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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
Provide an efficient and effective personal support service to the Director(s) and their team to support the delivery of their objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Proactively manage and maintain the Director’s diary, ensuring effective scheduling and prioritisation of commitments.
- Administer and monitor the Director’s personal budget, maintaining accurate and up-to-date financial records at all times.
- Coordinate and organise functions, conferences, visits, and meetings, handling all logistical arrangements efficiently and supporting successful events that drive forward objectives.
- Prepare and distribute agendas and supporting documentation for executive meetings, and support the tracking and completion of follow-up actions.
- Oversee and coordinate workloads for the clerical support team in collaboration with functional managers to ensure consistent service delivery.
- Maintain an efficient and well-organised filing system, with particular focus on records of standing meetings, statutory documentation, and authorisations.
- Utilise financial and procurement systems effectively, undertaking responsibilities as a Local Purchasing Agent where required.
- Review incoming accounts and process invoices in line with internal control procedures, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
- Maintain and update weekly personnel records, ensuring all data is accurate and appropriately recorded.
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Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications
Essential
- Excellent organisation skills
- Experience of working with senior management
- Excellent time manager
- Ability to work under pressure
- Good MS Office skills
Vacancy Details
- Duration: Fixed Term contract/secondment Upto 31st October 2027
- Location: London Waterloo
- Salary: Competitive
- Closing date: 17th July 2026
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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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