Pricing Manager

Job Introduction

The opportunity has arisen to join Southeastern as Pricing Manager. As the National Rail operator serving Kent and East Sussex, we know our network intimately. We are also London specialists: we run trains into Charing Cross, London Bridge, Waterloo East, Cannon Street, Victoria and London St Pancras. And we wrote the book on UK high speed travel: we operate Javelin, the UK’s only 140mph service.

As Pricing Manager (based at our modern London Bridge Head Office, with hybrid working also an option) you will be responsible for creating and managing rail products so that they work correctly at each stage of their use: how they are displayed in journey planners, sold in various channels, issued and fulfilled to customers, used in automatic ticket barriers and settled through industry systems. Nearly all of a rail operator’s income comes through its fares, so this is a crucial role, sitting within a highly effective Commercial Department.

We are looking for someone with commercial nous and an analytical frame of mind.  Attention to detail is key, as well as being able to maintain huge, complex data sets. Rail fares regulation is a key tenet of the UK transport system; maintaining compliance, and reporting to Department for Transport, is a critical element of this role.

If you’ve got what it takes, and this feels like your next step, please apply!

Take a look at the video below to see what we achieved in 2023!:

Role Responsibility

You will have a number of accountabilities and responsibilities in this role, that will include but not be limited to:

• Devising and developing an agreed long-term fares and product strategy.
• Developing options for Fares Setting Rounds (FSR), modelling revenue effects against each and making recommendations to optimise revenue.
• Implementing the agreed options so as to be fully compliant with all regulatory and legal requirements.
• Communicating the Company’s fares compliance to the Department for Transport, as well as being the DfT’s first point of contact for pricing matters.
• Taking due account at all times of the impact of rail fare pricing on the Company’s reputation.
• Ensuring that ticketing issuing systems are delivering the required outputs.
• Ensuring customer facing staff are provided with information and support to help maximise revenue and provide excellent customer service.
• Ensuring that Communications Department and all relevant staff are briefed and in possession of the information relevant to them that enable them to understand and discharge their roles effectively.
• Supporting customer service and retail support teams with after-sale enquiries.
• Providing commercial advice on all aspects of passenger revenue and all matters relating to railway ticketing, ticket retailing, ticket retailing regulation, conditions of carriage and bylaws.
• The day to day management of the fares availability and bookings calendar in NRS to achieve optimum yields – including analysing and monitoring multiple data sets (ticket sales, passenger counts/occupancy, event calendars, competition and engineering works).
• Working to identify, reduce and resolve fares anomalies within the framework of the appropriate legislation.
• Understanding and working with allocation systems to ensure that the Company achieves its correct returns from all relevant systems (e.g. ORCATS, Travelcard and PAYG).
• Representing the Company at industry bodies (e.g. Rail Delivery Group) as directed, including decision-making authority to agree or reject proposals on behalf of the Company.
• Working with the Marketing team to develop the product range offered by the Company, supporting promotional activity, to meet demand and emerging trends.
• Working closely with the Revenue Analysis Manager to ensure accuracy of forecasting.
• Working with the Head of Retail Strategy to ensure that smart (e.g. ITSO, eTicket) ticketing developments are supported by accurate and appropriate new fares data.
• Understanding gating logics and amending where necessary as well as ensuring that all future pricing interacts appropriately with gating logics and supports the Company’s revenue protection policies.
• Ensuring that Routeing options are maintained and accurate.
• Providing analysis for strategic and marketing projects to ensure decisions are made on the basis of the most accurate and relevant data available.
• Being the Subject Matter Expert role in major projects, as directed.
• Working closely with bus companies and other third parties to implement integrated pricing and ticketing solutions.
• Developing innovative pricing and product options for third parties, such as Kent County Council, and managing any contracts in place with these bodies.
• Assisting with business cases for new payment functionalities and ensuring implementation of any agreed systems.
• Building and maintaining excellent relationships with relevant stakeholders, particularly the DfT.

The Ideal Candidate

To be considered for this role, candidates need to demonstrate the below in their application:

Essential:

• An understanding of fares and ticketing, with ideally a focus on the Rail Industry, but similar industry backgrounds will also be considered
• Ability to think strategically, yet have an exceptional eye for detail
• Project management skills
• Good knowledge of Ticket Issuing Systems
• High level of numeracy, with expert Excel skills
• Ability to work at all levels within Southeastern and across suppliers
• Knowledge of the significance of contractual arrangements with DfT
• Experienced communicator with well-developed influencing skills
• Very strongly analytical skills, able to manipulate complex problems and produce optimal outcomes
• Deadline driven – must be able deliver to government specified deadlines
• Strong commercial awareness
• Excellent communication, literacy and interpersonal skills
• Confidence dealing with complicated contractual and legal matters
• Excellent geographical knowledge of Kent and South-East London, and the UK
• Problem Solving skills – be able to identify potential difficulties and causes, generating workable solutions, and making rational judgements.

All colleagues have leadership responsibilities, regardless of their job role. As a leader of our business we expect you to ensure that you engage and inspire our people, are accountable for your actions and business performance, and challenge yourself as an individual to be even better. As a leader you will continually develop and role model leadership skills and our company values.

Desirable:

• Experience of automatic ticket barrier systems
• Understanding of Oyster/Contactless/ITSO/eTickets
• Experience of LENNON and Moira
• Understanding of Competition Law
• A degree or equivalent qualification within Statistics or Mathematics would be highly advantageous

Package Description

Southeastern recognises the value of every individual employee and offers benefits that reflect this.

As well as a generous salary, we offer an comprehensive benefits package which includes;

• A Contributory Final Salary Pension Scheme 
• Free rail travel on Southeastern and GTR rail services (extends to family members for leisure/educational travel)
• After a qualifying period, reduced rate travel on other train operators, including European services
• Up to 25 days annual leave entitlement (plus bank holidays)
• Private healthcare
• Access to an array of discounts for retail and leisure products through our benefits scheme.
• Family friendly benefits including enhanced maternity/paternity leave, parental leave and carers leave.

About the Company

About Southeastern

Southeastern runs train services into London from Kent and East Sussex, operating almost 1,700 trains a day, carrying more than 400,000 passengers, serving 176 stations and covering 540 miles of track.

Just over 4,600 employees - mostly from the communities that we serve - work together to provide this vital service and we are looking to expand our successful team. We have a strong set of values that shape the way we run our business and guide our staff in delivering what our customers need. These are:

• We aim to be the best
• We make the difference together
• We care passionately about our people and our passengers

We are committed to being an inclusive employer, creating a workplace where everyone can come to work, feel safe and comfortable and able to do everything to the best of their ability. Read about some of the great Diversity and Inclusion initiatives our Head of Colleague Experience has been leading on here. 

We recognise the positive value of diversity and it matters to us that our teams reflect the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

We proud to be a WORK180 Endorsed Employer for Women. If you would like to know more information about how we are supporting our employees, you can view our policies and initiatives here.

We have also won the Top Employer award at the Women in Rail Awards 2022!

If you have been unsuccessful in the recruitment process for the same/similar position you will not be eligible to apply for a period of 6 months from that date.

All offers of employment are subject to us obtaining satisfactory references (covering all education, training, employment and unemployment in the preceding 5 years and any previous railway employment). We will also complete right to work in the UK and criminal record checks. This is to ensure we are employing the best person for the role and to protect our customers, colleagues and our reputation. We are unable to offer sponsorship to work in the UK. 

This post will close before the intended closing date should sufficient number of suitable applications be received. Therefore, if you are interested in applying for this role, we suggest that you do so at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.

SOUTHEASTERN is owned by SE Trains Ltd, a subsidiary of the Department for Transport’s public sector owning group, ‘DOHL.’ DOHL has responsibility for three rail companies, LNER, Northern Trains Limited and SE Trains.

SE Trains Limited