Class 172 Fleet Engineer

Application Deadline: 21 May 2026

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Head Office - Birmingham

Reporting To: Simon Jeavons

Compensation: £67,257 / year

Description

WM Trains delivers around 1,300 train journeys a day, for more than 60 million passengers a year, across our two brands - London Northwestern & West Midlands Railways.

We are committed to delivering a safe and reliable train service, by investing in our fleet of trains, stations and employees. As part of this investment we are looking to recruit a Class 172 Fleet Engineer on a full-time, permanent basis, based in Tyseley.

You will lead the engineering activities for a specified London Northwestern & West Midlands Railways operated fleet(s), to ensure compliance with applicable standards and to improve the safety, reliability and condition of the fleet whilst reducing overall costs.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide engineering and technical leadership for a specified LNWMR operated fleet(s).
• Provide line management of a reliability team leader or technician as appropriate.
• Carry out design review of the suppliers’ proposals to ensure that they meet LNWMRs requirements including whole life cost, reliability, and safety. Ensure that new fleets comply with the contract specification.
• Review and manage any changes to the trains or technical specification.
• Provide engineering leadership in the investigation and resolution of technical and safety issues that may arise during the build, testing, delivery, acceptance, and passenger service.
• Provide engineering and technical leadership to support continued reliability growth, including cross-business support for traincrew, control, outstations, and customer experience teams.
• Manage effective communication of all relevant engineering and technical issues, including documentation, to the BAU fleet team. To ensure a robust communication of any technical change that may affect LNWMR processes and systems.
• Assist in the management of the interface between Engineering, Reliability and Production to clearly define roles and responsibilities and coordinate activities to ensure the most efficient delivery of required outputs.
• Work with the relevant technicians and engineers to improve reliability and performance through vehicle modification, maintenance, fault finding and training specification improvements.
• Manage Heavy Maintenance of the fleet where applicable, including development of pricing, specification review and delivery in accordance with the requirements of the ROSCO.
• Monitor and improve the safety performance of the fleet(s) and lead technical investigations into safety/high risk defects, incidents, accidents, events and NIRs. Develop and report on suitable KPIs and reports.
• Responsible for ensuring all documentation related to fleet(s) is up to date.
• Carry out and ensure compliance with Engineering Change control processes to ensure accurate configuration and document control.
• Carry out audits and in process inspections to ensure compliance with the Engineering Standards Manual and maintenance procedures.
• Lead the development of engineering initiatives to reduce the whole life costs of fleet operation and maintenance.
• The undertaking of other activities as directed by the Fleet Engineering Manager to support the delivery of London Northwestern & West Midlands Railways objectives.
• The Fleet Engineer will at times be required to deputise for the Fleet Engineering Manager.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade and post and as required.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Have served an apprenticeship or equivalent, supported with appropriate technical studies, to a minimum of HNC level, but ideally degree educated.
• Excellent knowledge of railway operating and safety standards, rules and instructions. 
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of a variety of traction and rolling stock and the standards applicable to them.
• Good knowledge and understanding of Health, Safety and Environmental legislation.
• Have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in a maintenance environment with a proven technical track record.
• Good knowledge of Continuous Improvement processes and techniques.
• Good communication skills are required, including both verbal and written.
• Good knowledge of root cause analysis technique and its application.
• Understanding of key rolling stock commercial arrangements (manufacturing, maintenance and leasing contracts and suppliers).
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the confidence to influence all internal stakeholders, external bodies and suppliers.
• Must have knowledge of the following:

-        ISO9001-        Quality assurance techniques

• Self-motivated and able to react to a wide variety of situations.

Job Benefits

• A defined benefit pension from day 1 – one of the best in the UK.
• Free travel on all London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway services for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
• 75% off all other train operating companies for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
• 8 Friends and Family Day passes to gift per annum on our network.
• A 24/7 Virtual GP service for you and your household.
• Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)- A confidential employee benefit that supports you with personal or work-related issues affecting your home life, work life, health, or wellbeing
• Our cycle to work scheme with Evans Cycles.
• A retail discount portal- offering savings, discounts and cashback at over 800 retailers and restaurants.