East West Rail is a nationally significant railway project which aims to deliver much-needed transport connections for the vibrant communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, which blend beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage with globally renowned centres of education, business, technology and an increasingly dynamic business scene. Together these communities contribute around £111 billion to the national economy each year.
However, the lack of good East-West transport connections makes it harder for residents to make the most of everything the region has to offer. From faster commutes to days out with friends and family, EWR will make it easier to reach the things that matter most, bringing a range of benefits to communities between Oxford and Cambridge, and across the UK more broadly.
EWR is also one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects, which the government committed to delivering in full in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and again in the 2025 Spending Review as part of its ambition to unlock the potential of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.
EWR is being championed by the Government as a key driver to economic growth leading to a potential £78 Billion boost to the UK economy: supporting new towns, housing, and regeneration.
Role Summary:
This role will support the Head of Commercial Operations and the wider commercial team by providing a strategic live picture of the programme of EWR’s commercial activity, including key milestone tracking, building procurement programmes to include governance and approval requirements for procurements and reporting on supplier and contract management activities.
The role will be a key interface with the wider EWR Programme and Reporting function and support discussions with external governance and approval organisations.
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Manage and maintain the EWR commercial programme plan across the portfolio of commercial activity.
- Utilise project/programme management methodologies to track progress, highlight potential bottlenecks, manage risks and dependencies.
- Highlight resourcing constraints that could impact the delivery of the commercial programme.
- Establish and maintain relationships with relevant internal and external stakeholders, providing day-to-day contact for project teams and acting as the first port of call in the event of project successes/changes/issues.
- Support reporting of commercial milestones, governance and assurance points as well as other specified activities.
- Support with maintaining governance and any approval decisions from Commercial Sub-Committee (CSC) and higher governance levels.
- Support with the closing down of actions by chasing presenters to update their papers.
- Support with the creation of training materials for the wider Commercial function.
- Prepare and present reports on the EWR Commercial Programme of activity to senior management.
- Support robust budget and cost centre management reporting and planning for the commercial function.
- Analyse existing Total Contract Values and contract headroom to pre-empt upcoming governance submissions to CSC.
- Collaborate with other departments to ensure an integrated approach between Commercial and the wider EWR Programme.
- Support administration in various systems utilised by EWR Co.
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Relevant technical knowledge in systems such as PowerBI, Primavera P6 and other reporting and planning tools.
- Understanding of governance models and regulations in public sector organisations.
- Experience planning for multiple, concurrent projects working with multi-disciplinary teams and reporting to senior stakeholders.
- Ability to identify risks and dependencies and mitigate against them.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to evaluate, design, and optimize programmes of activity.
- Excellent communication skills including written and verbal skills - able to communicate clearly and effectively with others and influence positive changes and manage conflicting priorities with internal and external stakeholders.
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Competitive salary that reflects your skills and experience
- Up to 12% employer pension contribution to support your future
- 36 days annual leave (including bank holidays) plus the option to buy up to 2 extra days
- 2 volunteering days, a chance for you to give back to the community
- Enhanced family-friendly policies to support you and your loved ones
- Life assurance (4x your annual salary) for peace of mind
- Employee Assistance Programme for confidential support when you need it
- Access to Perkbox for a wide range of discounts and wellbeing benefits
- Recognition programme, including on-the-spot and annual awards
- Advanced learning and development opportunities to help you grow.
Diversity and Inclusion:
At East West Railway Company, we’re committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple - to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and experiences.
East West Railway Company is a new and exciting venture at the forefront of the changing landscape of the rail industry, delivering substantial fast-paced improvement to modernise the railway.
