Are you a project manager with a commercial edge who can deliver the bid for the direct award of a rail franchise that will secure the future of a major rail operation for the foreseeable future?

The Project Manager – Rail Franchise Direct Award, represents the opportunity to either demonstrate your proven expertise in rail franchise agreements, or use transferable commercial and project skills from other commercial endeavours.

I anticipate strong interest in this opportunity and I am looking to close my shortlist by Tuesday 5^th December. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss whether this role could meet with your aspirations.

In return for your contribution, you will receive a highly competitive industry salary, TOC travel benefits (free travel on EMT and 75% off all other rail travel), an excellent defined pension scheme with averages your final years salary and 32 days holiday which increases to 34 with the option to buy additional holidays. There is a bonus that will pay up to 15% on top of your annual salary.

Ford & Stanley, the rail recruitment specialists, are proud to be working exclusively with East Midlands Trains as we recruit a team that is responsible for winning a second Direct Award and planning forward thereafter. This is a business-critical position and requires an individual with significant project management and commercial acumen.

Reporting directly to the project lead, the project manager will act as the interface between the Business Planning, Operations, Train Planning, Engineering, Commercial and Customer Service teams to ensure delivery of a successful bid.

One of the primary responsibilities of the role is to ensure production of the comprehensive business cases underpinning the Direct Award submission, This involves the influence and coercion of senior managers and their teams to maintain focus on delivering this business critical work to tight timescales.

In both principle and direct award project specific objectives, the post holder must have the ability to make timely considered decisions to both identify and overcome challenges in order to manage any potential impact on delivery of the relevant objectives.

Key responsibilities include:

1. Lead the development and implementation of the project management governance and framework.
2. Work with business sponsors and external stakeholders to coordinate delivery of key business projects particularly covering cross functional areas.
3. Business lead in coordinating and undertaking assurance reviews in respect of major business projects.
4. Production of project reporting requirements e.g. weekly/monthly status reports.
5. Lead role in scoping, creation and coordinating delivery of major project events (e.g. kick off meetings, SMU presentations, internal communications programmes).
6. Manage the ‘production’ function of Direct Award submission.
7. Development and ongoing monitoring of the resource plan.
8. Working with the Business Sponsors to ensure successful development and delivery of business cases for the direct award
9. Support the DfT engagement and negotiation process for direct award.

The successful candidate will be an experienced project manager who is used to working within complex projects with many different stakeholders. They will be commercially focussed and interested in the detail and numbers involved. Rail experience is highly desirable with a basic understanding of the drivers behind rail franchising. Prince 2 qualifications or other project management qualifications are highly desirable.