Talent and Succession Manager

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to bring people together to get the most out of life.

About the job

The purpose of the Talent and Succession Manager role is to lead and implement talent and succession management processes to ensure that talent and successors are identified and appropriate development plans are in place and in so doing support the People Strategy.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Implement SWR talent management and succession planning processes.     
• Manage the development of talent across the organisation in conjunction with colleagues in the Learning and Development team. 
• Lead the SWR interface with  the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) on the Talent Agenda.     
• Work with the key stakeholders within the business to identify Talent and ensure succession plans are in place for key roles within the business.     
• Use appropriate talent metrics to demonstrate achievement of meeting business requirements.  
• Work collaboratively with the learning & development team to ensure the implementation of professional learning and development initiatives , from planning and training needs analysis through to evaluation, are regularly reviewed to support the continuous development of identified successors.

You'll need to be:

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent) with minimum GCSE in Maths and English Grade A-C. 
• Successfully developed and implemented, leadership development and talent management/succession planning programmes. 
• Management experience, including experience of managing and developing people 
• Proven ability to influence at senior level. 
• High standards of written communication, verbal and numerical reasoning. 
• Experience in developing and maintaining key relationships internally and externally. 
• Demonstrable commitment to the promotion of equality and diversity. 

About the location

Overline House is conveniently situated overlooking Southampton Central Station and is easily accessible by public transport. The station is very local to West Quay, a hub for retailers and restaurants, and provides an excellent link between London, Coastal areas and the Isle of Wight.

*Please note that this role will require you to be flexible and visit locations across the SWR network. 

Working pattern

Working an average of 37 hours per week over 5 days 

Monday to Friday, office hours 

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/