Senior Programme Manager [Systems Thinking]

Network Rail; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Pension schemes

Rail travel discount

Private Healthcare

Volunteer leave

Gym access

Discount platform

Job summary

Network Rail's Southern Region is seeking a Senior Programme Manager to lead a portfolio of transformation and improvement programmes across complex operations, working with executives, partners and suppliers to enhance railway performance.

You will translate diagnosis into delivered programmes, establish governance and delivery disciplines, and develop a high-performing multidisciplinary team focused on outcomes and value.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading large, complex, multi-stakeholder programmes or transformation portfolios.
• Strong programme management capability with governance, risk, financial management, benefits, and delivery assurance.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in consulting, transformation or complex delivery environments.
• Excellent diagnostic and problem-solving skills to bring structure to ambiguous problems.
• Solid understanding of improvement methodologies, tools and frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead and evolve a portfolio of Systems Thinking, transformation and improvement programmes across Southern Region.
• Develop and coach a multidisciplinary team of systems thinking and delivery professionals.
• Collaborate with executives to translate complex challenges into well-designed programmes and interventions.
• Establish governance, controls, risk management and benefits tracking to deliver on time, on budget and to quality.
• Manage interdependencies across a changing portfolio and align activity with regional and national transformation.
• Develop robust business cases and secure funding and resources for outcomes.
• Oversee significant budgets and supplier relationships with a focus on performance and value for money.

Skills

Programme management

Systems Thinking

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Governance & risk

Budget management

Job description

Who We Are

Help drive integrated railway transformation across Southern Region

This is an exciting time to join Network Rail's Southern Region. We now have three integrated railways in the region, bringing track and train closer together, and the transition towards Great British Railways creates a significant opportunity to go further: improving performance, transforming how we work and tackling some of the railway's most complex challenges.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Programme Manager to lead our Systems Thinking portfolio and a multidisciplinary team delivering transformation, improvement and complex change across the Region

This is a senior programme delivery and leadership role. You will combine strong programme management, consulting and improvement disciplines with an understanding of Systems Thinking, turning complex challenges into practical interventions and ensuring they translate into sustainable results.

Southern offers a fast-paced, rewarding environment to grow your career and make a real difference.

We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To discover more about our ED&I commitments. 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.

About The Role

As Senior Programme Manager, you will lead a varied portfolio of transformation and improvement activity across Southern Region, working with executive and senior leaders, transformation professionals, industry partners, consultants and suppliers to improve the performance of the railway.

You will provide the leadership and delivery focus that takes work from diagnosis and ideas through to implementation and measurable outcomes. You will shape programmes around the right problems, establish strong governance and delivery disciplines, lead and develop a talented team and maintain a clear focus on outcomes, benefits and value.

This is a visible leadership role operating across organisational and professional boundaries. You will be equally comfortable shaping strategy, challenging thinking and getting things delivered.

What you'll be doing

• Lead and evolve a portfolio of complex Systems Thinking, transformation and improvement programmes, responding to changing regional priorities and wider industry integration.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team of Systems Thinking, programme and improvement professionals, creating clarity, accountability and a strong delivery culture.
• Work with executive and senior leaders to understand complex operational and organisational challenges and translate them into well-designed programmes of work.
• Bring together consulting, programme management, business improvement and transformation approaches to shape operating strategy and the right interventions.
• Establish and monitor programme standards, governance, controls, risk management, benefits, assurance and reporting, maintaining delivery to agreed time, cost and quality.
• Manage priorities, resources and interdependencies across a changing portfolio, aligning activity with Southern Region, Great British Railways integration and wider transformation.
• Develop robust business cases and secure the funding and resources required to deliver agreed outcomes.
• Manage significant budgets, service providers and commercial relationships, maintaining a strong focus on performance and value for money.
• Build trusted relationships across organisational boundaries, influencing senior leaders, partners, consultants and suppliers to unlock delivery.
• Strengthen transformation and improvement capability, sharing good practice and helping successful approaches become embedded and sustained.

Salary

Band 2C / £85,395-£104,160

Location

London Puddle Dock

Vacancy

This is a full-time permanent position.

Closing date

25th November 2026. Late applications will not be accepted.

What's in it for you

• 28 day annual leave with the option to buy and sell days
• Choice of pension schemes
• 75% discount of leisure travel for you and your family
• Private Healthcare
• 5 days paid volunteer or carers leave
• Up to 75% subsidised Rail and Underground travel
• Gym Pass - access to gyms across UK.
• My Benefits platform - giving national and local retail discount

About You

Your experience and skills

We are looking for an established programme, transformation and delivery leader who is comfortable operating in complex environments and taking accountability for outcomes.

You Will Bring

• Significant experience leading large, complex, multi-stakeholder programmes or transformation portfolios, with clear accountability for delivery and demonstrable outcomes.
• Strong programme management capability, supported by a formal programme management qualification or equivalent significant experience, including governance, risk, financial management, benefits, business cases and delivery assurance.
• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary professional teams, ideally within consulting, transformation, improvement or another complex delivery environment.
• Strong consulting, diagnostic and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyse complex information and bring structure and clarity to ambiguous problems.
• A strong understanding of improvement methodologies, tools and frameworks
• A strong track record of business improvement and organisational or behavioural change, taking work beyond analysis into implementation and measurable, sustainable outcomes.
• Highly developed influencing, negotiation and relationship-building skills, with the confidence and credibility to work with executive leaders and senior third-party stakeholders.
• The ability to navigate competing priorities and organisational boundaries while maintaining momentum and delivery focus.
• Strong commercial and financial judgement, including experience managing significant budgets, suppliers or professional services.
• Clear, confident communication and the ability to lead effectively through complexity and change.

Railway experience and/or experience in systems thinking methodology would be an advantage, but is not essential. We are particularly interested in people who have successfully led transformation in other complex, operational, infrastructure, regulated or safety-critical environments.

Why join us

Southern Region provides a particularly exciting environment in which to do this work. With three integrated railways and the wider industry moving towards Great British Railways, there is a real opportunity to influence how the future railway operates, not simply how individual programmes are delivered.

You will join a developing capability with a strong foundation, a varied and high-profile portfolio and the opportunity to work on complex challenges that matter directly to how the railway performs for passengers.

This is a role for someone who enjoys building as well as delivering: leading people, shaping a portfolio, strengthening capability and turning complex challenges into meaningful, sustainable improvement.

Our aim is to ensure your candidate experience is as positive as possible.

You can visit Evenbreaks Career Hive for advice on accessibility support if you're unsure of the options available. Should you require any reasonable adjustments/modifications, please add a note to your application.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

• Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. We will share further details with you as part of your formal offer.