Director of East West Rail

Job summary

The Rail Group is responsible for delivering the Government’s vision of a unified and simplified rail system, improving services for passengers and better value for money for taxpayers. We will deliver a once in a generation change to the UK railways by bringing them into public ownership, including the creation of Great British Railways (GBR).

The Director of East West Rail (EWR) will be the Department’s Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for a nationally significant transport and growth programme. EWR will improve east-west connectivity between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, linking communities to jobs, education, services and each other, supporting faster and more direct journeys, easing pressure on local roads and providing more sustainable travel choices.

The programme represents a multi-billion pound investment in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, a nationally important area for science, technology, education and innovation which already makes a major contribution to the UK economy but is constrained by poor east-west links. EWR is intended to help support the corridor’s long term growth potential by improving connectivity and supporting planned housing and employment growth, investment and productivity.

This is a high-profile programme with significant public, Ministerial and cross-government interest. The role requires visible senior leadership that can build confidence in EWR’s purpose, direction and delivery; engage credibly with communities and regional partners, and provide assurance to inform choices on scope, affordability, delivery confidence and the benefits EWR is expected to realise.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will play a central role in the collective leadership of the Group and Department, shaping strategy, resolving cross-cutting issues and ensuring delivery remains aligned to Government priorities.

We will be hosting a Microsoft Teams Information session on 26th August 1pm – 1:30pm to give you the opportunity to learn more about the role and ask any questions you may have.

Please contact our search partners devon.coates-leaning@gatenbysanderson.com to ask for the invite.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

You will:

• Act as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for East West Rail, providing clear leadership of the Department’s sponsorship role and maintaining confidence in outcomes, affordability, value for money, benefits and delivery confidence.
• Own the Department’s business case, funding and investment position for EWR, ensuring decisions on scope, cost, schedule, commercial strategy and benefits are coherent, evidence-based and focused on public value.
• Lead the Department’s sponsor relationship with EWR Co, setting clear requirements, providing effective challenge, and keeping decisions focused on the programme’s intended benefits for passengers, communities, housing, regional growth, sustainability and public value.
• Act as the senior interface with Ministers, HM Treasury, National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, delivery partners, local and regional leaders, communities, businesses and other government departments, building trusted relationships and providing clear advice and assurance.
• Provide leadership across the multi-party delivery model involving EWR Co, Network Rail and DFTO, ensuring the Department can support integration, resolve cross-cutting issues and maintain effective governance and assurance.
• Contribute to the collective leadership of the Rail Group, ensuring EWR remains aligned with wider rail reform, future network development, sponsorship arrangements and the Department’s evolving role with the rail industry.
• Build and lead a strong, senior sponsorship function, with the right mix of public sector, commercial, delivery, governance and programme sponsorship capability to support the Department’s role as an effective client and sponsor.
• Develop and lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary directorate, setting clear expectations, building capability and maintaining delivery focus through a significant period of organisational and sector change.

Person specification

You will need to be able to show, through your application, that you have the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post, as well as the leadership skills to succeed at Director level in the Senior Civil Service.

The successful candidate will be an outstanding, visible leader who will demonstrate the following criteria throughout the selection process:

• Proven senior leader within complex infrastructure, transport, growth, operational or transformation environments, providing strategic sponsorship and cross-organisational leadership to drive and enable delivery through others, with accountability for strategic outcomes, significant investment, value for money and delivery confidence.
• Strong strategic judgement and analytical capability, with the ability to test evidence and assumptions, assess wider policy and delivery impacts, identify key risks and dependencies, and make clear strategic choices across scope, affordability, benefits realisation and wider organisational priorities.
• Extensive experience of operating across complex stakeholder and delivery environments, bringing together partners with different priorities and incentives to achieve shared outcomes, while maintaining a clear sponsor perspective.
• Ability to build credibility and influence at the most senior levels, for example securing the confidence of Chief Executives, Boards, Ministers or key partners and providing constructive challenge to support effective decision-making and delivery.
• A strong track record of working effectively as a senior team, building and leading a high-performing directorate, strengthening capability, setting a clear culture and sustaining performance through ambiguity, scrutiny and change.

We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates

At DfT, we are proud of the commitment we make to diversity and inclusion and of the progress we have made. We have active & vibrant staff networks, special leave policies and workplace adjustments put in place for those who need them. We are continuing to build a diverse DfT, in an inclusive environment which nurtures and realises potential in all, at all levels.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £105,000, Department for Transport contributes £30,418 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service.

It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service values and supports all its employees.

We have strong and pro-active staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.

Pension

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package.

A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. Visit Civil Service Pension Scheme for more details. >

Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance

25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service (allowance is pro rata for part-time employees). This is in addition to 8 public holidays.

This will be complimented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.

Staff Wellbeing

Flexible working including part-time or term-time working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours.

Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.

Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here. Any move to the DfT from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.

Onsite facilities Opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable).

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online form via https://www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe135539

This should be completed no later than 23:55 on 13/09/2026

The application will include:

A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. Your CV should be no longer than two A4 pages at font size 12.

A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’.

All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel.

Should you encounter any issues with your application please get in touch with us via devon.coates-leaning@gatenbysanderson.com

Your application will be acknowledged when it is received.

For a confidential discussion to help inform your application, please contact our recruitment advisors at Gatenby Sanderson:

Khadeeja.Khalid@gatenbysanderson.com

Olivia.Robinson@gatenbysanderson.com

Selection Process and Shortlist

Stephen Cohen, Civil Service Commissioner, will chair the process. More detailed information can be found at the Civil Service Commission website: Civil Service Commission

Stephen will be joined by:

• Richard Goodman, Director General, Rail Group
• Barbara Bennett, Director General, Corporate Delivery Group
• A member of the HR leadership team, DfT

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.

Assessment

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to take part in a series of assessments which will include:

• Staff Engagement Exercise – A presentation and Q&A

These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Stakeholder Conversation

Shortlisted candidates will also have an opportunity to meet with David Hughes, CEO East West Rail ahead of their interview. Feedback from these discussions will be shared with the interview panel

Informal Discussions

Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to speak to Richard Goodman prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role and is not part of the assessment process.

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Interviews are expected to take place face to face in our London office, all shortlisted candidates will be asked to prepare a 5- minute presentation.

Offer and Feedback

Unfortunately, due to the anticipated number of applicants for this role, we are unable to provide feedback to those not successful at shortlist stage. Candidates who are shortlisted and attend an interview will be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.

Expected Timeline

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.

The anticipated timetable is as follows:

Advert Closing Date: 23:55 Sunday 13th September

Longlist: w/c 21st September

Shortlist: Monday 5th October

Assessments & Stakeholder Conversations: w/c 5th & 12th October

Panel Interviews: w/c 19th October

We will be hosting a Microsoft Teams Information session on 26th August 1pm – 1:30pm to give you the opportunity to learn more about the role and ask any questions you may have.

Please contact our search partners devon.coates-leaning@gatenbysanderson.com to ask for the invite.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments in order to support disabled job applicants and ensure that you are not disadvantaged in the recruitment and assessment process.

If you feel that you may need a reasonable adjustment to be made, or you would like to discuss your requirements in more detail, please contact:

olivia.robinson@gatenbysanderson.com in the first instance.

Further Information

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service within the last 12 months, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage.

All External applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour

Threats or acts of violence

Illegal activity or substance misuse

Sexually explicit material

Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public.

Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle—it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture.

If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Khadeeja Khalid
• Email : Khadeeja.Khalid@gatenbysanderson.com

Recruitment team

• Email : devon.coates-leaning@gatenbysanderson.com

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/

Attachments

Director EWR - Candidate Pack - FINAL 210826 Opens in new window (pdf, 964kB)