Senior Programme Development Manager

You will be responsible for scoping, developing and managing a series of portfolio workstreams designed to lay the foundations for future migration to ETCS as part of route renewals. This includes work to clarify best practice in areas of strategy and scheme development, and task and close remits aiming at tackling specific implementation challenges . You’ll be working with other parts of Network Rail and wider industry partners as required to deliver these, reviewing and challenging incremental outputs to confirm they meet the requirements. You’ll also lead and run the portfolio benchmarking workstream, with support from specialist SMEs, to draw data from past and ongoing ETCS deployments, monitor trends, and understand how we can deliver trackside and onboard deployment and business change more effectively, as well as monitoring the outcomes and benefits achieved.,

• Build effective relationships, internally and externally, to balance the requirements of the funder, Network Rail, and the industry as a whole. Champion the interests of funders, customers, and stakeholders, acting as the focal point for escalation within Network Rail.
• Review and interrogate remits to confirm their viability. Work with internal and external stakeholders to establish a scope that optimises funder requirements, value for money, network availability, and capacity for future development and whole life cost.
• Convert the remit into an agreed specification. Be accountable for developing the initial project plan and budget, working with the project manager to specify how the project portfolio will be delivered, expected milestones, associated timescales, resource requirements, risks & issues, and funding needs/sources.
• Progress cost efficiencies and process improvements across the project portfolio to meet control period targets.
• Own and manage business cases and investment papers for a portfolio of projects.
• Devise solutions that maintain ‘business as usual’ accessibility for our customers, consider the 7-day railway principles, minimise disruption to end rail users, and generate additional benefits while identifying and resolving conflicting work.
• Lead the process of quantifying risks associated with the project portfolio. Devise mitigating actions and periodically review recovery progress.
• Interrogate and challenge plans to assess the deliverability of agreed scope within stated timescales and cost parameters, presenting any required scope changes to the client for approval.
• Hold the delivery partner accountable for delivery to cost, time, and scope parameters. Conduct periodic reviews to understand and challenge delivery progress against the output specification and agreed contract terms. Communicate progress status against defined milestones and expectations to stakeholders.
• Lead negotiations with customers and stakeholders on the project portfolio’s commercial and contractual terms in accordance with relevant corporate policy and strategy. Act as the focal point for negotiations and resolution of external scheme interface requirements, including Parliamentary or Statutory processes and external consents issues to optimise the value of the scheme to Network Rail and funders.
• Comply with investment regulations and other corporate and project governance frameworks. Adhere to corporate processes, including those related to safety, finance, legal, and corporate affairs.
• Facilitate the discharge of the duties assigned by the Client to the CDM Coordinator [Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd] as detailed within the Construction, Design, and Management Regulations 2007 for the programme of projects allocated to you.
  
  Qualified to degree level or equivalent.
• Experience in dealing with client portfolios and liaising with people at all levels.
• Ability to articulate complex business problems into manageable work packages and produce synthesised logical solutions.
• Proven ability to write coherently, conveying report/investment information in a concise manner.
• Commercially astute, persuasive, and customer-focused.
• Proven influencing and negotiating skills.
Desirable
• Experience in significant management roles in a commercial environment.
• MBA or other related postgraduate qualification.
• Experience of negotiating contracts to finalisation and able to demonstrate significant commercial success.
Ready to drive the future of railway systems? Bring your expertise to GBRX and make a lasting impact.

We're dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the passengers we serve. To achieve this, we're committed to becoming an open, diverse, and inclusive workplace, leveraging the skills and expertise of our talented workforce. Together, we strive to create a safe and accessible railway for everyone. Discover more about the importance of Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail by clicking here. Investing in our people is key to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our railway system. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact, then this opportunity is for you! About our people and the recruitment process - We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don't always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we'll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance. We're also a Disability Confident Leader employer and we'll try our best to adapt the process and offer a reasonable alternative to help support people with disabilities access, apply and interview for roles. About GBRX At GBRX, we are at the forefront of transforming the railway industry, driving innovation, and delivering complex projects that push the boundaries of transportation. We are seeking a Senior Programme Development Manager to lead the development and implementation of workstreams within the Digital Signalling Portfolio, managing these to time cost and quality. At GBRX, we foster a values-driven culture rooted in curiosity, pioneering spirit, and tenacity. By applying a first principles approach, we tackle the most complex challenges in railway modernisation, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and driving transformative change. Our mission is to reshape the future of the railway and improve customer experiences within the railway industry. You’ll work on ground breaking projects that make a real-world impact.. This hybrid role offers a balance of regular in-office collaboration with remote work, encouraging flexibility while enabling you to work closely with our diverse team of experts. Within GBRX, the Digital Signalling Portfolio is a national and cross-industry enterprise with the mission of creating the next generation railway. The European Train Control System (ETCS) digital train control technology enables a safer, higher-performing, more resilient, more efficient, better skilled, more productive, and greener railway. It delivers improved safety, punctuality and resilience, and taxpayer benefits through reduction in capital and whole life costs. The Digital Signalling portfolio co-ordinates and delivers fleet fitment activities, develops robust, repeatable approaches to technical delivery and business change, building the industry’s capability to plan, design, deliver, operate and maintain an ETCS railway. At GBRX, we are driving innovation in the railway industry, delivering complex projects that shape the future of transportation.