Senior Sponsor

Lead the development and implementation of major renewal and enhancement project portfolios, funded by government, customer, stakeholder, or multiple funders, where Network Rail assumes a sponsorship role. Manage the benefit realisation of the project portfolio to agreed scope, time, and cost.

Location can be Bristol of Exeter.

Your Main Responsibilities will be to:

• Build effective relationships, (internally & externally) to balance the requirements of the client, Network Rail, and the industry as a whole. Champion the interests of clients, customers and stakeholders acting as the focal point for escalation within Network Rail.
• Review and interrogate client remits to confirm their viability. Work with internal and external stakeholders to establish a scope which optimises client requirements, value for money, network availability and capacity for future development and whole life cost.
• Be responsible for the conversion of the client remit into an agreed project requirement specification. Be accountable for development of the initial project plan and budget; working with the project manager to specify how the project portfolio is going to be delivered, expected milestones and associated timescales, resource requirements, risks & issues and funding needs/sources.
• Progress cost efficiencies and process improvements across the project portfolio to meet control period targets. 
• Own and manage business cases and investment papers for a portfolio of projects. 
• Devise solutions which maintain the ‘business as usual’ accessibility for our customers, take consideration of the 7-day railway principles and therefore minimise disruption to end rail users. Take a national/route wide view across portfolios to generate additional benefits, identify and resolve conflicting work and drive efficiencies.
• Lead the process of quantifying risk associated with the project portfolio. Devise mitigating actions and periodically review recovery progress.
• Interrogate and challenge plans to assess the deliverability of agreed scope within stated timescales and cost parameters, presenting any required scope changes to the client for approval. 
• Hold the Project Manager accountable for programme delivery to cost, time and scope parameters. Hold periodic reviews to understand and challenge delivery progress against the client remit. Communicate progress status against defined milestones and expectations to stakeholders putting contingency measures in place if required.
• Lead negotiations with customers and stakeholders on the project portfolio’s commercial and contractual terms in accordance with relevant corporate policy and strategy. Act as the focal point for negotiations and resolution of external scheme interface requirements, including any Parliamentary or Statutory processes, external consents issues to optimise the value of the scheme to Network Rail and funder(s).
• Comply with the requirements of investment regulations, other corporate governance and the Guide to Railway Investment Projects. Adhere to corporate processes, including those related to safety, finance, legal and corporate affairs.
• Facilitate the discharge of the duties assigned by the Client as detailed within the Construction Design Management (CDM) Regulations for the programme of projects allocated.

You will ideally have

• Qualified to degree level or equivalent.
• Experience of dealing with client portfolios and liaising with people at all levels
• Ability to articulate complex business problems into manageable work packages and produce synthesised logical solutions.
• Proven ability to write coherently, conveying report / investment information in a concise manner.
• Commercially astute, persuasive, and customer focused.
• Proven influencing and negotiating skills
• Experience of leading a successful team

What could set you apart

• Experience in significant management roles in a commercial environment
• MBA or other related postgraduate qualification
• Experience of negotiating contracts to finalisation and able to demonstrate significant commercial success

Not sure if you meet all the requirements? Let us decide.