Associate Director – Rail

Overview

As Associate Director, you will lead major rail commissions, shaping delivery strategies and driving outcomes across scope, schedule, cost, risk, and quality. You’ll act as a trusted client leader and coach project managers, promoting digital delivery, safety, and collaborative culture. You’ll oversee end-to-end delivery from business case to handover, establish PMO governance, and manage contracts and stakeholders. This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on project controls to deliver high-impact rail projects that align with our mission to build a better world.

Pay / Benefits

• hybrid working
• competitive compensation and benefits
• professional development programs
• global mobility opportunities
• inclusion and collaboration culture
• disability confident employer

Responsibilities

• Act as Account/Project Director on major rail commissions and foster client satisfaction
• Lead end-to-end project management from business case through delivery and handover
• Establish PMO frameworks, stage gates, reporting, and assurance aligned with standards
• Manage contracts, procurement, and safeguard margin, cashflow, and risk
• Direct integrated schedules, risk management, and interface coordination
• Coordinate with operators, regulators, community stakeholders, and third parties for timely approvals
• Embed data-driven controls, BIM-enabled workflows, and dashboards for transparency
• Model safety culture and oversee quality management throughout lifecycle
• Mentor project managers, lead resource planning and capability building
• Shape capture strategies, bids/proposals, and value propositions to win work

Key requirements

• Extensive experience delivering complex rail projects (12+ years) with leadership on multi-disciplinary assignments
• Degree in engineering, construction/project management, or related discipline
• Professional accreditation (MAPM/ChPP, PMP, PE/CEng, PRINCE2 or equivalent) or progress toward it
• Strong command of project controls, scheduling (Primavera P6/MS Project), risk, change, and commercial management (NEC or equivalent)
• Familiarity with rail development and assurance processes (GRIP/PACE or regional equivalents) and systems integration
• Proven success in client development, stakeholder engagement, and leading distributed teams
• Track record in bid leadership and winning new work

• Stakeholder management
• Strategic thinking
• Leadership and mentoring
• Primavera P6
• MS Project
• BIM-enabled workflows

…