Programme Manager

Network Rail; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible/hybrid working

28 days annual leave

Discounts at stations

Defined benefit pension

75% subsidy on train tickets

Interest-free travel loan

Volunteer leave

Job summary

Network Rail is seeking a Programme Manager with a strong technology or digital delivery background in London. You will play a pivotal role in translating policy intentions into practical delivery, coordinating data, systems and operational processes across multiple teams and stakeholders.

The role focuses on shaping delivery approaches, ensuring alignment with policy requirements and regulatory expectations, and managing risk and delivery pace.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering complex, multi-system change involving integration, data and operational processes.
• Strong ability to structure ambiguity into clear delivery components and plans.
• Confidence working across business and technical boundaries, translating between policy, operational and digital perspectives.
• Good judgement in managing delivery trade-offs (pace, risk, cost, complexity).
• Experience of programme governance, assurance and stakeholder management in complex environments.

Responsibilities

• Translate emerging policy positions into system, data and service requirements.
• Break down change into structured delivery components with scope and interfaces.
• Coordinate delivery across teams ensuring alignment of policy, business processes and design.
• Manage delivery plans reflecting dependencies, sequencing and transition requirements.
• Produce decision-ready outputs detailing design, integration strategies and delivery options.
• Establish governance and technical assurance across milestones and risks.

Skills

Programme management

Stakeholder management

Delivery planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject

Job description

Duration: Secondment or Fixed Term Contract until October 2027 with the potential to extend or go permanent. (Please note, secondments are subject to line manager approval, please discuss this with them before applying).

Join Network Rail ! Where People and Connections Matter

At Network Rail, we're dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. When you join us, you're not just part of a team- you're part of something that matters to millions. We believe that our people are at the heart of what we do, and every role plays a vital part in building a better, more connected railway.

We're committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To discover more about our ED&I commitments click here .We value flexibility and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. As a Disability Confident Leader, we'll do everything we can to accommodate any needs throughout the recruitment process.

Safe behaviouris a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their awareness of our safety vision .

Some of our great benefits:

• Flexible/hybrid working arrangements considered.
• Generous annual leave (28 days plus statutory days), with the option to buy/sell days.
• Discounts at stations with your Network Rail pass.
• Defined benefit pension scheme
• 75% subsidy on train tickets.
• Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets.
• Volunteer leave to make a positive impact.

About the role

What does the average day look like?

This role sits at the point where policy intent becomes operational capability. You will focus on scoping the data, systems and digital services needed for GBR to apply the Access and Use Policy in practice, shaping delivery approaches, engaging and coordinating teams, and ensuring the right capabilities are designed, built and integrated into the wider rail system.

• Work with policy and operational colleagues to translate emerging policy positions into clear system, data and service requirements, identifying what needs to be designed, built or changed.
• Break down complex, cross-cutting change into structured delivery components, defining scope, interfaces, dependencies and success measures across data, systems, processes and people.
• Ensure that data and systems design supports transparency, auditability and traceability of decisions ¿ aligning with policy requirements and regulatory expectations.
• Coordinate delivery across multiple teams (e.g. digital, data, operational SMEs, suppliers), ensuring alignment between policy intent, business processes and technical design.
• Shape and manage delivery plans that reflect real-world constraints, including system dependencies, integration risks, sequencing, and transition requirements.
• Produce decision-ready outputs: implementation approaches, options for system design, integration strategies, and delivery recommendations that help leaders understand trade-offs between cost, risk, pace and capability.
• Establish and run a disciplined delivery rhythm and technical assurance: tracking milestones, managing risks around integration, data quality, system readiness and implementation complexity.
• Work with teams to design practical operating models and user journeys, making sure that new digital services and processes will work in practice for those applying and using the policy.
• Support planning for transition and deployment, including how new systems and processes will be introduced alongside existing arrangements, minimising disruption while enabling reform.
• Continue to refine and evolve requirements as policy develops, ensuring delivery remains aligned to intent even in an evolving environment.

You'll be a key integrator across policy, operations and technology: turning concepts into working capabilities, and ensuring that systems, data and processes come together into a coherent, deliverable whole.

A little bit about the team¿

You'll join the System Operators Policy & Reform team, working on the Access Reform Programme. The team is developing a new Access and Use Policy that will fundamentally change how decisions about access to the network are made, requiring new processes, data, systems and ways of working to support it in practice.

We are working quickly to move from policy design through to consultation and implementation planning, alongside wider system and industry change.

We're a collaborative, supportive team combining policy capability with programme and delivery discipline. We value:

• Clear, structured thinking that connects policy intent to practical delivery
• Strong integration across policy, operations and technology

You'll work closely with policy leads, programme colleagues, digital and data teams, and subject matter experts across Network Rail and the wider industry, helping to shape and deliver the capabilities GBR will need from day one.

Next Steps

CV shortlisting will take place after the advert closes, with interviews planned from the week commencing 2nd November subject to business needs. Early applications are encouraged, as we may close the advert early due to high application volumes.

We encourage you to review our Safety Vision , as safety is an important part of the culture at Network Rail

To support our GBR design work, we're looking for people able to think beyond their own area of the business, to help design solutions for the whole railway system, putting customers, freight and taxpayers first. You'll be comfortable working through complexity and uncertainty, making clear decisions, surfacing tough trade-offs and collaborating openly with others to get the best outcome. Just as importantly, you'll engage people positively through change, be honest about priorities and capacity, and role-model the collaborative, accountable culture we want to build in our future organisation.

We're looking for a programme manager with a strong technology or digital delivery background, who can operate confidently in an evolving policy environment and translate complex requirements into practical, system-enabled solutions.

You'll bring:

• Experience delivering complex, multi-system change involving integration, data and operational processes
• Strong ability to structure ambiguity into clear delivery components and plans
• Confidence working across business and technical boundaries, translating between policy, operational and digital perspectives
• Good judgement in managing delivery trade-offs (pace, risk, cost, complexity)
• Experience of programme governance, assurance and stakeholder management in complex environments

Above all, you'll be someone who can bring structure, pace and delivery focus, helping ensure that the systems and data needed to support access reform are not only well-designed, but genuinely workable in practice.

• Degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject
• Excellent interpersonal, management and communication skills
• Substantial proven experience in programme management
• Excellent knowledge of programme and project controls processes and systems
• Proven experience in managing and developing teams to achieve high performance
• Proven ability to work with senior industry stakeholders to understand their requirements
• Membership of a relevant professional body

Key Information

Number of Positions:

1

Contract Type:

Fixed-Term

Hours:

Full Time

Location:

Geographical Area:

London (Inside M25)

Closing Date:

27-OCT-2026

Job Category:

Business, Commercial and Project Management