Project Director

Balfour Beatty plc; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Smart working

25 days annual leave

Family friendly policies (maternity/ad

Pension & share incentive plan

Job summary

Balfour Beatty Rail is seeking an experienced Project Director to deliver the Cockfosters Depot Upgrade in London. You will lead end-to-end delivery across design, construction, testing and handback, ensuring safety, quality and commercial success while guiding a high-performing, integrated team.

You will manage multi-disciplinary teams, sustain strong client relationships with TfL and partners, and drive governance, risk and change control in a complex, regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Significant experience delivering large-scale infrastructure/rail projects.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and supply chains.
• Strong commercial and contractual awareness including budget, forecasts, risk & change control.
• Track record of building trusted client and stakeholder relationships.
• Commitment to safety, inclusion and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of the Cockfosters Depot Upgrade, achieving safety, quality, programme and commercial objectives.
• Provide visible leadership to a multidisciplinary team and foster a collaborative culture.
• Build and maintain relationships with TfL, London Underground and delivery partners.
• Drive governance, reporting, risk management, change control and assurance.
• Oversee project controls, programme performance and recovery planning to ensure delivery certainty.
• Own project financial performance including budget, cash flow, risk and opportunities.
• Ensure integration across design, construction, testing, commissioning and handback.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Commercial awareness

Contract governance

Safety culture

Education

Engineering/Construction degree

Project management qualification

Tools

CSCS

SMSTS

Job description

About the role

At Balfour Beatty Rail, we deliver some of the UK's most complex and critical rail infrastructure projects. We are looking for an experienced Project Director to lead the delivery of the Cockfosters Depot Upgrade, a major Transport for London programme that will enhance one of London's key operational rail facilities.

This senior leadership role offers the opportunity to oversee the project through every stage of its lifecycle, from ECI and design through construction, testing, commissioning and handback. Working in partnership with TfL, London Underground and a wide range of stakeholders, you will be responsible for delivering a safe, high-quality and commercially successful outcome while leading a high-performing, integrated project team.

What you'll be doing

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of the Cockfosters Depot Upgrade, ensuring safety, quality, programme and commercial objectives are achieved.
• Provide visible leadership to a multidisciplinary project team, fostering a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing culture.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Transport for London, London Underground and key delivery partners.
• Drive project governance, reporting, risk management, change control and assurance activities.
• Oversee project controls, programme performance and recovery planning to maintain delivery certainty.
• Take ownership of project financial performance, including budget, forecasting, cash flow, risk and opportunity management.
• Ensure effective integration across design, construction, testing, commissioning and operational readiness activities.
• Lead stakeholder engagement and resolve complex project, commercial and operational challenges.
• Champion Zero Harm, Right First Time and continuous improvement across the project and supply chain.
• Develop and support project teams, ensuring the right capability, resources and succession plans are in place throughout the project lifecycle.

Who we're looking for

We're looking for a proven project leader with experience delivering major infrastructure, engineering or construction programmes in complex and regulated environments.

You'll bring

• Significant experience leading large-scale infrastructure, rail, engineering or construction projects.
• A strong track record of managing multidisciplinary teams, contractors and supply chain partners.
• Excellent commercial and contractual awareness, including budget management, forecasting, risk and change control.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with clients, senior stakeholders and delivery partners.
• Strong leadership, communication and decision-making skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Experience of project governance, programme controls, assurance and risk management.
• A commitment to safety, inclusion, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Desirable Experience Includes

• Transport for London, London Underground or other major transport infrastructure environments.
• Live operational railway or other safety-critical operational settings.
• Major depot upgrades, renewals or enhancement programmes.
• NEC contracts, ECI delivery models and multi-contractor environments.
• Testing, commissioning, operational readiness, asset acceptance and handback activities.

Qualifications

• Degree (or equivalent experience) in Engineering, Construction, Project Management or a related discipline.
• Relevant project/programme management qualification (APM PMQ, PPQ, ChPP or equivalent).
• Appropriate construction and safety qualifications (e.g. CSCS, SMSTS).
• Chartered status or membership of a relevant professional body is desirable.

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

Why join us

Benefits

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
• Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…

About Us

Balfour Beatty works at the heart of the UK’s rail networks – designing, enhancing and maintaining thousands of miles of the railways that connect communities and underpin growth.

From feasibility studies, planning and design through to implementation and asset management, we provide multi-disciplinary rail infrastructure services across the lifecycle of rail assets. Our expertise covers electrification, track, power, civils, specialist rail plant, railway systems and technologies.

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty, we want everyone to be able to thrive and achieve their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. We’re making great progress through our Value Everyone DEI Action Plan, but we know we’ve got more to do. Find out more about our values and DEI initiatives.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this role will be offered an interview.

We are committed to our processes being barrier-free and will support adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please let the recruiter for this role know if you require any adjustments.

We’re looking to continually improve our recruitment process, so if you have any feedback, please share this with us via [e-mail]