People Strategy & Improvement Manager

Job Description

BUSINESS FUNCTION: People
SALARY: £61,064 - £68,218 / Grade: ML2/SB2
ROLE TYPE: Permanent
LOCATION: Leeds/Manchester
HOURS: 37 per week

Every Northern journey starts with our people, and behind the scenes, thousands of colleagues keep our railway moving every day, from drivers and conductors to engineers and support teams.

As our People Strategy & Improvement Manager, you’ll play a key role in shaping how we deliver our People strategy and continually improve the way our People function supports the business. You’ll help turn strategy into action — ensuring the right programmes, projects and improvements are delivered in a way that genuinely makes life better for our colleagues.

Working closely with the people leadership team, you’ll lead the programme management of our People Plan and drive continuous improvement across the employee experience — making sure our processes are simple, effective and built around the needs of the people who use them.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll sit at the centre of our People strategy delivery, helping to connect teams, drive progress and keep momentum across a wide range of initiatives.

Y

ou’ll:

• Lead programme management of Northern’s People Strategy, ensuring key initiatives are delivered successfully across the function
• Build and maintain clear programme roadmaps, tracking milestones, risks, benefits and interdependencies
• Work with project leads and senior stakeholders to keep projects on track and delivering real value
• Support the People Leadership Team by providing insight, coordination and progress reporting
• Drive the continuous improvement of HR processes, ensuring they’re efficient, consistent and easy for colleagues and managers to use
• Use data and colleague feedback to identify improvement opportunities across the employee journey
• Embed a culture of continuous improvement across People Services
• Coach and support colleagues across the People function in project delivery and process improvement

About you

You’ll be someone who enjoys bringing structure and clarity to complex programmes, while keeping people at the heart of everything you do.

You’ll likely have:

• Experience managing programmes or projects in HR, People or organisational change
• A track record of improving HR processes or services to enhance employee experience
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
• Experience using data and insight to drive decision-making and improvement
• Knowledge of project management methodologies (such as PRINCE2 or Agile)
• Familiarity with continuous improvement approaches like Lean or Six Sigma
• The confidence to work with senior leaders while collaborating across teams

Most importantly, you’ll be passionate about creating an environment where colleagues can do their best work every day.

What’s in it for you?

At Northern, we don’t just value our people - we go the extra mile to support them. Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to:

Free Travel: Unlimited free travel for you, your partner, and your dependents on Northern services. Plus up to 75% discount on other networks in the UK and Europe.

Generous Pension Scheme: We top up your contributions by 1.5 times.

Enhanced Family Benefits: We offer 9 months of full pay for maternity leave and 2 weeks for paternity leave.

Cycle to Work Scheme: Save up to 42% on a bike and spread the cost.

Electric Car Scheme: Lease a brand new electric or plugin hybrid car.

Exclusive Discounts: From shopping to wellbeing, Northern Perks has you covered.

Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 support for family, lifestyle, and more.

Training and Career Development: We offer tailored training to our colleagues and opportunities to gain recognised qualifications. Plus enhanced career pathways no matter what part of the business you’re in.

Recognition: We know how important it is to show how much we appreciate our people. That’s why we have our Northern Lights and Northern Sparks Awards, recognising and celebrating brilliance every day.

Why Northern?

We’re more than just a train operator. We’re the heartbeat of the North – connecting communities, creating opportunities, and driving sustainable growth. With 2,650 trains running daily, we’re on a mission to improve rail travel and enhance the customer experience while protecting the environment.

Back in 1825, the first passenger train set off in the North of England, beginning a journey that would transform travel across the world. We’ve recently celebrated 200 years of the modern railway and, as we reflect on that legacy, our focus is now on the future as Great British Rail takes shape. Join us at this pivotal moment in rail history and play your part in our journey.

A place for everyone

The best journeys happen when everyone feels welcome on board.

At Northern, we don’t just move people from A to B - we’re building a team where everyone feels they belong. Our talent team can make reasonable adjustments to the process if that’s something you need. We're also a Level 2 Disability Confident employer, so if you meet the minimum criteria for the role, we’ll always offer an interview.

We automate parts of our screening process to remove any unconscious bias and to make sure every application is treated fairly. All successful offers will be subject to a DBS check and a medical assessment.

No matter your background, experience, or whether you call it a bap, barm, or cob… there’s a place for you here in the railway.