West Coast Partnership Development is the trusted partner of the Department for Transport (DfT) who are working towards creating and implementing the operations for High Speed 2 Ltd (HS2). We will design, develop and mobilise the high-speed service operations which will deliver benefits including more capacity, quicker journey times and a step-change in customer experience.
We are excited to present an opportunity to join the Transition team as the Strategic Planning Manager for a permanent role. This is chance to join a small, high calibre team working on once in a lifetime programme – launching HS2.
As a small organisation, WCPD is agile, meaning all our staff have a direct impact on the success of the company and are expected to contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of the business.
The Strategic Planning Manager is responsible for leading, developing and implementing WCPD’s approach to strategic planning. They are responsible for how WCPD undertakes strategic planning and for ensuring that WCPD has integrated and coherent long-term plans. The role will liaise with industry partners (including HS2 Ltd, NR, Avanti, DfT, GBR) to ensure that strategic outputs, deliverables and activities are aligned and coherent with the WCPD long term plans and vice versa.
The successful candidate also will support WCPD teams to create their long-term plans to commence high speed services and integrated operations and provide guidance and input to colleagues to ensure these plans are coherent and consistent across both the WCPD and industry wide programme of work.
The role is diverse, and to succeed you will have experience of: developing high-level summary plans from complex, parallel and interrelated work streams, project, programme and portfolio planning and management, leading change with internal and external stakeholders, and thinking strategically, analytically and creatively.
In this role, you will:
* Lead, develop and implement WCPD’s approach to strategic planning.
* Develop and maintain the WCPD Integrated Plan – this is the WCPD long term, integrated plan to deliver High Speed Services and Integrated Operations.
* Lead the integration of WCPD plans into industry plans (including the HS2 Strategic Migration Path (SMP), configuration state definitions), ensuring WCPD alignment and coherence.
* Support WCPD and industry change management processes.
We are looking for someone who has:
* In-depth knowledge of portfolio, programme and project methodologies
* Considerable experience of working as a Programme Manager and/or Senior Project Manager where you have demonstrated project/programme, outcome-based planning, detailed project/programme planning, outcome and benefit management
* Experience of strategic business planning and delivery of business change / improvement
* Understanding of UK railway operations and the High Speed 2 (HS2) Programme and UK Civil Service workings
* Strong interpersonal and communication skills including presenting to non-experts.
* Analysis/Data Presentation – Experience of dealing with a complex emerging and changing programme and communicating this to others in a succinct and clear way.
* Able to work set personal goals and deliver under their own initiative.
* Excellent IT and administrative skills including MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Project Planning.
Benefits include:
* Defined benefit final salary pension scheme
* Free travel on Avanti West Coast for you/spouse/partner/dependents
* Privilege Travel card (75% off other train operators fares for leisure travel)
* 30 days holiday rising by 1 for every completed year of service to a maximum of 37 days (inclusive of bank holidays)
The role is based in London. The expectation will be a minimum of 3 days per week in our office near Euston station and Warren Street Underground Station.
West Coast Partnership Development
West Coast Partnership comprises two distinct parts – Avanti West Coast and West Coast Partnership Development. Avanti West Coast runs the InterCity West Coast train services from London to north England, north Wales and Scotland.
Our work in WCPD is focused on developing plans for what the new high-speed services will look like (customer experience), how they will work (railway operations) and how we will start running new services and trains (mobilisation). Over the next 10 years we will develop and implement a programme (HS2 Ltd are building the new railway and associated infrastructure).
Your application
At WCPD, we value the differences that make each of us outstanding! We recognise the benefits of building a diverse workforce and employing people from diverse backgrounds, which includes their race, religion, age, gender, gender identity, disability and sexual orientation.
Everyone who joins us becomes part of our close-knit team. We're committed to ensuring that we are expansive and a place where people are encouraged to be themselves, and not an edited version to fit in. A place where differences are encouraged, recognised, accepted and put to good use!
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