Operating Cost & Value Lead

Charlton Recruitment; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment agency for high-profile projects is seeking an Operating Cost & Value Lead to shape the financial strategy of a pivotal UK infrastructure program. This role requires strong analytical skills and the ability to manage complex financial models while working with senior stakeholders. Candidates should have 5-10 years of relevant experience, particularly in public sector infrastructure. The position offers a salary of £90,000-£99,819.20 plus benefits.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years' experience in public sector or regulated infrastructure.
• Experience in revenue or bid modelling, operational cost forecasting.
• Strong stakeholder management skills developed in complex organisations.

Responsibilities

• Lead creation and assurance of the HS2 operational cost baseline.
• Design complex operational cost and revenue models in Excel.
• Provide evidence-based analysis for investment decisions.

Skills

Strong financial literacy

Excel modelling

Stakeholder management

Job description

Operating Cost & Value Lead - HS2

Salary: £90,000-£99,819.20 + 12% pension

Location: London Euston (3 days per week in the office)

Career path: Next step - Head of Role (£110k-£120k + package)

Closing date: 8 December 2025

Are you commercially sharp, economically minded, and ready to shape the cost and revenue plan for the future operational High Speed Two Railway?

We are recruiting an Operating Cost & Value Lead to join the team that will become the Operating Company for the future High Speed Two Railway. This is a rare opportunity to take end-to-end ownership of the operational cost baseline for a transportation project of national significance.

The role

Reporting to the Head of Operating Strategy & Planning, you will lead the development, governance, and control of HS2's operational cost and revenue baseline covering everything from:

• Operational costs: maintenance of assets, stations and line operations, staffing and service delivery.
• Operational revenue: ticketing, operator revenue, commercial and ancillary income.

You will design, maintain, and continuously refine the operational cost baseline and the financial models that sit behind it. This includes producing IRR calculations to inform investment decisions, and providing rigorous cost and value insight under conditions of political scrutiny, changing assumptions and external uncertainty.

This is a highly visible, influential role working with senior stakeholders across DfT, the Shadow Operator, Commercial and Programme teams, requiring the ability to balance long‑term strategic thinking with short‑term analytical precision.

What you'll be responsible for

• Leading the creation, ownership and assurance of the HS2 operational cost baseline.
• Designing and managing complex operational cost and revenue models in Excel (including IRR and scenario planning).
• Ensuring robust governance and processes for cost control and investment justification.
• Providing clear, evidence‑based analysis to support investment decisions and business cases.
• Challenging assumptions and ensuring the organisation “owns the numbers”.
• Managing stakeholder relationships across government, commercial partners and delivery teams.
• Navigating ambiguity while still producing high‑quality financial outputs.

About you

You're numerate, commercially astute and able to operate confidently at the intersection of policy, finance, and major operations. Your background is likely to include 5-10 years' experience in one or more of the following:

• Public sector or regulated infrastructure (rail, transport, energy, utilities, national highways, nuclear).
• Train operating companies or transport operators; particularly revenue or bid modelling, operational cost forecasting or business case development.
• Major consultancies working on project costing, investment analysis or large public‑sector programmes.
• Cost accountant, investment analyst, commercial manager or portfolio manager roles in complex, multi‑stakeholder organisations.

Essential skills / Experience

• Strong financial literacy and confidence with complex Excel modelling.
• Experience building or contributing to business cases in political or complex organisations.
• Ability to challenge constructively and communicate financial insights to senior audiences.
• Comfort handling long‑term projections with short‑term accuracy.
• Proven ability to work with ambiguity and respond flexibly to changing assumptions.
• Superb Stakeholder management skills developed working in complex organisations.

Des3>

• Rail or major transport project /operations experience.
• Experience in strategy, sponsorship, commercial or regulatory teams.
• Familiarity with whole‑life cost modelling or operational readiness.
• Understanding of commercial frameworks for major infrastructure programmes.

Why this role?

This is a rare opportunity to:

• Shape the operational economics of one of the UK's most high‑profile and long‑term infrastructure programmes.
• Step into a highly visible role with significant analytical and strategic influence.
• Build a career pathway toward Head‑of‑level responsibility.
• Influence decisions that will impact national transport for decades.

If you want to take a central role in building the future operational railway for HS2 and you thrive where strategic thinking meets real‑world operations, we'd love to speak to you