Rail Regulation and Governance Manager

Scottish Government; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental agency in Scotland seeks a candidate to lead the regulation of rail in Scotland, ensuring effectiveness and adherence to Scottish Ministers' requirements. Responsibilities include providing strategic advice, overseeing programme governance, and participating in reform initiatives. Candidates should have robust programme management experience and skills in communication, leadership, and operational delivery. This full-time role offers a supportive and inclusive work environment with opportunities for flexible working.

Benefits

Flexible and hybrid working options

Supportive working environment

Wide range of employee benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in programme management including managing and/or overseeing governance functions and associated reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead on ensuring effective regulation of Network Rail in Scotland.
• Offer strategic advice to stakeholders and manage rail correspondence.
• Support initial rail reform work and monitor delivery against Scottish Ministers' requirements.

Skills

Operational Delivery

Data & Insight Practitioner

Communicating & Influencing

Leadership

Seeing the big picture

Job description

Description

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the regulation of rail in Scotland

This post is within the Sponsorship & Regulation Team in Transport Scotland's Rail Directorate. The postholder leads on ensuring that Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is effectively regulating Network Rail in Scotland. A key task will be to lead on strategic advice and recommendations to the Rail Portfolio Board in support of the Chief AO and Scottish Ministers on progress management and governance of all rail infrastructure. Duties will include offering advice to periodic review processes and supporting and in some areas leading on initial rail reform work on joint specification of services the development of the Alliance the interaction with UK Railways Bill and work on future governance.

Responsibilities

Through robust and timely challenge ensure that the independent rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is regulating Network Rail in Scotland in a manner which is effective and assured and in line with the Scottish Governments Guidance to the ORR and Scottish Ministers wider interests. To respond proactively to escalation measures introduced by the ORR.

To provide strategic leadership with advice and recommendations made to the Rail Portfolio Board in support of its purpose of providing information advice and assurance to the TS Chief Accountable Officer and in turn Scottish Ministers on the progress management and governance across the entirety of rail infrastructure (i.e. additional to the Scottish Ministers High Level Output Specification (HLOS) requirements for Control Period 7 2024-29).

To offer strategic advice to the HLOS High Level Monitoring Group particularly TS Rail members by identifying material risks and concerns to ensure TS and the ORR successfully monitor Network Rails delivery of the Scottish Ministers HLOS requirements and ORR's Final Determination.

To lead the activities of the Rail Directorate Delivery Team ensuring that it functions effectively and supports the HLOS High Level Monitoring Group and Rail Portfolio Board and act as its representative; to act as a conduit to the Finance Monitoring Group; and to ensure that Rail Directorate subject experts pool expertise and collectively interrogate and assess HLOS and budget tracker and advise on any issues / difficulties / risks to timely and effective delivery of HLOS requirements.

To participate in and influence any preliminary activities undertaken in relation to future periodic review processes and to lead for TS Rail on the programme of work on specialist topics (efficiencies cost benchmarking etc); helping to shape and influence the scope of work to ensure that it provides clear accurate and timely recommendations and outputs beneficial to the Scotland route.

To support - and in some areas lead - initial rail reform work in particular the joint specification of services the development of the ScotRail Alliance the interaction with the UK Railways Bill and detailed work on future governance and decision making frameworks and interactions.

To manage a B3 member of staff as they complete a variety of tasks in support of a quarterly governance and reporting cycle.

To lead on supporting the rail correspondence team with preparation of responses to PQs correspondence and FOI requests relating to the work of the team.

Lead on drafting speeches and supporting Ministerial engagements on matters relating to the work of the team.

Success profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Technical / Professional Skills

• Operational Delivery : Data & Insight Practitioner

You can find out more about the skills required here : ODP Competency Framework

Experience

Experience in programme management including managing and/or overseeing governance functions and associated reporting.

Behaviours

• Communicating & Influencing Level 4
• Leadership Level 4
• Seeing the big picture Level 4

You can find out more about Success Profiles here : Success profiles : candidate guide -

How to apply

Apply online providing a CV and Supporting Statement of no more than 1500 words which provides evidence of how you meet the skills experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application but all statements and examples provided must be truthful factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others or generated by artificial intelligence and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment this will consist of an interview and presentation.

Assessments are scheduled for w / c 8th December however this may be subject to change.

If you require any further information on the post please contact Hilary Cameron -

About us

Transport Scotland is the national transport agency seeking to deliver a safe efficient cost-effective and sustainable transport system for the benefit of the people of Scotland. Transport Scotland is accountable to Parliament and the public through Scottish Ministers with a budget of over 4 billion per year. Transport is a vital feature of the Scottish Governments focus on increasing sustainable economic growth and transport investments and policies have major impacts on the economy people and the environment.

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including : education health the economy justice housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for please contact us.

You will require to be office based twice per week.

Equality statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversityand how we offer and support recruitment adjustmentsfor anyone who needs them.

Further information

Find out more about our organisation what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guidefor further information on our recruitment and application processes.

Apply Before: 30th November 2025 (23:59) - This role is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship organisations only.

Required Experience: Manager

Key Skills

Compliance Management,Administrative Functions,Oversight,Administrative Activities,Administrative Tasks,Budget Preparation,Facilities Management,Daily Operations,Account Management,General Ledger Accounts,Personnel Files,Administrative Management,Financial Statements,Administrative Operations,Annual Budget

Employment Type: Full Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1