Programme Engineering Director

Overview
Engineering Strategy & Integration
Define and lead the engineering team strategy across the programme, ensuring alignment with project objectives, client expectations and the Rail Systems Way of delivery. (e.g. use of off-site integration testing). Act as the Engineering Delivery Authority for the programme, ensuring all engineering disciplines are fully resourced, integrated and coordinated effectively. Ensure that project requirements have been translated into robust engineering solutions that support delivery of scope, time, cost, and quality targets. Coordinate with Practice Directors, Project Directors and Technical Directorate to ensure sufficient technical resource is allocated and deployed to support the needs and complexity of projects.

Delivery Assurance / Systems Safety Assurance
Accountable for the project assurance process with support from the Technical Directorate and including design reviews, verification, technical review meeting organisation and readiness for construction and commissioning. Accountable for ensuring engineering risks are identified, assessed and mitigated by our project teams throughout the project lifecycle, across the programme.

Governance & Compliance
Working with the Professional Heads of Discipline, ensure engineering activities across the programme comply with internal governance frameworks (e.g. AtkinsRéalis Transportation Delivers Work, Service Delivery Process, etc.) and external regulatory requirements. Ensure there is sufficient support for Project Directors in preparing for and presenting at Project Boards, Technical Reviews and client assurance panels.

Collaboration & Leadership
Work in partnership with the Project Directors to ensure seamless integration of engineering with commercial, delivery, and stakeholder functions. Provide leadership and direction to project engineering managers, technical leads, and discipline heads across the Programme. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement within the engineering team. Participates in (and champions) the agreement of and implementation of procurement strategy for Programme.

Stakeholder Engagement
Ensure support is in place managing technical aspects of stakeholder relationships, including responding to queries and presenting engineering solutions and proposals where applicable.

Resource & Capability Management
Work with Practice Directors and supply chain to identify and secure the necessary engineering resources and capabilities to deliver the Programme. Ensure work is allocated to all "Core Resource". Support recruitment, development, and succession planning for key engineering roles in collaboration with Practice Directors. Promote knowledge sharing and technical excellence across the Programme and with other Programme Engineering Directors.

Health and Safety
Support Project Directors and the HSE team to fully embed our values, deliver against H&S requirements and to ensure delivery against CDM Plans. Act as a visible safety leader across the Programme. Ensure that there is sufficient and suitably competent resource allocated to the project in collaboration with the HSE team.

About AtkinsRéalis Complex Projects Business:
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 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.
• Manage the Engineering elements of the programme, contributing to the successful delivery of project objectives, including technical & safety, quality and budget.
• Work with the Practice Directors, and their Practice Managers along with the Technical Directorate to develop innovative ideas to improve efficiencies in our delivery processes, embracing automation and standardisation within the programme.
• Liaise with the Practice Directors, and their Practice Managers to ensure we have sufficient resources with the right skills to deliver our current and future pipelines.
• Liaise with the Project Directors and Programme Manager to identify and define a meaningful future pipeline of framework opportunities which can be shared with Practice Directors for future resource planning, and annual budget preparation.
• Work with the market & business development teams to engage with clients and actively sell our technical capabilities.
• Ensure that there is sufficient visibility of upcoming pipeline to all Practice Directors.
• Engage with supply chain to ensure that strategic relationships are developed in line with the procurement strategy.

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.
• Lead the Engineering team for the (X) Programme in a manner that it is recognised for technical excellence embracing digital innovations and ability to flexibly respond to business needs.
• Provide escalation support and management for all Engineering activities within the programme.
• Manage project team performance with focus on meeting or reducing time and costs, exceeding quality and technical objectives.
• Work with the Practice Directors to ensure skills and capacity meet the needs of the programme.
• Maximise the workload of the projects delivered from the GTC (to achieve target).
• Identify work opportunities and foster excellent client and supply chain relationships.
• Win work through maximising additional/repeat/follow-on work from clients.
• Involved with bidding activities through coordination with the market and Win Work teams and provide technical input to support strategic bids.
• Ensure compliance with our Business Management processes & procedures and manage business risk.
• From time to time there maybe an requirement for the Programme Engineering Director to manage a small team of direct reports.
• 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 working with sub-contractors.
• Experience of the rail industry is essential and with strong delivery background in at least one of the Rail Systems disciplines.
• Experience of implementing transformational change based on lean or similar principals in a design, engineering management or construction environment would be highly desirable.
• This is a true leadership position requiring the successful candidate to mobilise and motivate large, professional, multi-disciplined engineering teams, across a number of projects – whilst not necessarily having line management responsibilities for the team.
• 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.

Be rewarded. Find out more.

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.

Find out more.

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.