Programme Director

Rail Delivery Group; London; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading rail organization in the UK is seeking a Programme Director to oversee large-scale projects and lead programme delivery within a collaborative environment. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of senior leadership experience and a proven track record in managing project budgets above £5 million. The organization offers a competitive benefits package, including extensive annual leave and family-focused policies.

Benefits

75% off rail travel

30 days annual leave

Enhanced family leave

Pension scheme with employer contributions

Private medical insurance

Discounted gym membership

Qualifications

• At least 10 years experience in senior leadership roles.
• Expertise in managing large-scale programmes with budgets over £5m.
• Strong communication skills to liaise with senior executives.

Responsibilities

• Lead programmes and oversee project quality and budgets.
• Make strategic decisions and provide direction to project managers.
• Ensure alignment of projects with RDG's strategic goals.

Skills

Senior Programme Management

Project Leadership

Budget Management

Stakeholder Management

Agile Methodologies

Prince2 Methodologies

Job description

Programme Director

Contract: Permanent

Annual Leave: 30 Days + Excellent Benefits

Closing date: 26th August 2025

About RDG

Rail plays an ever more crucial role in Britain. Our aim is to create a railway that delivers real improvements in customer experience, which drives growth in both the number of customers and the number of journeys and allows us to create a simpler and better railway.

Our purpose is to create a simpler, better railway for everyone in Britain

We will deliver this by working collaboratively across the industry to design the future of customers’ rail experience as well as how the industry operates behind the scenes. We deliver change to existing elements of the railway but also through new activities and campaigns; through our management of services which are delivered to customers and to industry partners; and by joining up the industry’s decision making, bringing together key stakeholders with the right expertise to ensure we make the right decisions for customers and the whole railway.

Our values, known as ASPIRE, areAccountability, Support, Partnership, Inclusive, RespectandExcellence.Our values form an integral part of our recruitment, performance and recognition processes

What is the purpose of this job?

We believe that art of project and programme management is the balance of inspiring a shared strategic vision with co-ordinating multiple workstreams and providing direction across project teams. As a Senior Programme Manager/Project Director your role is to lead programmes, projects and other initiatives across the whole lifecycle within scope, time and budget. You will need to follow the RDG Project Delivery Framework and encourage others to also. This role will be measured by the successful delivery of projects and programmes within both our organisation, and where appropriate our member organisations too.

Key Responsibilities

This is not an exhaustive list, however key responsibilities include:

• Lead the programmes – oversee progress, budgets and project quality.
• Make strategic programme decisions and provide leadership and direction to programme and project managers to implement those decisions
• Represent and champion programmes within RDG and with multiple senior external stakeholders, resolve blockers, develop a strong and capable team and oversee multiple projects and programmes simultaneously
• Ensure projects and programmes remain aligned with the overall strategic goals and objectives of RDG
• Oversee all project implementation related to project management, including monitoring and reporting, financials, execution of project plans, quality, performance and compliance with relevant regulations
• Oversee risks, issues and change. Initiate corrective action against identified risks and issues to achieve strategic objectives. Manage change considering business benefit and impact on costs and time.
• Present Business Cases, including costs, cost savings and other benefits, to the RDG Exec and other Governance bodies to gain approval for procurement of services and delivery of associated projects
• With the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) and finance representative establish programme and project budgets as part of the production of business cases and manage, track and report on project finances to ensure delivery within authorised budgets
• Set up and lead appropriate governance for the Programme in line with RDG’s existing governance structure. Responsible for providing high quality reports and papers for governance forums
• Support and line manage Project & Programme Managers, assigning clear roles and responsibilities, providing effective supervision and managing performance
• Adhere to RDG Project Delivery Framework standards and procedures and identify and implement improvements to these standards and procedures. This includes the RDG Risk Management process

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone with at least 10 years extensive experience of working in a senior leadership position delivering and overseeing large scale programmes and projects. You will be able to demonstrate a strong aptitude for the role and expert programme and project leadership knowledge.

Essential Skills & Experience:

Some of the specific skills and knowledge we are looking for include:

• Significant vocational Senior Programme or Project Director experience ideally within Transport, Travel, Retail, Utilities, Professional Services
• Experience and qualifications in project methodologies such as Agile and Prince 2 methodologies, programme management (e.g. Managing Successful Programmes (MSP)
• Delivery of multiple concurrent programmes/projects within the agreed constraints of time, budget and demonstrating alignment to strategic objectives. This includes experience in managing and prioritising project resources and budgets to ensure successful business outcomes.
• Leading programmes with significant budget (+£5m) responsibility
• Ability to make decisions relating to project priorities, change management (e.g. scope, time, contractual), financial and commercial changes.
• Experienced overseeing project plans that assure delivery of priority projects, including; e2e concept, define, deploy and transition to BAU and to building the optimal project delivery structure (people, methodology, plan, budget and governance) to meet the project vision.
• Oversee programme and project risks, issues, dependencies, assumptions and decisions. Managing, with the appropriate action owner to remediate.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, leading and getting the best out of project teams and individuals
• Ability to apply business and governance processes to delivery, and form good working relationships with all internal Governance teams
• Experience in achieving the best value of service through supplier management (expected to manage a multi-supplier matrix on delivery), new business tenders, end-to-end service reviews of suppliers, supplier governance frameworks and service monitoring with SLAS.
• Excellent communication skills, liaising with all senior executives, stakeholders, Industry boards and project team members, through the provision of high-quality multi-media reports, presentations, demonstrations and focus groups to influence decisions, make recommendations and provide support on business management.

Why Work for RDG?

We offer a highly competitive package, including:

• 75% off rail travel for personal and family use, plus international rail discounts.
• 30 Days annual leave (plus buy/sell options and additional leave for key life events)
• Season ticket loan for commuting costs.
• Enhanced family leave – 30 weeks full pay for maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and shared parental leave.
• Pension scheme – up to 11.58% employer contribution.
• Private medical insurance (AXA PPP) including mental health and specialist care.
• Discounted gym membership and access to wellbeing programmes.

Career Development & Progression

You’ll be part of a team driving innovation at a national scale, with the opportunity to influence long-term ticketing strategy. This role provides real ownership, the chance to work with leading-edge technologies and partners, and visibility at senior levels across the rail industry. You’ll also gain wide exposure to transport and government stakeholders, opening up exciting development and progression opportunities within RDG.

Apply Now & Shape the Future of UK Rail

If you are interested in joining RDG and shaping the future of Rail, we’d love to hear from you!

Click Apply now to start your application and be part of a team that is leading digital innovation in the rail industry.

Please note that we are unable to consider applications from candidates who require visa sponsorship to work in the UK.