Programme Sponsor

East West Rail Company; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A national railway project organization in Milton Keynes is seeking a Programme Sponsor to lead outcomes on the East West Rail project. You will negotiate funding, guide strategies, and manage stakeholder interactions within a high-impact infrastructure initiative. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in the rail industry and major projects, coupled with strong negotiation and influencing skills. This role ensures impactful transport connections while championing diversity and inclusion.

Benefits

Competitive base salary

Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution

36 days holiday

Life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Flexible working opportunities

Enhanced family-friendly policies

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in leadership roles on major projects.
• In-depth rail or infrastructure industry experience required.
• Ability to manage complex interfaces with multiple agencies.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate funding and represent EWR to senior management.
• Guide project initiatives and appraisal of project benefits.
• Review project environment changes and approve deliverables.

Skills

Experience in requirements and benefits management

Leadership in major projects

Project management frameworks

Rail or infrastructure industry experience

Influencing and negotiation skills

Commercial acumen

Excellent communication skills

Job description

Programme Sponsor

Application Deadline: 18 January 2026

Department: Strategy, Sponsorship and External Affairs

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Milton Keynes

Reporting To: Head of Sponsorship

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 would 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.

EWR is being championed by the Government as a key driver to economic growth leading to a potential £78 Billion boost to the UK economy: supporting new towns, housing, and regeneration.

Role Summary:

This role will sponsor successful outcomes on the EWR Co. programme.

Function:

The Strategy, Sponsorship and External Affairs function is accountable for defining what EWR Co. is, and the impact it will deliver. It is accountable for securing the required approvals to deliver the scheme, being the custodian of the DCO submission, including statutory consultation, and building a compelling business case. It will hold design and delivery to account to create an asset which will realises the economic benefits.

Key Responsibilities

• Negotiate funding for the project and be a spokesperson to the senior management.
• Provide direction and guidance for project empowerment, key business strategies and project initiatives.
• Identify and qualify project benefits and manage project benefits realisation.
• Participate in initial project planning, including developing the project chart and the project scope.
• Identify members of Steering Committee and facilitate the work of project management office (optionally).
• Review changes to the project environment, including schedules, priorities, tasks etc.
• Identify project critical success factors and approve deliverables.
• Negotiate with stakeholders to gain consensus when differences of opinion take place.
• Involve stakeholders in the project and maintain their ongoing commitment to the project through using communication strategies and project management planning methods.
• Evaluate the project’s success on completion.

Experience, Knowledge & Skills

Experience:

• Extensive experience of applying requirements and benefits management.
• Demonstrable experience of leadership roles in major projects, programmes or complex business and change.
• Experience of project management frameworks with an ability to apply them successfully on complex projects or programmes.
• In depth rail or infrastructure industry experience.
• Sponsorship of major projects, business change, industry change or complex portfolios.
• Experience of infrastructure projects or complex asset management.
• Experience of translating railway context to non-rail partner agencies.
• Extensive experience of consents environment (planning, environmental, rail)
• Project experience including significant interfaces with multiple agencies.

Knowledge:

• An understanding of Sponsorship, and the varying ways that the Sponsorship role can be fulfilled.
• Understanding of public sector finance and funding.

Skills:

• A proven ability to influence, at all levels with a high degree of commercial acumen.
• An excellent communicator with high levels of self‑awareness and emotional intelligence.
• Demonstrable ability to integrate seamlessly with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to negotiate and influence.
• Comfortable with ambiguity with an ability to translate technical language to multiple audiences.

Benefits

What we offer:

• Competitive base salary
• 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.