Lothian Buses Managing Director
Excellence for Edinburgh
Take a look at the role…
This is a hugely exciting time for transport in Edinburgh and Lothian Buses is playing a central role. The population is growing, the economy is getting stronger and the transport infrastructure is developing all the time. Edinburgh Airport is expanding, a new Borders rail link is in place, the city’s railway stations have been redeveloped and our sister company, Edinburgh Trams, is operating successfully. The Lothian Buses network links and enhances all of these developments and we too are investing in our services and our facilities.
We operate a young fleet of modern vehicles and have prioritised investment in new technologies to ensure that our customers have the best possible experience. We can confidently say that we are operating at the highest levels of performance and quality as the UK’s most successful publicly owned bus company.
The business moves hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors around the city every day and drives the economy. It’s our people who make this happen – they are passionate about what they do. This dedication and commitment results in some of the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the UK. This something we are very proud of but we know, that to achieve continued success, an ongoing and determined commitment to excellence and innovation is needed.
If you have the expertise and leadership qualities we are looking for then you may the person to lead this company to further success.
Thank you for your interest in Lothian Buses.
Jim
Jim McFarlane
Chair of Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses has a long history stretching all the way back to 1871. The company hasn’t always driven buses under the same name, but services have always been operated to the same very high standards. Edinburgh Corporation Transport (ECT) was formed to operate the city’s tramways, with the first open-top double decker bus arriving in 1922. Following local government re-organisation, ECT changed its name to Lothian Regional Transport (LRT) before becoming Lothian Buses in 2000. Publicly owned, the company’s major shareholder is the City of Edinburgh Council (91%) with the remaining 9% held by Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian Councils.
Lothian Buses is the UK’s best bus company and last year carried over 118 million passengers on a fleet of more than 700 modern, well maintained buses, all equipped with Wi-Fi and supported by the latest customer technologies. Performance levels are high and the company sits at the top of the tree when compared with other operators across the UK. Lothian Buses operates the highly successful Airlink service to and from Edinburgh Airport, the Lothian Country Buses service which connects East Lothian and Edinburgh Bus Tours, which is a true Edinburgh success story and the third most popular paid-for tourist attraction in Scotland. Lothian Buses is committed to improving the environment in Edinburgh. The Company operates the largest fleet of hybrid buses (proportionately) outside London and will continue to invest heavily to to achieve local and nationally set environmental targets.
Lothian Buses relies on the experience and expertise of its people who, every single day, provide residents and visitors with a first class service. This extends from the core values of the business which is intrinsic to both employee and customer engagement. We believe we are true to our values by being Passionate, Smart, Trusted and Innovative and we can look forward to even greater success and as importantly each of us will feel ever more proud, satisfied and happy in our work.
Edinburgh is a vibrant, resilient city that is predicted to grow over the next 20 years. There are exciting times ahead for transport in the capital and Lothian Buses in conjunction with Edinburgh Trams, as part of the Transport for Edinburgh Group, will impact on the success of the city and its surrounding areas. The overall objective for Transport for Edinburgh is to deliver on the City of Edinburgh Council’s vision for a fully integrated public transport service that benefits the community and ensures citizens or tourists have the best experience of this dynamic city.
Useful Resources…
> Download Lothian Buses 2014 Accounts
> Open Transport for Edinburgh Annual Report 2014 in our page viewer
> Download City of Edinburgh Council’s Transport 2030 Vision
About Edinburgh:
Edinburgh, the inspiring capital of Scotland, is a historic, cosmopolitan and cultured city. A global city in which innovation, learning and culture thrives, it is a little wonder that Edinburgh has been voted the Top UK City by the Guardian Awards for 13 consecutive years.
Edinburgh is one of the fastest growing and most productive cities in the UK. It is the most prosperous city outside London, but offers significantly lower labour and property costs than London and the South-East. Unemployment in the city has been consistently low, and the economic activity rate is higher than Scotland as a whole.
Take a look at Visit Scotland’s Guide to Edinburgh
Education
There are 18 nursery, 94 primary and 23 secondary schools administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. Edinburgh is home to The Royal High School, one of the oldest schools in the country and the world. The city also has several independent, fee-paying schools including Edinburgh Academy, Fettes College, George Heriot’s School, George Watson’s College, Merchiston Castle School, Stewart’s Melville College and The Mary Erskine School.
A recent report stated that a third of pupils gained 3 or more Highers by the end of their fifth year, catapulting Edinburgh’s pass rate further ahead that of the Scottish Average.
Architecture and accommodation
There are a variety of different architectural styles within Edinburgh. The New Town is home to the largest and best preserved example of Georgian town planning in the UK, whilst the Old Town comprises of a medieval pattern of closes and wynds.
Throughout the suburbs, there are a mix of period properties and modern homes as well as a diverse array of properties from 1930’s era bungalows to 1970’s housing developments in the suburbs.
Family living is easily accommodated with a variety of properties available for sale. Popular areas include Morningside, Bruntsfield, Corstorphine, Barnton and Trinity.
Stockbridge, Broughton and Haymarket offer an eclectic mix of bars, cafes and restaurants for the urban professional, and are all in walking distance to the city centre.
View Available Edinburgh Properties
Culture
The city hosts the annual Edinburgh International Festival, which is one of the many events held between the end of July and early September each year. Edinburgh is the world’s leading festival city, with 12 major annual festivals that attract talent from all over the world. The festivals offer something for everyone and attract millions of visitors who descend on Edinburgh over the summer to be entertained and inspired.
Edinburgh is home to a number of acclaimed theatres, as well as globally renowned dance and theatre companies. The Royal Lyceum Theatre has its own company, while the King’s Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Theatre and Edinburgh Playhouse stage hit West-End shows and larger touring performances. The Traverse Theatre presents a more contemporary repertoire.
Edinburgh has an impressive art scene which is supported by leading galleries such as Scottish National Gallery and the Modern Art Gallery.
Leisure Activities
Whether you’re a fan of adrenaline-pumping sports or simply want to relax and unwind in natural surroundings, Edinburgh and the Lothians as a region has it all. Ensuring you get the most out of Scotland’s natural playground, it offers a fantastic range of activities including; water sports, sailing, trout and salmon fishing, hill walking, city and country cycling, world glass golfing and pristine beaches of the Firth.
We are seeking an innovative, solutions focused and visionary Managing Director to provide leadership for Lothian Buses and its subsidiary companies. Ensuring continued profitability and driving improvements in the customer experience, you will lead the organisation through significant organisational change striving to continue and extend external and industry accolades
Working as part of the Transport for Edinburgh Group and in partnership with Edinburgh Trams, you will be expected to make a significant contribution to devising corporate strategy and operational capabilities that will deliver a fully integrated transport proposition for Edinburgh.
Recruitment Process
The recruitment for this position is being managed by our advising consultants, Livingston James. Interested candidates should contact Douglas Adam at [email protected]
All third party applications, enquiries and direct approaches will be referred to Livingston James.
Recruitment Timetable:
Closing date: 4th October
Shortlist meeting with Lothian Buses: 27th October
Panel interview: Week commencing 9th November
