HS2 Phase 1 Delivery Sponsor

Government Recruitment Service; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK government agency is seeking an experienced Delivery Sponsor to manage high-profile infrastructure projects like High Speed 2. You will drive performance, engage effectively with stakeholders, and ensure the project's timely and cost-effective delivery. The ideal candidate has strong project management skills and a proven track record in managing risks and building relationships across sectors. This role offers unique opportunities to influence significant national projects.

Benefits

Employer pension contribution of 28.97%

25 days annual leave, rising with service

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Proven experience in project delivery within high-profile infrastructure programs.
• Ability to build strong collaborative relationships across government and industry.
• Experience in decision-making and managing risk.

Responsibilities

• Drive performance across cost, schedule, risk, and engagement.
• Identify and remove delivery barriers.
• Provide assurance to Ministers and taxpayers.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Relationship building

Job description

Are you an experienced project delivery professional looking to shape one of the UK’s most high-profile infrastructure programmes?

Can you build strong, collaborative relationships across government and industry to drive delivery forward?

Would you thrive in a role where you can influence decision-making, manage risk, and ensure value for money on a nationally significant project?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Department for Transport (DfT) is a high-profile department at the heart of UK government. We work with agencies and partners to support the transport network that helps businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. We plan and invest to make journeys better.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DfT.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/sXhyzRAkRH4?si=sO2YCYYVZNsn_MAT

The UK Government is investing in infrastructure to boost productivity, level up regions, and deliver low-carbon transport. A key part of this is High Speed 2 (HS2) — the nation’s largest infrastructure project — sponsored by the High Speed Rail Group in DfT.

The HS2 Delivery Directorate is responsible for delivering Phase 1 (London to Birmingham), overseeing construction (excluding Euston station), rolling stock, rail systems, and the operating model. Since the Prime Minister’s approval in 2020, Phase 1 has progressed rapidly, supporting thousands of jobs and stimulating economic growth. With peak civil engineering activity and record levels of spend this year, effective sponsorship is crucial to ensure value for money, timely delivery, and robust risk and stakeholder management under high public and political scrutiny.

As a Delivery Sponsor, you’ll work closely with HS2 Ltd to drive performance across cost, schedule, risk, and engagement. You’ll identify and remove delivery barriers, represent the project within government, and provide assurance to Ministers and taxpayers. You’ll gain hands-on experience and access to formal training in a supportive and high-performing team.

These G7 roles share responsibility with two other Sponsors for managing Phase 1’s main civil works and Old Oak Common Station. Civil works are split into four packages, delivered by Joint Ventures - with one of these G7 roles sponsoring two of these Joint Ventures and leading on cross-cutting risks and issues. The second G7 role focuses on sponsoring the delivery of Old Oak Common Station, and the Department’s interests in the new development surrounding the station.

These are unique opportunities to play a key role in shaping a transformational project delivering long-term national benefits.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Working collaboratively, driving successful outcomes, setting direction and vision, and motivating and engaging teams
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with all those involved in the delivery of the project. Supporting HS2 Ltd to resolve issues, including complex commercial interface issues. Ensuring the Department has a good understanding of progress on construction and working to bring the new railway into service
• Working closely with stakeholders to ensure that there is a robust and reliable schedule for the project, monitoring HS2 Ltd.'s progress against this plan, analysing Management Information to identify trends or issues with progress
• Briefing senior officials on project progress, and making recommendations allowing informed, timely, evidence-based decisions, to maximise the likelihood of successful delivery. Providing guidance, supporting and insight on issues surrounding your area of sponsorship and be a focal point of leadership, not only to your own team but also to the wider programme

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.