Role: Service Delivery Manager
Company: Translink
Track Record:
What does your job entail?
I am responsible for managing all aspects of public transport in the Omagh and Fermanagh District Council areas. Together with an excellent support team I plan, schedule and manage all bus services in these areas. In particular, I manage all aspects of bus fleet presentation, maintenance and property across 11 operational bases.
I lead a dedicated team of employees to deliver the highest quality and best value services possible for our customers within the confines of a stringent budgetary environment. To achieve this, it’s essential that excellent customer service and job dedication is a focus for all members of the team.
Continuous improvement is always a key priority in this job and I work closely with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure that their requirements are addressed effectively and to help identify and maximise opportunities for innovation and increased efficiency.
Is it 9-5?
No, this job is certainly not 9-5. Occasionally there are meetings in the evening and most week nights I will take or make a few calls to deal with stakeholder issues. There is flexibility however with the support of such experienced teams in Omagh and Enniskillen so I can still achieve a work/life balance.
How did you get into this line of work?
After I completed my Administration and Law qualification, I successfully applied for the Translink Graduate Management Programme which lasted 3 years. When I completed it, I acquired several management placements in Operations, before I was appointed District Manager in Magherafelt.
Outline your career to date.
I completed the Translink Graduate Management Programme with placements in NI Railways, our bus technical division, corporate Health & Safety department and various Translink operational depots across the network.
During this time I also attended many training courses and completed my Certificate of Professional Competence in National and International Transport. In 2003, I was appointed as the District Manager for Magherafelt and in 2005 I became the District Manager for Omagh and Enniskillen which was the first time these two operational areas were merged within the remit of one manager.
I became a Translink Service Delivery Manager in 2008 with the additional responsibility for all bus engineering and vehicle presentation matters in Omagh and Fermanagh.
Tell us about your qualifications/training.
I have 3 A Levels and a 2:1 Honours Degree in Business Studies. I also have a postgraduate diploma in Administration and Legal Studies and a MSc. in Business Improvement. As a manager within Translink I regularly attend training courses and seminars to ensure that I keep up-to-date on relevant regulatory changes and industry developments.
What qualities are required for your job – personal and professional?
The most important qualities are strong leadership and communication skills, integrity, commitment, discipline, flexibility, realism, empathy, resilience and patience. If I had to pick one key quality I’d say ‘common sense’ is most important.
What are the biggest challenges and rewards of your work?
In common with many managers, resource constraints are a major challenge. It can also be challenging to implement change that might cause initial disruption but that ultimately results in long term benefits – that’s where good communication skills and being flexible to new ways of working are both important.
The biggest rewards are definitely knowing that I can make a difference to so many people’s lives – from resolving transport issues for members of the public to leading a great team in Omagh and Enniskillen that are committed to customer satisfaction.
It is incredibly rewarding when you know that your team has delivered passenger growth over the last 6 years when many businesses are struggling to retain existing customers in the shadow of a recession. Within Translink we have ‘Key Performance Indicators’ and when these districts are recognised as top performers this is also very satisfying.
The introduction of an improved bus timetable, new services or vehicles is also satisfying and this is where continued investment in public transport remains so important.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Spare time is not something that I have a lot of – I have two daughters under three! However, I still get to Croke Park occasionally and I enjoy keeping abreast of macro-economic matters and current affairs.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
I managed the bus transport operation for the G8 when it came to Fermanagh in 2013 to meet the needs of the various delegations involved as well as national and international media. This was a huge undertaking and involved organising in excess of 3000 bus movements, many of which were ad hoc in the space of 5 days.
Working closely with a range of partner bodies, months of planning went into the successful delivery of this operation which was well received by all our customers and stakeholders.
My highlight wasn’t being involved with the Obama or Merkel entourage but rather getting a selfie with RTÉ newsreader Anne Doyle!
Who has inspired you most in your life?
Unquestionably the biggest inspirations in my life continue to be my parents. The qualities I spoke of earlier – and more besides – are present in abundance in both my parents.
Other important influencers in my life include my former headmasters at Omagh CBS, Brother McCrohan and Roddy Tierney, as well as Billy Telford an earlier boss within Translink. All were excellent examples of committed and disciplined professionals with an incredibly generous outlook for others.