Senior Sponsor

HS2 (High Speed Two); Birmingham; On-site; GBP 67,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading rail infrastructure project is seeking a Senior Sponsor accountable for leading the NPR development program. You will ensure strategic alignment with Government objectives and manage relationships with senior stakeholders. This role demands strong negotiation and leadership skills to navigate complexity and ambiguity, alongside exceptional communication capabilities. The ideal candidate will contribute to shaping complex infrastructure projects while promoting Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion across the organization.

Benefits

Flexible benefits fund

Personal and professional development opportunities

Inclusive working environment

Qualifications

• Ability to influence and negotiate with senior-level stakeholders.
• Strong decision-making skills in ambiguous contexts.
• Excellent presentation skills for diverse audiences.
• Ability to manage competing priorities effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead sponsorship for NPR and ensure strategic alignment.
• Shape NPR development strategy and influence design.
• Coordinate HS2 contributions to NPR with evidence-based input.
• Manage DfT requests for HS2 and ensure consistency in responses.
• Facilitate resolution of issues between HS2 and Government.
• Influence priorities across directorates for strategic outcomes.
• Monitor issues and advise senior leaders on risks/openings.
• Promote Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in all work.

Skills

Relationship Building

Leadership

Communication

Priority Management

Job description

Job Description

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Base salary: £67450 pa to £92982 pa depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

As the Senior Sponsor you will be accountable for leading HS2 Ltd.'s sponsorship responsibilities for the development of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) programme during its formative stages. This includes shaping HS2 Ltd.'s strategic input into NPR design and development, influencing option selection, and enabling timely decisions to progress NPR in a way that aligns with HS2 interfaces and national transport objectives.

About the role

• Lead HS2 Ltd's sponsorship responsibilities for NPR during its formative stages, ensuring strategic alignment with Government objectives and HS2 interfaces. Act as the primary point of contact for DfT on NPR-related matters, building trusted relationships to secure confidence and timely decisions.
• Shape NPR development strategy, influencing option selection and design principles to ensure NPR integrates effectively with HS2 and wider rail networks. Provide strategic advice on implications of NPR choices for HS2's delivery and long-term operational requirements.
• Coordinate HS2 Ltd's contributions to NPR development activities, ensuring evidence-based, robust input that reflects programme priorities and Government expectations.
• Act as the single gateway for NPR engagement, managing and prioritising requests from DfT and Government to protect HS2 Ltd teams from ad hoc demands. Ensure responses are consistent, coordinated, and maintain HS2 Ltd's credibility.
• Facilitate resolution of complex issues and risks, enabling constructive dialogue between HS2 Ltd technical experts and Government officials. Drive solutions that balance NPR objectives with HS2 delivery commitments and strategic outcomes.
• Influence cross-directorate priorities, managing trade-offs and conflicts to ensure Sponsorship and Shareholder Relations delivers on all key business priorities. Provide clear direction and leadership to matrix teams working on NPR-related activities.
• Monitor and anticipate emerging issues, advising senior leaders on risks and opportunities associated with NPR development. Ensure HS2 Ltd's position is well-defined and communicated to Government to maintain confidence in programme progression.
• Actively promote and embed Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work, and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

About you

Skills

• Ability to build and maintain senior-level relationships, influencing and negotiating with stakeholders to secure strategic outcomes.
• Strong leadership and decision-making skills in contexts of ambiguity, balancing risk and opportunity without complete information.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, able to convey complex issues clearly to varied audiences including Government and senior executives.
• Ability to manage competing priorities across a broad portfolio, ensuring timely delivery of critical outputs.

Knowledge

• Understanding of governance and decision-making processes for publicly funded projects and major infrastructure programmes.
• Knowledge of early-stage programme development, including option appraisal and business case preparation.
• Familiarity with Government investment frameworks such as HM Treasury Green Book and DfT approvals processes.
• Awareness of national transport strategy and interdependencies between major rail programmes.

Type of experience

• Proven experience of working across multiple organisations to achieve strategic outcomes in complex environments.
• Demonstrated success in influencing senior stakeholders in situations of high ambiguity and political sensitivity.
• Experience of leading teams or matrix groups to deliver well-defined outcomes in major programme contexts.
• Exposure to large-scale projects or programmes within the public sector or regulated industries.

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect

It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

As HS2 Ltd do not hold a sponsorship license from the Home Office, we are not able to provide sponsorship to any applicant. Applicants must already have the Right to Work in the UK at the time of application and our process involves a Right to Work validation prior to the interview stage. Note, there are certain types of time-bound visas that we cannot accept.

Any offers made to applicants will be subject to satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks which include Nationality & Immigration Status, employment references, DBS, Financial and Education checks.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert.

Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process (youtube.com)

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

About Us

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK's new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain's major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others' health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our 'Safe at Heart' programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.