Project Manager

About DFTO

DFTO is a public sector entity working to integrate all formerly privately-owned UK train operators into public ownership before the establishment of Great British Railways in 2027. The organisation currently employs over 30,000 people, operates more than 8,500 daily services, and facilitates over 640 million annual passenger journeys. It manages several train operators already under public ownership, including LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern, South Western Railway, c2c, Greater Anglia, and WM Trains.

Role Purpose

The primary objective of this position is to oversee the safe and effective delivery of DFTO projects, ensuring they meet their cost, schedule, and quality targets. The Project Manager will also be responsible for devising appropriate delivery and procurement strategies tailored to specific projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead project planning and coordination to ensure timely, cost-effective, and quality outcomes suited to project complexity.
• Deliver a professional and consistent project management service, including project tracking and reporting aligned with organisational standards.
• Organise and facilitate regular meetings to support programme leadership and team collaboration, preparing detailed informational materials.
• Identify, manage, and mitigate risks through effective stakeholder collaboration to achieve consensus on risk responses.
• Work with business units and subject matter experts, alongside Business Analysts, to clearly understand and analyse requirements and support business case development.
• Oversee procurement processes related to projects and manage vendor relationships, dependencies, milestones, risks, and issues in line with policies and guidelines.
• Monitor and report on budgets, costs, and resource allocation; enforce governance to provide senior leadership with timely updates and briefings.
• Maintain strong relationships with key customers and stakeholders, ensuring clear communication plans that keep all parties well-informed and engaged.
• Manage and maintain the programme baseline schedule, tracking progress and identifying critical paths.
• Identify necessary operational and organisational changes to enhance project efficiency, effectiveness, and quality when applicable.

Required Skills and Experience

• Demonstrable success delivering projects of various complexities across multiple industries.
• Proven ability managing intricate projects that incorporate elements of business transformation.
• Experience managing senior stakeholder and customer expectations, with excellent interpersonal and communication abilities.
• Competency in gathering and translating business requirements.
• Strong leadership qualities, including motivating teams and demonstrating adaptability and flexibility.
• Advanced financial management skills and keen commercial awareness.
• Membership in a professional project management body such as the Association for Project Management is advantageous.
• Experience in supplier management is desirable.

Vacancy Details

This position is either a fixed-term contract or secondment, extending until October 2027. Candidates may be located in Waterloo, Leeds, or Birmingham offices with a hybrid working approach. The annual salary can reach up to £56,000.

Benefits

• Starting annual leave of 25 days, increasing by one day per year for five years up to a maximum of 30 days.
• Defined Contribution Pension Scheme offering 10% employer and 5% employee contributions.
• Opportunities to engage and develop within the wider rail industry.

Additional Information

Candidates on a secondment are required to inform their current line managers before applying to ensure transparency around workload management. DFTO promotes inclusivity and encourages applications from diverse backgrounds. The organisation supports flexible working arrangements to maintain work-life balance.

For questions or requests for accommodation during the recruitment process, contact amra.hurley@dftoperator.co.uk. Applications must be submitted through the designated application mechanism; CVs sent via email will not be considered.