Business Area Manager

How do you help make a difference?

As a Business Area Manager – Real Time Operations, you lead a portfolio of mission-critical applications that enable train operations, traffic management, incident management, security management and real-time decision making. You contribute to the operational heart of the Belgian railway system by ensuring the reliability, availability, quality and performance of existing services while driving the digital transformation of operational processes. You are responsible for the overall performance of your domain across strategy, delivery, budget, people management and stakeholder engagement, and you manage a group of Business Areas and multidisciplinary delivery teams of about 60 people.

Job Description

How do you help make a difference?

As a Business Area Manager – Real Time Operations, you lead a portfolio of mission-critical applications that enable train operations, traffic management, incident management, security management and real-time decision making. You contribute to the operational heart of the Belgian railway system by ensuring the reliability, availability, quality and performance of existing services while driving the digital transformation of operational processes. You are responsible for the overall performance of your domain across strategy, delivery, budget, people management and stakeholder engagement, and you manage a group of Business Areas and multidisciplinary delivery teams of about 60 people.

What is your role at SNCB?

As a Business Area Manager – Real Time Operations, you will take on the following responsibilities:

• You lead, coach and support Business Area Leads and Team Leads within your domain; lead the Project Management Chapter to ensure OTOBOS project delivery; build a high-performing and collaborative organization; foster employee engagement, talent development and knowledge sharing; and drive a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and customer focus.
• You define and steer the strategic roadmap of your domain in alignment with business priorities; ensure successful delivery of projects, products and services across the portfolio; and balance operational stability with innovation and transformation initiatives.
• You manage a consolidated budget of approximately €10 million across CAPEX and OPEX; ensure the efficient allocation of financial and human resources; monitor financial performance; actively manage risks and opportunities; and support budget preparation, forecasting and long-term planning activities.
• You guarantee the availability, quality and performance of business-critical applications and services, and promote best practices in delivery, service management and governance.
• You act as a trusted partner for senior business stakeholders; support strategic decision-making by providing clear insights and recommendations; and represent the domain in governance bodies, steering committees and management forums.
• You identify, assess and mitigate risks across the portfolio; ensure transparency regarding delivery performance, budget, capacity and operational challenges; and contribute to strategic planning and organizational decision‑making.

Job Requirements

Why is this job a good fit for you?

• You hold a Master's degree or equivalent experience and have at least 8 years of relevant IT experience.
• You have proven experience managing teamleads and multidisciplinary teams, with strong coaching skills that foster engagement, talent development and knowledge sharing.
• You bring proven project management experience, strong portfolio and delivery management experience, and solid knowledge of project, product and service management practices.
• You have strong CAPEX/OPEX budget management experience and expertise in financial and workforce allocation, financial monitoring, budgeting, forecasting and long‑term planning.
• It is a plus if you have managed application and product portfolios supporting train operations, traffic, incident and security management, and real‑time decision making in business‑critical or operational environments.
• You define and steer actionable strategic roadmaps and delivery plans aligned with business priorities and operational needs, balancing stability with innovation and transformation.
• You combine strong analytical and decision‑making skills with the ability to manage complexity and competing priorities.
• You build trust and influence across operational teams and senior executives, with clear communication and strong stakeholder management, negotiation and conflict‑resolution skills.
• You lead change and continuous improvement, fostering accountability, collaboration and customer focus.
• You are fluent in English and Dutch or French, and understand the other national language.

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