Rail Associate Director / Director

Steer; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the Rail sector is seeking an experienced Rail Advisory Associate Director/Director. This key role involves leading projects, engaging with clients, and leveraging extensive industry knowledge. The ideal candidate will have a strong network within the GB Rail sector and proven abilities in delivering high-value consultancy services.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

Health screening

Life assurance

Income protection

Pension scheme

Flexible leave options

Discretionary bonus scheme

Qualifications

• Extensive presence and reputation in the GB Rail sector.
• Strong knowledge of the GB railway and its challenges.
• Expertise in Commercial, Operations, Transformation, or Transactions.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage client relationships to ensure project success.
• Lead projects as a Project Director, ensuring adherence to industry standards.
• Mentor colleagues and foster collaboration across teams.

Skills

Client relationship management

Analytical skills

Leadership

Project management

Commercial expertise

Job description

Rail is essential for connecting communities, enabling thriving economies, and fostering sustainable growth. Trusted by governments, operators, regulatory bodies, and financial institutions, Steer's Rail Advisory practice addresses the industry's most complex challenges by providing strategic, commercial, economic, and operational advice that supports confident decision-making. With over 300 client partnerships, we have contributed to the £40bn [€250m] economic value the rail sector brings to the UK [EU]. We are committed to improving rail—making it more cost-effective, sustainable, and attractive to the communities it serves. We deliver impactful solutions that create value for stakeholders, shareholders, and customers alike.

We are seeking an experienced, motivated, self-starting, problem-solving, and collaborative professional to join our Rail Advisory practice at Associate Director/Director level. This individual will be a key member of our senior team, responsible for sourcing, winning, leading, and delivering commissions primarily in the UK, with opportunities to support our global team.

The Rail Advisory Associate Director/Director will:

• Build a vibrant pipeline of work through active management of client relationships
• Leverage their reputation as a specialist in the field to secure high-value advisory work
• Support Steer's Rail Advisory practice through client engagement and proposal development
• Take leadership in delivering business performance and making strong commercial decisions
• Lead projects as a Project Director, applying industry experience and ensuring best practices are followed, with full integration into Steer project teams
• Lead by example through mentoring and fostering collaboration across the company

Requirements

About the candidate

At Steer, our employees are self-motivated, goal-oriented, and adaptable. We are committed to providing our employees with the necessary support and training to ensure success from day one.

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• Presence and reputation in the GB Rail sector, with extensive and current client, partner, and stakeholder networks
• Strong knowledge of the GB railway and an understanding of its current challenges
• The ability to provide high-quality, analytically robust advice to clients on strategic and operational challenges
• Strong technical expertise in disciplines such as Commercial, Operations, Transformation, or Transactions
• Proven ability to originate opportunities, win work, and deliver as Project Director in both public and private sectors
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively with colleagues and clients
• Leadership experience
• Industry experience is essential; consultancy experience is desirable

Benefits

We offer a flexible work approach and are dedicated to empowering our people and providing opportunities to excel.

The team is based in our offices in London, Leeds, and Manchester, with opportunities to collaborate with colleagues overseas, particularly in North America. We prioritize social and cultural responsibilities, with measurable targets in social impact areas such as EDI and sustainability. This year, we received the ‘Best Graduate Programme' award from Women in Rail, and our senior staff support mentoring initiatives for Women in Transport. We are committed to operating as a Net Zero Carbon company by 2025.

Our benefits package includes private medical insurance, health screening, life assurance, income protection, pension scheme, EAP, flexible leave options, Season Ticket Loan, Share Incentive Plan, volunteer days, and a discretionary bonus scheme.

Steer is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications regardless of age, race, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy/maternity, or gender. We support flexible and part-time work arrangements and welcome applications from individuals seeking such options.