Rail: Handover & Governance Programme Specialist

Purpose of the Job
To coordinate and manage the implementation of a consistent and integrated programme governance structure, handover and integration strategy, across all infrastructure managers, directorates, projects and teams across all sites.

Principal Accountabilities

• To assure that all stakeholders (Technical, Delivery and Contractor teams; IMs) are clear as to what is required to successfully implement the Handover and Delivery Strategies and the part they play in supporting the overarching programme governance structure
• To identify and resolve any programme governance, handover or integration issues necessary to successfully protect the success Crossrail's Delivery and Handover Strategy, with a focus on structures for systems integration, assurance and handover across all teams and sites
• To lead, develop, and manage integrated resolution plans for any programme-wide integration or governance issues identified, and to help manage any modifications to existing governance, processes and strategies that may be required with the Head of Strategy (Programme Governance, Handover and Integration).
• To monitor and assure that these resolution plans are being clearly managed through to effective conclusions, and report on progress.
• To maintain close working relationships with Technical, Delivery, Programme, Operations Directorates, RfL, NR, LU, HAL, Bombardier and MTR personnel and their consultants engaged in assurance, integration, handover and acceptance work;

Main challenges of the job

• To be able to develop a full understanding of Delivery, Handover and Integration strategies and able to contribute toward the development of the same
• To be able to ensure there is a consistent understanding of Delivery, Handover and Integration strategies on behalf of the Head of Strategy (Programme Governance, Handover and Integration) and to make sure these are consistently deployed across the Technical and Delivery directorates, and the Infrastructure Managers
• To be able to successfully establish and maintain high-quality relationships across all teams and organisations, promote "one team" behaviours, and obtain cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure that momentum and consistency in implementing the strategies is maintained
• To be able to actively listen to understand multiple perspectives on an issue; to possess the personal credibility to facilitate agreement on plans to resolve complex issues
• To be able to maintain a responsive and flexible approach to changing programme priorities and ensuring the governance and strategy can rapidly adjust
• To produce regular reports that clearly identify the status of programme-critical integration issues in a format that enables key decision making and rapid resolution of disagreements and blockers
• To be able to work in collaborative manner across the matrix organisation, especially regarding Handover and Railway Integration, to maintain consistent messages and instructions across all the teams involved (Handover Manager(s), IM leads, Project Managers etc.)

Dimensions & Interfaces (both internal and external)
The post holder will not take on board accountability for the successful delivery of solutions, except where agreed, but will take on board responsibility for the formulation and agreement of issue resolution plans, facilitating progress on them and reporting on their status:

• Key working relationships
• Head of Integration
• Head of Strategy (Programme Governance, handover and Integration)
• Chief Engineer
• COS Handover Manager
• Construction Contract Project Managers
• Construction Contract Engineering Managers
• Infrastructure Managers (Network Rail, London Underground, Rail for London, and MTR)

Person Specification

• Professional qualification in programme or project management
• Strong senior stakeholder leadership skills
• Expertise in programme management (risk, change and reporting)
• Experience in project sponsorship of major projects
• Experience in the development of project/programme policy, strategy and models
• A comprehensive understanding of the issues affecting delivery of major infrastructure programme, including major programme and project management strategies
• Able to understand the big-picture and what l is ultimately required to do, whilst also maintaining an eye for detail
• a good facilitator who can collaborate across the whole Programme
• Excellent written, oral presentation and communication skills together with strong inter-personal facilitation skills and experience
• Proven ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary management team and within a matrix organisational structure