IR Group Head of Drivers at Arriva Group

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

17 Sep, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

19 Jun, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Industrial Relations, Trade Union Engagement, Collective Bargaining, Conflict Resolution, Negotiation, Employment Legislation, Workforce Strategy, Organizational Change, Dispute Resolution, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Workforce Planning, Governance, Leadership, Commercial Awareness, Strategic Guidance

Industry

Ground Passenger Transportation

Description

IR Group Head of Drivers Closing Date: Friday 03rd July 2026 Shape the Future of Industrial Relations at CrossCountry We are looking for an experienced and influential Head of Drivers – Industrial Relations Group to lead our engagement with trade unions and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our workforce strategy. This is a high-profile leadership position, responsible for building strong and productive relationships with trade union representatives, leading complex negotiations, and ensuring our industrial relations approach supports both our people and our business objectives. Working at the heart of the organisation, you will help create a collaborative environment that enables successful change, workforce stability, and operational excellence across CrossCountry. What You'll Be Responsible For Trade Union Engagement & Relationship Management Develop and maintain trusted, constructive relationships with trade union representatives. Foster open communication, mutual respect, and positive partnership working across the business. Industrial Relations Strategy & Organisational Change Lead the development and delivery of CrossCountry's industrial relations strategy. Ensure effective union engagement supports business transformation, operational performance, and long-term workforce sustainability. Negotiation, Dispute Resolution & Risk Management Lead complex negotiations and consultation processes. Resolve disputes effectively while minimising industrial relations risk and protecting service delivery. Ensure compliance with all relevant legal, regulatory, and organisational requirements. Governance, Agreements & Compliance Oversee the interpretation, application, and governance of collective agreements. Maintain robust industrial relations processes and ensure consistency across the organisation. Collaboration & Influence Work closely with operational leaders, HR teams, and industry stakeholders. Influence outcomes and help design practical solutions that balance business needs with workforce priorities. Leadership & Capability Building Provide expert advice and strategic guidance to senior leaders. Develop organisational capability and confidence in managing industrial relations matters effectively. Additional Responsibilities Participate in an on-call rota as required to support business needs. Undertake other duties appropriate to the role and business requirements. About You You will be a highly credible industrial relations professional with extensive experience of working in unionised and operational environments. Essential Experience & Skills Significant industrial relations and trade union engagement experience, ideally within rail, transport, logistics, or other safety-critical industries. Strong understanding of trade union structures, collective bargaining, consultation frameworks, and employment legislation. Proven leadership, negotiation, influencing, and conflict resolution skills. Experience working across operational, frontline, and support functions, including train crew, depots, planning, HR, and related business areas. Strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance operational priorities with workforce engagement. Experience using workforce planning tools, rostering systems, job frameworks, and operational agreements that support effective industrial relations management. Qualifications Relevant qualification in HR, employment law, management, or a related discipline is desirable. Equivalent senior-level experience in industrial relations, organisational change, collective bargaining, or workforce strategy will also be considered. Why Join CrossCountry? At CrossCountry, our people are at the centre of everything we do. This is an opportunity to influence strategic decision-making, build meaningful relationships across the industry, and make a lasting impact on one of the UK's leading train operators. You'll join a business committed to collaboration, continuous improvement, and delivering excellent outcomes for our colleagues and customers alike. Diversity & Inclusion At CrossCountry, we believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we serve. Inclusion isn't just part of our strategy—it's central to our success. We're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported to reach their full potential. Ready to make a difference? Apply now and take the next step in your career with CrossCountry Trains. Did you know you can set up alerts for new job opportunities? Simply navigate to 'My Job Alerts' in the Jobs Hub to get started. Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania. If the right opportunity hasn’t appeared yet, express your interest in future positions by selecting Get Started below. Alternatively, you can register for an account by choosing ‘Sign In’ at the top of the page, which will allow you to receive email notifications for new job listings that align with your interests.

Responsibilities

Lead engagement with trade unions and develop the industrial relations strategy to support workforce stability and business transformation. Manage complex negotiations, resolve disputes, and oversee the governance of collective agreements.