Project Manager - 12 month FTC

What is the purpose of this job?

Project management at RDG is about the balance between driving delivery and being an inspiring leader who forges strong working relationships. As a Project Manager at RDG your role is to work across project teams, operational teams and a range of stakeholders to successfully deliver projects to time, scope and budget with risks and dependencies recognised and managed. This will involve employing both project management tools and techniques and excellent people skills.

The Railcard Validity Service (RVS) validates Railcards at the point of ticket purchase, helping ensure discounts are applied only to eligible journeys.

As Project Manager, you will lead defined RVS workstreams, coordinating retailers, train operators, technology suppliers and industry stakeholders to deliver consistent implementation across retail channels. You will drive plans, manage risks and dependencies, resolve issues and support timely decisions to deliver agreed outcomes on time and within budget, in line with RDG’s Project Delivery Framework.

What can I expect to do in this job?

The Project Manager will coordinate delivery across train operators, retailers, technology suppliers and industry stakeholders, bringing together plans, people and dependencies to ensure RVS is implemented consistently across retail channels.

You will take ownership of delivery, confidently navigate a multi-stakeholder environment and communicate clearly with different audiences. You’ll use your judgement to resolve issues, drive decisions and keep delivery focused on reducing fraudulent Railcard discount use and improving the customer experience.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but things you can expect to be involved with include:

• Develop detailed project plans, including setting milestones and adhering to deadlines Identifying risks and developing mitigation strategies.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders
• Being responsible for getting the work done to the right standard and adapting to the different structure and needs of specific project.
• Leading and motivating the team of people involved in the project.
• Co-ordinating with multiple work streams and teams.
• Ensuring the project is running on time and to budget.
• Measure project performance using appropriate tools, and report progress.
• Dealing with changes to the project as and when necessary.
• Ensuring the outcomes and benefits of the project are delivered; and
• Working to the RDG Project Delivery Framework.

Who will my key contacts be?

• Project Team Members
• Department for Transport
• Transport for London
• Third Party Suppliers (service support providers)
• Train Operating Companies (TOCs) / member organisation representatives
• Network Rail

Requirements

What experience, skills and knowledge do I need?

We are looking for an experienced Project Manager, or someone with equivalent experience, who can demonstrate strong delivery leadership, sound judgement and ownership of complex technical change.

You will be comfortable working with technical teams, subject matter experts and multiple organisations and suppliers, translating technical and operational requirements into clear plans, decisions and actions.

Rail industry experience is essential, with a good understanding of the systems, technology, stakeholders and ways of working that support rail retailing.

Some of the specific skills and knowledge we are looking for include:

• Experience of managing third-party suppliers and coordinating with internal functions, such as QA and service delivery.
• Experience of delivering complex technical projects in line with a recognised delivery lifecycle[MA1] ;
• Managing project scope, including benefits management, change control, configuration management, change management and requirements management.
• Experience with project scheduling - both resource and time.
• Project budget and cost control experience.
• Managing risk, understanding the risk context and demonstrating a range of risk techniques.
• Experience in dealing with external resource, including third party contracts and procurement.
• Solid understanding of a project business case and ability to translate the business case into successful delivery.
• Experience in project planning, reporting and stakeholder management.
• Experience and qualifications in standard project methodologies e.g. Prince, Agile, Scrum.
• Experience of using project tools such as Jira, Confluence, and MS Project/Smartsheet.

Benefits

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