System Discipline Lead Rail

Carrington West; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

Carrington West is seeking a Rail Systems Discipline Lead for a major HS2 infrastructure programme in Milton Keynes. The role offers senior technical leadership, ownership of multidisciplinary activities, and close collaboration with the Technical Director.

Ideal candidates will have extensive rail systems engineering and design management experience on large infrastructure projects, with a proven leadership track record and strong stakeholder influence.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in rail systems engineering, railway design or technical engineering management.
• Strong technical background gained on major railway infrastructure projects or significant rail upgrade programmes.
• Proven experience in a senior engineering leadership position (Engineering Manager, Discipline Lead, Principal Engineer or Technical Lead).
• Experience managing multidisciplinary engineering interfaces between railway systems and civil engineering infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of railway engineering design, technical assurance and engineering integration.
• Ability to review technical information, challenge engineering proposals and provide sound engineering judgement.
• Confident leadership style with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and take ownership of technical decisions.
• Excellent communication, coordination and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across rail systems disciplines and technical direction on complex projects.
• Manage multidisciplinary interfaces between railway systems and civil infrastructure.
• Confidently challenge technical decisions to support successful delivery.
• Serve as a key link between specialist engineering teams and senior technical leadership.
• Oversee design management, system safety RAMS, and systems integration on major programmes.

Skills

Rail systems engineering

Engineering leadership

Design management

Multidisciplinary interfaces

Technical assurance

Engineering integration

Stakeholder influence

Communication

Education

Relevant engineering degree or professional qualification

Job description

Are you an experienced rail engineering professional with a strong technical background and proven leadership experience?

Have you worked on major railway infrastructure programmes, managing multidisciplinary engineering interfaces and providing technical direction across complex projects?

Salary: Up to £85,000 per annum
Location: Milton Keynes, 3 days in office per week.
Contract: Permanent

I am recruiting for a Rail Systems Discipline Lead to join my client on a major HS2 infrastructure programme in Milton Keynes.

My client is looking for an experienced engineering professional who can provide technical leadership across rail systems disciplines, manage complex engineering interfaces and confidently challenge technical decisions to support successful project delivery.

This is a senior position reporting directly to the Technical Director, offering the opportunity to take ownership of multidisciplinary engineering activities and act as a key link between specialist engineering teams and senior technical leadership.

I am particularly interested in candidates with extensive experience in rail systems engineering, design management and multidisciplinary engineering leadership, ideally gained on major programmes such as HS2, Crossrail or significant railway upgrade schemes.

Essential Requirements

• Extensive experience in rail systems engineering, railway design or technical engineering management.
• Strong technical background gained on major railway infrastructure projects or significant rail upgrade programmes.
• Proven experience in a senior engineering leadership position, such as Engineering Manager, Discipline Lead, Principal Engineer or Technical Lead.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary engineering interfaces between railway systems and civil engineering infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of railway engineering design, technical assurance and engineering integration.
• Ability to review technical information, challenge engineering proposals and provide sound engineering judgement.
• Confident leadership style with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and take ownership of technical decisions.
• Excellent communication, coordination and problem-solving skills.

Desirable Requirements

• Previous experience on HS2, Crossrail or other major UK rail infrastructure programmes.
• Knowledge of NTSN compliance, system safety and RAMS requirements.
• Experience overseeing security, fencing or other specialist rail systems design packages.
• Background in Permanent Way, systems engineering or multidisciplinary rail design management.
• Experience working within a Tier 1 contractor, engineering consultancy or major infrastructure delivery organisation.
• Relevant engineering degree or professional engineering qualification.

Interested?

This is an excellent opportunity for an established rail engineering professional looking to take on a senior technical leadership role with significant responsibility and direct exposure to the Technical Director.

If you have the technical expertise, leadership experience and confidence to manage complex engineering challenges on a major rail infrastructure programme, I would be keen to hear from you.