Practice Director

Overview
Reporting to the Engineering Systems Practice Director, the Practice Director (Rail Systems Design) will be responsible for the leadership of a team of approximately 200 Railway Systems designers and design support staff from our core disciplines of Signalling, Telecommunications, M&E, OLE and Track (PWay). Excellence in this role will be achieved by driving technical and delivery performance, with a strong focus on quality, developing key supply chain strategies plus ensuring that the best possible products and services are provided to our internal and external clients. The Rail Systems Design Practice output will be achieved through developing/managing a balanced team of designers/engineers/support staff, that is sized in accordance with the Complex Projects business pipeline and delivery strategy, with capability & competency in current and emerging systems/technologies/processes.

The Rail Systems team (within our Complex Projects business), has circa 550 staff and a ~£100m per annum turnover; we are a major supplier to Network Rail on many of its major signalling schemes/frameworks, plus we have developing relationships with Translink (NI Railways), Iarnród Éireann (Irish Railways), Transport For London, several major UK Contractors and latterly an ever increase roll supporting the wider AtkinsRéalis global rail systems market.

In addition to the Rail Systems capability, Complex Projects has an ever-growing Aviation capability – not only providing client-side Delivery Partner support, but also with some 150 staff delivering security and comms projects at Heathrow as part of a much wider AtkinsRealis relationship with the airport owners and their supply chain. Akin to this, the team has specialist tunnels and comms expertise providing consultancy, design and delivery services for highways tunnel M&E and Comms systems – such as SMART motorways.

Through the Delivery Partner arm of Complex Projects, we have a huge wealth of client-side support and PMO service skills and talent covering multiple sectors. This allows us to offer a complete "idea to delivery" capability, across multiple sectors, in support of the various Markets in which AtkinsRéalis UK&I operate, whilst maintaining support across the wider AtkinsRéalis global business.

Your Role

• This is a key leadership role within the Engineering Systems Practice.
• Drive the vision and strategy of the Railway Systems design elements of the Practice, providing value and excellent customer experience for all our clients across the UK&I rail markets and also further afield as opportunities present themselves.
• Ensuring the Railway Systems design lifecycle from early feasibility/development through to detailed design is clearly understood/aligned with wider business deliverables and is working, in harmony, with the other sections (e.g. Engineering Management, Construction and Assurance & Verification) of the Engineering Systems Practice, engineering disciplines from other practices (e.g. civil engineering) and our project delivery teams.
• Build a top performing rail systems design delivery team, through staff development at all levels (experienced and early careers) ensuring that there is a greater emphasis on multi-skilling of resources within the practice, and wider business.
• Inspire and act as a role model to all staff, fostering a truly collaborative environment, where the entire Rail Systems Design Practice team learn and develop together in order to drive increased business results.
• Ensure that our smaller projects are adequately resourced and performing well, taking into consideration the balance between our major project commitments in NR's Control Period 7 (and beyond) and the needs of our internal clients in Transportation (e.g. the CRSA Track Alliance), and Infrastructure who typically require our support on smaller, multi-disciplinary design only works.
• Drive workforce planning within the Practice – Work closely with our Programme Directors, Project Directors and Programme Engineering Directors to identify current and future design resourcing requirements, and the skills needed to match expected workload and future bid profiles.
• Work with our strategic supply chain partners to ensure we can deliver the peaks of workload whilst optimising productivity during downturns in workload which may impact our internal design teams.
• Take a leading role in the interface to our Global Technology Centre's (GTC) equivalent Rail Systems Design Practices, providing regular updates to their leadership team on Rail Systems design demand from the UK markets to support the GTC's annual budget preparation and delivery of the budget commitments made by the UK to the GTC each year.

About You

• Play an active role in the leadership of the Engineering Systems Practice, jointly setting the overall strategy and direction for the practice.
• Be widely visible across the AtkinsRéalis Complex Projects business and particularly in the Rail Systems sector; championing the right cultural values to enhance technical delivery through a highly competent and capable design workforce. Instilling the correct behaviours within the organisation to enable consistent delivery, which is technically robust, on time and profitable.
• Represent the Design Practice, and wider Rail Systems business in client engagements, project reviews and investigations where required.
• Drive collaboration across all parts of the UK&I businesses, Complex Projects and our Rail Systems delivery teams with our rail and transportation clients.
• Encouraging pan-AtkinsRéalis design practice communication and collaboration, especially around digital design solutions and innovation.
• Driving the adoption/use of consistent processes, tools and design/delivery methodologies across the practice and wider business. A key example being the standardised approach for the delivery of Level Crossings using our Advanced Signalling Method (ASM) on our projects and programmes.
• Develop annual plans and budgets for the Rail Systems design element of the Engineering Systems Practice and deliver against them.
• Work with the Programme Directors, Project Directors, and the Programme Engineering Directors to establish both long and short-term Design Practice resource demand based on the pipeline of opportunities.
• Design Practice Recruitment; Take responsibility for continuous professional development of Design Practice staff, recruitment (experienced hires and early careers) and succession planning within the practice to ensure that the profile of the practice is aligned with AtkinsRéalis current and future offerings to the market.
• Lead and promote new and innovative approaches to Railway Systems project delivery (specifically in relation to the Design disciplines) to further improve efficiency and profitability, whilst maintaining or improving management of technical risk.
• Acting as Bid / Project Technical Reviewer for nominated projects where applicable and participate in programme/project technical delivery governance activities including Major Project Reviews and Project Board Reviews on a monthly cycle.
• Supporting regular reviews (including by audit where appropriate) of the Rail Systems Design Practices' compliance with the technical assurance framework for both business technical processes and individual projects.
• Appointing Discipline Technical Authorities for each of the rail systems design disciplines with responsibilities including the competency management of design personnel (e.g. application of IRSE licencing scheme for signalling and rail telecoms design staff), and the maintenance of internal quality management procedures.
• Chartered Engineer or equivalent.
• Experience and successful track record of leading large teams, both at an operational level and (preferably) through project management.
• Knowledge/experience of undertaking contractor design management.
• Experience of the rail industry is essential and with strong delivery background in at least one of the Rail Systems design disciplines.
• Experience of implementing transformational change based on lean or similar principals in a design or construction environment would be highly desirable.
• This is a true leadership position requiring the successful candidate to mobilise and motivate a large, professional, engineering design team who have interdependence with colleagues who manage the delivery of railway systems projects both within the Complex Projects business and across the wider Transportation Market.
• Someone who can command respect, within the rail sector and who is able to shape thinking based on personal credibility and the building of relationships.
• Able to develop effective and enduring relationships.
• A strategic thinker, able to understand and anticipate changing markets, embracing modern ideas and practices and then turns the thinking into action.

Reward & benefits
Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

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About AtkinsRéalis
We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

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Additional information
Security clearance
This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.