DfT Operator
Commercial Analyst
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About DFT Operator
Join Our Team at DFTO
DFTO is the government’s public sector rail owning group. Its purpose is to bring all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership in advance of the creation of Great British Railways in 2027 - and deliver improvements in the here and now by unifying and integrating train operations under common public ownership.
DFTO has over 30,000 employees, runs over 8,500 services a day and delivers over 640 million customer journeys across its networks every year. 7,000 people joined the railway family in the last year.
Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership - these are LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE), Southeastern, South Western Railway (SWR), c2c, Greater Anglia and WM Trains.
We work closely with the DfT but operate independently with our own governance and leadership teams. Our priority is ensuring efficient, dependable rail services for everyone.
Primary Purpose Of Job
This role consists of supporting all stages of the procurement process from the analysis of procurement and market data, supporting the team with sourcing activity from the handing over of contracts to contract and supplier management within DfT Operator Limited (DFTO). The role supports Procurement Managers, procurement team; and works with Train Operators (TOC) Procurement Departments and Supplier Management staff across DFTO and TOCs to support transition into the public sector and to establish Group Sourcing Mechanisms. This role underpins both DFTO’s and the Procurement Directorate’s Business Plan. In addition to TOCs, the role maybe required to work with and DfT, RNP, external stakeholders such as Network Rail, Crown Commercial Services, and other Government bodies.
Key Responsibilities
- To provide analysis on procurement information, data, and market research to inform commercial options and procurement strategies.
- To lead on an ad hoc basis low-medium value procurement activities including reviewing/negotiating terms and conditions, ensuring compliance to procurement regulations, internal governance processes delivering value for money.
- Provide data to the Procurement team to enable informed decisions across Contract Management, Sourcing and Category Management.
- Analyse financial, operational, and market data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
- Translate data into actionable commercial insights to support strategic decision-making.
- Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and KPIs to track business and category performance.
- Present insights to senior stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.
- Assist in financial forecasting, planning, and budgeting processes.
- Monitor actual performance against budgets and forecasts, providing variance analysis.
- Recommend pricing strategies or cost-saving initiatives based on findings.
- Analyse contract performance, and cost-saving opportunities.
- Support sourcing strategies with market intelligence and financial modelling.
- Build and assess business cases for new projects, investments, or commercial initiatives.
- Conduct scenario and sensitivity analysis to evaluate potential outcomes.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as Finance, Sales, Procurement, and Operations.
- Act as a commercial partner to the business, supporting non-financial stakeholders with data-led decisions.
- Research market conditions, customer trends, and competitor activities to inform commercial strategies.
- Identify inefficiencies in reporting or data processes and suggest improvements.
- Support implementation of tools and systems that improve data accuracy and insight delivery.
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Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications
- Experience (desirable) of working in a direct procurement, commercial or contract management environment.
- Strong analytical, numeracy, communication, problem solving skills and an eye for detail.
- Experience in report writing.
- Good IT skills including use of Microsoft suite (Excel, Word & PowerPoint).
- Ability to communicate/facilitate effectively with all levels of staff within the business and with external suppliers.
- Knowledge of relevant public procurement legislation including the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 & Procurement Act 2023.
- Experience of working with a Procure to Pay (P2P) system (desirable).
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Vacancy Details
- Duration: Fixed Term contract/secondment up to 31st October 2027.
- Location: London, Manchester, York and Hybrid.
- Salary: up to £36,500.
- Closing date: 16th July 2026.
DFTO Benefits
- Annual Leave: Starting at 25 days and rising to an additional day per year of service completed within the first 5 completed years up to a maximum of 5 additional (30 days).
- DC Pension Scheme: 10% Employer contribution, 5% Employee contribution.
- Opportunities to learn and network across the wider industry.
Additional Information…
Disclaimer: Candidates applying for this position on a secondment basis must inform their line manager prior to submitting their application. This is to ensure transparency and facilitate any necessary discussions regarding workload and responsibilities.
About our people and the recruitment process - We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don't always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we'll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.
Contact: If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments, please contact Dean.palmer@dftoperator.co.uk.
Please do not email any CV's to us, your application must be made by clicking the 'Apply' button.
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