Overview In this role you will lead the delivery of railhead infrastructure and track installation for a major UK rail project, driving safe, on-time, and commercial success. You will coordinate across design, procurement, construction, and commissioning, ensuring compliance with HS2 standards and JV procedures. The position offers frontline leadership in a large, multi-disciplinary program with globally informed best practices. You will shape project execution, mitigate risks, and deliver handover-ready results in a complex, regulated environment.
Pay / Benefits - comprehensive benefits package
- initiatives supporting physical and psychological health
- global and cross-business unit mobility
- use of cutting-edge productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot)
Responsibilities - Lead safe, efficient delivery of railhead infrastructure and track installation from mobilisation to handover
- Define and maintain the project execution strategy and governance
- Manage railhead infrastructure, slab track, ballastless track systems, S&C installations, and related civil works
- Ensure adequate resources, plant, materials, and personnel to meet objectives
- Oversee performance against safety, programme, cost, quality and environmental targets
- Develop and deliver integrated project programme coordinating design, procurement, construction, logistics, testing and commissioning
- Lead commercial and contractual management including forecasting, changes, variations and financial performance
- Procure, mobilise and manage subcontractors and suppliers
- Act as main liaison with HS2, designers, delivery partners, suppliers and stakeholders
- Manage interfaces between railhead operations, track installation, logistics, and commissioning
- Provide visible leadership and ensure compliance with legal requirements and JV procedures
- Ensure works align with approved designs, specifications, and assurance requirements
- Lead testing, commissioning, handover activities and documentation
- Establish risk, opportunity, issue, and change management processes
- Develop a multi-disciplinary project team aligned with JV values and high performance
Key requirements - Proven experience delivering major rail infrastructure or complex civil engineering projects
- Experience with overall responsibility for safety, programme, cost, quality and commercial performance
- Strong understanding of rail and track construction (slab track, ballastless, conventional track, S&C)
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing interfaces
- Proven ability to manage subcontractors, suppliers and designers
- Strong knowledge of project planning, controls, forecasting, risk management and change control
- Commercial and contractual knowledge including NEC contracts, variations and compensation events
- Ability to interpret contractual requirements, technical specs, and project procedures
- Strong leadership, communication, negotiation and stakeholder management
- Ability to make informed decisions in a complex, regulated project environment
- Desirable qualifications: Degree in Civil Engineering/Construction Management/Project Management; Chartered status; Project management qualifications (APM/PRINCE2); Experience on HS2/Network Rail
- Knowledge of rail logistics, possession planning, testing, commissioning, and interfaces
- leadership
- stakeholder management
- negotiation
- railhead infrastructure
- slab track
- ballastless track
