Head of Commercial Assurance & Compliance

East West Railway Company; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer's pension contribution up to 12%

36 days holiday per year

Life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Advanced learning and development programmes

Awards (on-the-spot and annual)

Advanced learning & development

Flexible working

Family-friendly policies

Exceptional IT tools

Job summary

A significant railway project organization in Milton Keynes is searching for a Head of Commercial Assurance and Compliance. The successful candidate will create and implement commercial compliance, risk frameworks, and assurance strategies while ensuring adherence to regulations. Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills are essential. This role provides an opportunity to be part of one of the UK's largest infrastructure projects, with a focus on diversity and inclusion and excellent employee benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in commercial compliance, risk management and assurance.
• Strong understanding of commercial regulatory requirements.
• Exceptional leadership, stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive commercial compliance and risk frameworks.
• Act as the Commercial Risk Champion, maintaining links with corporate risk team.
• Monitor and report on compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Conduct risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies.
• Facilitate training on commercial compliance and risk management.
• Provide expert regulatory advice and support internal/external audits.

Skills

Commercial compliance

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Job description

East West Rail is a nationally significant railway project which aims to deliver much-needed transport connections for the vibrant communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, which blend beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage with globally renowned centres of education, business, technology and an increasingly dynamic business scene. Together these communities contribute around £111 billion to the national economy each year.

However, the lack of good East-West transport connections makes it harder for residents to make the most of everything the region has to offer. From faster commutes to days out with friends and family, EWR will make it easier to reach the things that matter most, bringing a range of benefits to communities between Oxford and Cambridge, and across the UK more broadly.

EWR is also one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects, which the government committed to delivering in full in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and again in the 2025 Spending Review as part of its ambition to unlock the potential of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.

East West Railway Company (that’s us) was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way.

At East West Railway Company, we’re committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple – to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications of all backgrounds and experiences.

Role Summary

This role will develop and implement the EWR Co commercial compliance, risk, and assurance frameworks, ensuring that appropriate policies and systems are in place and adherence to EWR Co and regulatory standards related to commercial activity is monitored and exceptions reported.

This role sits within the Commercial Strategy and Assurance team, but acts as a standalone position and requires the postholder to be able to act independently whilst maintaining effective and constructive working relationships within the commercial function.

The Head of Commercial Assurance and Compliance will be instrumental in embedding a risk and compliance culture within commercial and contribute to the continuous improvement culture that is being embedded. The role will establish and lead a commercial assurance strategy which should meet the ambitions of the organisation’s strategic priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive commercial compliance, risk, and assurance frameworks – aligned to the wider EWR Co risk and assurance frameworks.
• Ensure risk, compliance and assurance reflect commercial best practice and alignment to the Public Procurement Pathway, identifying, incorporating, and communicating changes driven from best practice or government policy.
• Act as the Commercial Risk Champion, maintaining close links with the corporate risk team
• Deliver the Commercial LoD2 assurance service through in-house and outsourced delivery.
• Identify and manage, including budgetary control, external commercial assurance requirements aligned to EWR Co commercial governance at LoD2 and LoD3 (Commercial Expert Panel).
• Monitor and report on compliance with internal commercial policies and external regulations through a defined compliance process and register.
• Conduct risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies to manage identified commercial risks, including at procurement, contract, and supplier level.
• Provides expert advice on relevant regulations and issues from a compliance and risk perspective.
• Give confidence to senior management on the effectiveness of commercial compliance and risk management processes.
• Support internal and external audits related to commercial activities, interfacing with and supporting NAO, GIAA, NISTA, and others, ensuring prompt resolution of audit findings.
• Facilitate training and awareness programs on commercial compliance and risk management.
• Collaborate with other departments (for example, Risk Management) to ensure integrated commercial risk management and compliance efforts.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Proven experience in commercial compliance, risk management and assurance.
• Proven record of developing and implementing effective commercial compliance and risk management frameworks.
• Strong understanding of commercial regulatory requirements and the government procurement pathway (commercial lifecycle).
• Exceptional leadership, stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels of the organisation.
• Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution
• 36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) + up to 2 days to buy
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a range of benefits on the Perkbox platform
• On-the-spot and annual awards
• Advanced learning and development programmes
• Great work-life balance and flexible working opportunities
• Enhanced family-friendly policies
• Exceptional IT tools

EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives. EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual’s work life balance and style

Diversity and Inclusion

To discover the best solutions, it’s important we embrace diversity of thought. That’s why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged and valued. Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being. Our approach to diversity is simple – a workplace where everyone is welcome and everyone is encouraged to be themselves. It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve.

We are open to secondments through the Rail Industry Talent Exchange Programme.