Information Systems Controller

South Western Railway is committed to equal opportunities employment, and your application will be reviewed by the hiring panel with personal information removed. In order to assist this process please ensure that any attachments such as CV's or covering letter have personal details removed (this includes your name, address and email address). Any other attachments such as professional qualifications can be left unedited. Applications not following this guidance may be rejected. 

Main Purpose

Our Customer Information team are based at the heart of our control centre in Basingstoke, leading communications during disruption, events and engineering work.

You will be joining the team that runs our “breaking news” desk at South Western Railway. We love to be a little different and are proud that our team aim to deliver the highest levels of customer service.

The amazing candidate will possess excellent written, typed and verbal English communication skills to enable us to provide the best possible information to our customers and colleagues through the mediums we use. You will utilise insights from customer feedback to continually improve, evolve and innovate what we do.

You will be a people person, with a down to earth personality, a passion for communication, collaborating with others while working as part of a small team in a busy, buzzing environment.

Are you an insatiably curious optimist who understands the importance of Customer Experience? Do you know how to create engaging content in the moment, interpret sometimes complex and fast moving events into easily assimilated, useful and relevant information? If you are, we want you!

Our social media channels play a large part of what we do and we receive hundreds of comments, questions and compliments daily. We are proud that our content is authentic, human and fun.

You will strive to be open minded, forward thinking and embrace change. If you have experience using computer systems and digital platforms this would be beneficial but not essential.

Principle Accountabilities

• Answering customer enquiries from Help Points across the network.
• Updating and maintaining the information displayed on the Customer Information Systems across the SWR network.
• Logging and managing faults and maintenance of CCTV, Customer Information Systems, Help Points, and some IT systems.
• Observing and monitoring stations, Ticket Vending Machines and trains using CCTV and the Ticket Vending Machine monitoring system, and bringing any issues to the attention of the relevant Control department.
• Liaising with our customers via social media, including the SWR Twitter account to keep them fully up to date on the running of the railway.
• Utilising the SWR Online Community to enter into conversation with our customers.
• Assisting other members of the Control Centre by facilitating communication with customers and other members of staff.
• Sending passenger assistance requests to the relevant parties.
• Various administrative tasks to ensure the desk runs smoothly.
• Miscellaneous other duties and tasks requested by your line manager.

Minimum requirements

• A high level of grammar, spelling and verbal communication skills.
• A good level of general education
• Ability to prioritise tasks in a high pressure, fast moving environment.
• IT literate with the ability to learn new systems.
• Knowledge of railway terminology advantageous.
• Experience in a customer service environment.
• Able to work shift patterns.

Shift Pattern

Average of 37 hours per week across 5 days working a mixture of early, late and night shifts.

Monday to Friday: 07:00 - 14:15, 14:00 - 22:15, 22:00 - 07:15.

Saturday & Sunday: 07:00 - 19:00, 19:00 - 07:00.

Applicants requiring a visa must have at least 6 months remaining at the start of employment.

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits including free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employee, free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependant) , 75% discount on many other train operating companies, a range of retail benefits and an excellent pension scheme. 

At SWR we believe our people are our greatest asset.

Our vision is to recruit and retain the best talent from the most diverse pool of candidates across our regions.

We are committed to establishing a sense of inclusion for all and to value each person for the unique contribution they bring.