About DFT Operator
DFTO is the government’s public sector rail owning group. Its purpose is to bring all currently privately‑owned train operators into public ownership in advance of the creation of Great British Railways in 2027, delivering improvements in the here and now by unifying and integrating train operations under common public ownership.
DFTO has over 30,000 employees, runs over 8,500 services a day and delivers over 640 million customer journeys across its networks every year. 7,000 people joined the railway family in the last year.
Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership – LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE), Southern, South Western Railway (SWR), c2c, Greater Anglia and WM Trains.
We work closely with the DfT but operate independently with our own governance and leadership teams. Our priority is ensuring efficient, dependable rail services for everyone.
Senior Strategy Adviser – Key Responsibilities
* Rapidly getting up to speed with a developing but high‑profile policy area that will bring significant change to the rail industry worth £3bn/year and is critical to the transition to Great British Railways.
* Leading development of key sections of an “interim” rolling stock and infrastructure strategy that provides a framework for decision‑making on rolling stock and infrastructure ahead of the full strategy, enabling IPDC to make decisions worth several hundred millions of pounds.
* Leading a programme of engagement with key internal stakeholders such as the Head of Train Service, Rolling Stock and Depots, and the Head of Network Interfaces to support development of a future rolling stock and infrastructure needs assessment.
* Lead engagement with teams developing various alternative strategies for the supply of rolling stock and associated infrastructure, in line with other industry strategies and DfT policies, particularly the emerging Long Term Rail Strategy, working with and coordinating other workstreams as needed.
* Developing positive working relationships with key stakeholders and using operational stakeholder expertise to inform policy decisions.
Additional Contributions
* Ongoing communication with other teams across RSG and MPRG around rolling stock and infrastructure decisions, to ensure consistency with the interim and emerging strategies.
Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications
This role requires experience of strategy development and a strong understanding of commercial, financial and economic issues. Rail industry experience is not required.
Minimum evidence required:
* Experience of strategy development.
* Experience of analysing commercial, financial and economic issues.
Qualifications & Development
* Completion of the Contract Management Capability Programme (CMCP) Foundation accreditation after joining.
Vacancy Details
Duration: Permanent or Secondment
Location: London Waterloo
Salary: up to £47,052
Closing date: 10th May 2026
Benefits
Annual Leave: Starting at 25 days and rising to an additional day per year of service completed within the first 5 years, up to a maximum of 5 additional days (30 days).
DC Pension Scheme: 10% Employer contribution, 5% Employee contribution.
Opportunities to learn and network across the wider industry.
Contact
If you have any questions or require reasonable adjustments, please contact Amra Hurley at Amra.Hurley@dftoperator.co.uk.
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