Network Rail
Programme Controls Manager
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Who We Are
Scotland's Railway plays a critical role in connecting communities, supporting the economy and moving people and goods across the country. This role offers the opportunity to influence how the railway is planned, funded and developed, with the programme informing decisions that will extend well beyond the next five-year funding period.
You will join at a formative stage, giving you genuine scope to shape and embed the programme rather than simply administer an established system. Working alongside the Programme Manager, senior decision-makers and specialists from across the railway, you will gain broad exposure to strategic planning across infrastructure, train services, investment, finance, operations and government.
At Network Rail, you will be part of an organisation with a clear public purpose and a culture built around care, respect and teamwork. You will be supported to develop through personal development plans and wider opportunities including training and mentoring.
If you can bring structure to complexity, connect information across multiple workstreams and take the initiative to turn insight into action, we would like to hear from you.
About The Role
Help shape the future of Scotland's Railway
We're looking for an experienced Programme Controls Manager to support the development of Scotland's Railway's Integrated Strategic Business Plan.
Sitting at the heart of the regulated funding process for Scotland's Railway, the plan will bring together infrastructure and train service planning and set out how the outcomes and outputs required by Scottish Ministers can be delivered within the funding available. It will provide the evidence and choices needed to inform decisions for the 2029-34 funding period, while taking a longer-term view where strategically important decisions extend beyond it.
This is a rare opportunity to help shape how Scotland's Railway plans for the future. Working across organisations and specialist workstreams, you will help bring together infrastructure, train services, investment and delivery planning into one coherent, evidence-led plan.
Working alongside the Head of Business Planning and Strategy and Programme Manager, you will establish and maintain the controls needed to manage this complex programme effectively. You will create a clear and reliable view of progress across workstreams, bringing together milestones, dependencies, risks, resources, decisions and major submissions. You will also oversee the production of high-quality programme artefacts, providing senior governance and decision-making forums with the evidence, insight and recommendations needed to act with confidence.
You will collaborate with the Programme Manager, Head of Business Planning and Strategy, Senior Responsible Owner, workstream owners and subject matter experts across Scotland's Railway. You will help teams plan consistently, identify gaps or conflicting assumptions and take the initiative to resolve issues before they affect the wider programme, ensuring that workstream outputs come together at the right time and to the required standard.
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This is more than a programme reporting role. It is an opportunity to establish the controls and ways of working that will underpin a nationally important programme and contribute directly to the future of Scotland's Railway.
What You'll Lead
- Develop and maintain the integrated programme plan, bringing together workstream activities, milestones, dependencies and major submissions.
- Establish proportionate programme controls, reporting, assurance and change-control arrangements that provide a reliable view of progress and confidence.
- Coordinate programme-level risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies, taking ownership of matters that cut across workstreams and working with accountable owners to resolve or escalate them promptly.
- Produce high-quality programme artefacts for senior governance and decision-making forums, bringing together evidence, progress, risks, choices and recommendations in a clear and accessible form.
- Work with workstream owners to improve the quality and consistency of planning and ensure that decisions, actions and changes are reflected across the programme.
- Provide the Programme Manager and senior leaders with clear insight into progress, emerging pressures and the decisions required, recommending action rather than simply reporting the position.
Application
Apply now
Please submit a CV and supporting statement outlining your relevant programme-controls experience and how you meet the requirements of the role.
Salary: Starting at £55,596 and rising to £67,813 per annum.
Network Rail Benefits: To find out about what benefits we offer, click here
Closing date: Midnight of the 9th of September 2026. Late applications will not be accepted.
Please get your application in as soon as possible, we may close the advert before the listed closing date if we receive enough applications. Late applications will not be accepted.
Please note the recruitment process for this role is a competency-based interview. If any additional stages or testing/assessments are to take place, you will be notified of these.
Click 'apply now' to apply.
We're dedicated to creating an inclusive environment and we welcome applications from everyone! Network Rail is a Disability Confident Leader and we'll try our best to adapt the process and offer a reasonable alternative to help support people with disabilities access, apply and interview for roles. You can visit Evenbreak's Career Hive for advice on accessibility support if you're unsure of the options available.
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Your Experience And Skills
What you'll bring
- Experience in programme controls, programme management, planning or a related role within a complex programme or major project.
- A practical understanding of integrated planning, reporting, assurance, risk, dependency and change management.
- The ability to bring structure and clarity to complex or uncertain environments, using your judgement and initiative to move work forward.
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to turn complex programme information into clear insight for senior audiences.
- The confidence to review and challenge plans and assumptions constructively while building effective relationships across different teams and organisations.
- A recognised programme or project management qualification, or equivalent practical experience.
What we're looking for: -
- Proven experience in team management, planning, management support of and delivery of projects.
- Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or equivalent demonstrable experience.
- Membership (or working towards membership) of an appropriate institution.
- In depth understanding of programme and project controls processes and systems.
- Detailed knowledge and experience of investment principles, support disciplines (risk, estimating, planning, cost and value management) and their supporting technology solutions.
- Ability to undertake structured analysis to problems, engage stakeholders and lead the implementation of business-wide solutions.
- Ability to communicate and influence key stakeholders at all levels of the organisation this should include Customers; 3rd party representatives, other business & functional leaders and key support personnel.
- Demonstrable ability to understand and interpret commercial and financial landscapes (budgets, forecasts, actual status).
It's desirable if you have it to help give you context to the role: -
- Knowledge of Programme & Project Management techniques such as (APM; Prince 2; GRIP; MSP etc.).
- Knowledge of Network Rail's assets and how they are managed.
- Successful experience of working in a railway environment.
- Knowledge of access and possession processes and systems.
- Experience in report writing, numerical data manipulation and system interrogation / analysis.
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