Project Manager - 18 Month FTC

Help Shape the Future of Britain's Railway

Rail Delivery Group (RDG) partners with Britain’s train operators to put customers at the heart of everything we do, delivering essential services and dedicated experts who keep the nation’s railway running efficiently. 

From journey information, reservations and Railcards to improving performance, safety and accessibility, we drive the services and people that keep the railway moving. Anyone who has travelled by train or booked a journey for friends or family, will have used our services. We are integral to the running of the railway and play a crucial part at every stage of the customer journey – making sure we are delivering a better railway for all our customers, now and in the future.

As we embark on a new era for rail, we are now looking for a Project Manager to join us. If you are motivated by meaningful work and want to play a role in the future of Britain's railway, we'd love to hear from you!

 

What is the purpose of the Job?

The Project Manager will play a key role in driving the successful delivery of the Mobile Smart Ticketing Programme, working alongside the Programme Manager and wider programme team to turn strategic objectives into tangible industry outcomes.

Mobile Smart Ticketing will introduce a new form of digital ticketing, giving customers more choice in how they travel. 

It will offer the convenience of an eTicket, like a barcode ticket, with the added benefits of a smartcard that can be held securely on a customer's smartphone. 

The technology is designed to be fast, reliable and easy to use, including features such as express transit mode, so customers do not need to unlock their phone or open an app at ticket gatelines.

It can also work reliably in situations where a phone screen is cracked, and on some devices when the battery is flat. 

Over-the-air cancellations will also strengthen protection against ticket fraud.

The post holder will take ownership of delivering projects and workstreams, ensuring progress is maintained against agreed scope, timescales, budget and quality objectives. 

They will proactively identify and remove delivery blockers, drive actions to completion, and work with stakeholders to resolve challenges before they impact delivery.

The role requires strong stakeholder engagement across a complex, multi-organisational environment. 

The Project Manager will work collaboratively with train operators, suppliers, industry partners and internal teams to build commitment, influence decision-making and maintain delivery momentum. 

They will be expected to challenge where appropriate, bring people together to solve problems, and ensure risks and dependencies are actively managed rather than simply reported.

Project management at RDG is about balancing delivery excellence with strong leadership and relationship management. 

As a Project Manager, you will lead from the front, bringing energy, pace and accountability to your projects. 

You will use project management disciplines, commercial awareness and excellent people skills to drive outcomes, deliver benefits and help shape the future of rail retailing.

What can I expect to do in this job? No two days are quite the same, but some of the things you will be involved in include:

• Taking ownership for the successful delivery of projects and workstreams within the Mobile Smart Ticketing Programme, ensuring agreed objectives are achieved.
• Driving delivery across multiple stakeholders and organisations, maintaining momentum and ensuring commitments are translated into action.
• Developing and maintaining robust project plans, schedules and delivery roadmaps, ensuring critical activities remain on track.
• Actively identifying delivery risks, dependencies and potential blockers, resolving them wherever possible before they affect project outcomes.
• Building strong relationships with train operators, suppliers, industry partners and internal teams to secure engagement and commitment to delivery.
• Leading project teams, coordinating contributions from stakeholders and subject matter experts, and creating accountability for agreed actions.
• Monitoring project performance against scope, schedule, budget and benefits, taking timely corrective action where required.
• Producing high-quality governance, reporting and decision-making materials that enable informed and timely decisions.
• Facilitating workshops and discussions that move projects forward, resolve issues and achieve consensus across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Managing project change effectively, assessing impacts and ensuring delivery plans remain aligned with programme objectives.
• Supporting procurement, supplier management and contract delivery activities, ensuring suppliers deliver against agreed commitments.
• Working closely with the Programme Manager to identify opportunities, address emerging challenges and ensure programme objectives are achieved.
• Applying the RDG Project Delivery Framework and project management best practice to deliver measurable business outcomes and programme benefits.

 

What experience, skills and knowledge do I need?• We are less interested in ticking every box and more interested in finding someone who can make a positive contribution to our team.

• We are looking for someone with experience of working as a Project Manager, or in a similar delivery role, who can demonstrate strong project management skills, the ability to build effective relationships, and a passion for delivering successful outcomes.

Essential Skills : 

• Experience of managing projects through their full lifecycle, from initiation through to implementation and closure, with a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes.
• Experience of delivering technology, digital or business change projects within a complex stakeholder environment.
• Experience of developing and maintaining project plans, schedules and delivery roadmaps, ensuring delivery remains on track and objectives are achieved.
• Experience of managing project scope, requirements, assumptions, dependencies and change control.
• Experience of identifying, assessing and managing project risks and issues, with the ability to proactively drive mitigation activities and resolve challenges before they impact delivery.
• Experience of managing project budgets, forecasts and financial reporting.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships across multiple organisations and levels of seniority.
• Experience of working with third-party suppliers and managing the delivery of externally provided services or solutions.
• Demonstrable ability to drive delivery, maintain momentum and overcome blockers in complex project environments.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and reporting skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly, challenge constructively and drive actions through to completion.
• Experience producing project governance artefacts, status reports, decision papers and progress updates that support effective decision-making.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines while maintaining focus on delivery outcomes.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to anticipate issues, identify solutions and take ownership of resolving them.
• A proactive, resilient and delivery-focused approach, with the confidence to challenge where appropriate and hold stakeholders accountable for commitments.
• Knowledge of recognised project management methodologies and frameworks, such as PRINCE2, Agile or Scrum.
• A recognised project management qualification, or equivalent practical experience.

 

Desirable

• Experience of delivering ticketing, retailing, payments, mobile application or customer-facing technology projects.
• Experience of working within the rail, transport or public sector environment.
• Experience of working in a multi-organisational or industry-wide programme environment.
• Experience of procurement activities, supplier onboarding and contract management.
• Experience of using project management and collaboration tools such as Smartsheet, Jira, Confluence and Microsoft Project.
• Understanding of mobile ticketing technologies, digital customer journeys or smart ticketing solutions.
• Familiarity with benefits realisation and business change activities.

Why Work for RDG?

We offer a highly competitive package, including:

• 75% discount on rail travel (for work and leisure), plus international rail discounts
• 30 Days annual leave (plus buy/sell options and additional leave for key life events)
• Two Personal Development Days are granted to employees annually
• Interest-free Season Ticket Loan for commuting costs
• Enhanced family leave – 30 weeks full pay for maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and shared parental leave
• Pension scheme – up to 8.64% employer contribution
• Subsidised Private Medical Insurance (Vitality PPP) and Health Cash Plan (Healthshield)
• Access to our flexible benefits portal - a central hub for accessing retail discounts, shopping, dining, travel, and entertainment perks
• Flexible working arrangements available