidate Opportunity Brief

Position: IR Group Head - Drivers

Reporting to: Head of IR

Confidentiality: Open

Ford & Stanley Executive Search (Part of the Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group) are a leading Executive search and talent advisory firm specialising in the following sectors:

• Rail & Transportation                      
• Civils & Construction                       
• Manufacturing & Supply Chain      
• Technology & Cyber Security         
• Logistics & Intermodal Freight        
• Defence         

Our search directors, search consultants and in-house research team specialise in retained opportunities at the highest level of organisational leadership and management.

Our success is based upon a blend of trust-driven relationships, robust market knowledge, and working practices that ensure the best possible alignment of organisational need with experience and personal ambition.

Working with business leaders on bespoke assignments for over a decade, we understand exactly what our customers expect from an executive search and talent advisory service – whether there is a pressing business need for an executive interim or that of a long-term permanent appointment - Ford & Stanley Executive Search provide the solution.

We have been exclusively appointed on a retained search for an IR Group Head – Drivers

Below you will find a ‘Candidate Opportunity Brief’ developed from notes taken during the scoping meeting (Situational Discovery) held between the Principal Consultant & Research Manager of Ford & Stanley Executive Search and the Head of IR of our client.

This brief is designed to give candidates a deeper insight into the opportunity inherent within the role, the challenges the role presents, and provide access to the detail that sits behind the job specification.

Client Opportunity Statements:

“We are seeking an experienced train driver who has experience with Trade Unions, who is looking to transition into an Industrial relations role. We need someone who can build credibility and trusted relationships with union representatives through an open, transparent and collaborative approach. This will be imperative in supporting our overall position and making tangible progress against strategic objectives.

In this role, you will lead on strategic engagement and industrial relations with trade unions, ensuring constructive dialogue, workforce stability, and alignment between business priorities and workforce representation.

This role acts as the senior interface between the organisation and trade unions, shaping collective agreements, resolving disputes, and enabling the successful and collaborative delivery of organisational change.”

Challenges expected within the first 12 months include

• Building Trade Union relationships – A key early priority will be to establish strong, credible relationships with the ASLEF Council and wider Trade Union stakeholders. This will require an open, transparent and professional approach, building trust quickly while creating the foundations for constructive and sustainable working relationships.
• Supporting the wider business turnaround – My client is currently navigating a period of turnaround following challenges in operational performance. Against this backdrop, there is a clear imperative to make meaningful progress in its Trade Union relationships and ongoing discussions, helping to create greater stability and putting the business in a stronger position ahead of the planned transition into public ownership in October 2027.
• Addressing key Industrial Relations priorities – There are a number of live and emerging areas requiring constructive engagement with the Trade Unions. These include Sunday working arrangements and wider workforce availability challenges, particularly around ensuring sufficient coverage to support the delivery of the planned train service.

Key deliverables within the first 12 months include:

• Driver availability: Build momentum around driver availability and recruitment, working constructively with the Trade Unions to address current constraints within the A&U arrangements and create greater flexibility to recruit new drivers.
• Sunday working: Make meaningful progress towards bringing Sundays into the working week or establishing an agreed approach that provides the required level of Sunday coverage.
• Trade Union relationships: Build credibility and effective working relationships with the Trade Unions, supporting constructive industrial relations and, ideally, avoiding days lost to industrial action.

Principal Accountabilities

• Union Engagement and Relationship Management - Build and sustain effective, credible, and constructive relationships with trade unions through consistent engagement, trusted dialogue, and a culture of mutual respect.
• Strategy, Change and Transformation - Shape and deliver the industrial relations strategy so that union engagement supports organisational change, operational performance, and long-term workforce sustainability.
• Negotiation, Dispute Resolution and Risk - Lead complex negotiations and dispute resolution activity while managing industrial relations risk, protecting service continuity, and ensuring legal and procedural compliance.
• Agreements, Governance and Compliance - Maintain robust governance of collective agreements and industrial relations processes by ensuring clear interpretation, consistent application, and compliance with legal and organisational requirements. • Partnership, Collaboration and Influence - Work collaboratively across the business and the wider industry to influence outcomes, co-design practical solutions, and ensure aligned delivery of industrial relations priorities.
• Leadership, Advice and Capability Building - Provide strategic leadership, expert advice, and capability building that strengthens organisational confidence and consistency in industrial relations management.
• On Call requirement as and when the business needs
• Any other duties that are required in line with business needs

Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience)

Trade Union experience: Proven experience working as, or closely with, Trade Union representatives. Strong understanding of union structures, collective agreements, consultation processes and industrial relations.

Sector experience: Train driver experience (Mainline, Freight, Light-Rail or Very Light- Rail),

Stakeholder engagement: Strong track record of leading complex stakeholder engagement, shaping workable solutions and building trusted relationships across internal and external stakeholder groups.

Industrial relations: Experience managing complex employee relations and Trade Union matters, with the credibility and judgement to navigate challenging situations and achieve constructive outcomes.

Worth noting – We will consider those making a step up into this role (for example Driver Area Manager) if they can demonstrate the right aptitude to approach. 

 Essential Soft Skills (Attributes & Behaviours)

Resilience and composure – Demonstrate resilience in complex and sometimes challenging environments, remaining calm, measured and solutions-focused when faced with pressure, challenge or differing viewpoints.

Emotional intelligence – Highly emotionally intelligent, with the self-awareness and judgement to read situations, adapt their approach and build credibility with a broad range of personalities and perspectives.

Influence and stakeholder management – A strong and credible influencer who can engage stakeholders at all levels, navigate differing agendas and bring people on a journey towards a shared outcome.

Gravitas and presence – Bring the confidence, credibility and presence to hold a room, cut through competing views and communicate a clear position without being unnecessarily confrontational.

Working Arrangements & Location:

• HQ in Birmingham
• Hybrid working, typically 3 days in the office or other locations.

Ford & Stanley Executive Search Pre-Submission Process:

• First Engagement: A short engagement and introductory conversation to position the opportunity, gauge candidate early interest level and arrange a time and date for a more detailed discussion. NDA sent (if applicable) upon receipt of signed NDA - Candidate Opportunity Brief shared.
• Candidate Discovery: An open, conversational and consultative discussion where candidates and executive search consultant explore and discuss the opportunity brief. Candidates are assessed on their suitability for the role in the context of the key essentials and challenged on how the opportunity lines up with their career aspirations, motivations, financial expectations and personal circumstance. The search consultant will utilise the information captured during candidate discovery to start to build your profile on suitability. Recommendations may be made at this point for adjustments or updates to your CV.
• The ‘shortlist’: Shortlisted candidates, having taken time to reflect on the opportunity and undertake subsequent research on the clients business are reengaged where they are asked to provide additional specific information on their suitability (if/where applicable). Final checks of key notes, package details and logistical alignments made. Finishing touches are then made to your profile prior to submission along with our notes and recommendations.

Good to know:

• This role reports directly to the Head of IR
• Headcount of Drivers that are part of the ASLEF union is circa 692 employees
• The post is vacant due to the previous incumbent moving to another operator for a new challenge.
• This is a turnaround period due to poor performance; they see this role being integral in this journey, allowing the business to show strong relationships with their drivers and thus the covering of all trains in service.
• My client have recently concluded a company-wide reorganisation, creating a clearer distinction between driver operations and industrial relations. Rather than the traditional “Head of Drivers” model, where one role holds responsibility for both operational delivery and Trade Union relationships, these accountabilities have been separated. The GM Drivers is accountable for driver operations, while this dedicated role sits within HR and focuses specifically on building and managing effective Trade Union relationships.
• Acting as an impartial and trusted intermediary – The role will need to operate as the “Switzerland” between the business and Trade Union stakeholders, maintaining credibility and objectivity with both sides. While discussions and agreements can have a direct impact on driver operations, the individual must be able to understand competing perspectives, remain impartial and help move conversations towards workable outcomes.
• This role is one of three IR Group heads, which focus on onboard, clerical & supervisory and Drivers, all reporting into the Head of IR.
• My client  has a number of complex terms & conditions that have prevented the business doing what they need to do, in negation with the TU, it is important that the new IR Group Head, understands the importance of ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’.  It is important that before going into these negotiations that permission is gained from the start of what can be offered and that there is DFTO mandate.
• The Driver Company Council that you will be working with are all ex-drivers and poses strong technical knowledge of train driving, if the candidate has not worked in this environment, it is imperative that they have the willingness to learn this knowledge.

Executive Search Delivery Team:

• Billy Jackson – Principal Consultant: (Client Recommendations/Advisory, Offer Negotiations, Consulting, Networking, Headhunting)
• Oliver Nunn – Research Manager: (Network, Research, Search, Interviews, Market intelligence, Longlisting, Shortlisting, Headhunting)
• Tilia Kozluk – Executive Assistant: (Data, diary management and coordination)

About Ford & Stanley Executive Search:

Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all opportunity seekers. We shall adhere to such a policy at all times and will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. We will treat everyone equally irrespective of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or political beliefs and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy.

Services advertised by Ford & Stanley Executive Search are that of an executive search and talent advisory business.