Project Director – Major Rail Projects

Overview

In this role you lead end-to-end delivery of major rail projects, guiding multi-disciplinary teams and senior stakeholders to ensure on-time, on-budget outcomes. You’ll shape strategy, mobilise programmes and drive safe, high-performing delivery across the UK and beyond. The position sits at the heart of AECOM’s rail ambitions, blending governance, commercial acumen and technical excellence. You’ll act as a senior client advocate, influencing outcomes and fostering innovation in a complex, high-profile environment.

Pay / Benefits

• hybrid work options
• global infrastructure impact
• professional development
• Day 1 onboarding
• equal opportunity employer
• competitive compensation and benefits

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for major rail projects and programmes
• Assist in positioning and winning major rail infrastructure projects
• Establish and lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary project organisation
• Own project delivery strategy, governance, performance and outcomes
• Lead mobilisation, implementation and transition through project lifecycle
• Maintain relationships with senior clients, sponsors, operators and contractors
• Set project objectives, governance structures and delivery plans
• Manage programme cost, schedule, risk, quality, safety and change
• Provide challenge and assurance to keep projects deliverable and commercially sound
• Drive decision-making across complex interfaces and stakeholder priorities
• Resolve significant technical, commercial, contractual and delivery issues
• Ensure application of project controls, reporting and governance
• Promote safety, quality, sustainability and technical excellence
• Develop and mentor senior project and programme managers
• Support growth by identifying opportunities and contributing to bids
• Represent AECOM at senior industry and client forums
• Champion innovation and digital delivery in infrastructure solutions

Key requirements

• Significant senior project or programme leadership experience within the rail sector
• Proven track record delivering large-scale, complex rail infrastructure projects with high capital value
• Accountability for outcomes across cost, schedule, risk, quality and delivery
• Experience with major rail clients and delivery partners
• Strong understanding of rail governance, assurance, safety and regulatory requirements
• Experience leading large multidisciplinary teams and complex supply chains
• Strong commercial awareness and management of contractual and financial issues
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder-management at Board level
• Credibility to challenge, negotiate and make difficult decisions under pressure
• Track record of developing high-performing teams and senior talent
• Relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience
• Chartered status or membership of a professional institution (Desirable)
• Degree or equivalent in engineering, construction, project management, transport or related discipline (Desirable)
• Experience with NEC contracts and major infrastructure procurement (Desirable)
• Experience of rail assurance and governance (Desirable)
• Experience in alliance/joint venture delivery models (Desirable)
• Experience across client-side and consultancy environments (Desirable)
• Formal project or programme management qualification (APM/PMI) (Desirable)

• excellent communication and stakeholder-management
• strong influencing and negotiation abilities
• leadership and people-development
• NEC contracts
• programme and project management
• risk and governance frameworks

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