Head of E&M Transformation Programme

About the Role
The E&M Transformation Programme is responsible for the end-to-end implementation of an approved improvement plan, designed to create an integrated, prioritised, and accountable programme of work. The role ensures that workstreams are clearly defined with problem statements, accountable owners, agreed outcomes, required client decisions, success measures, and implementation timescales. This position serves as the principal coordination point between clients, relevant subcontractors, and supporting functions, necessitating a practical understanding of railway operations and maintenance (O&M) to effectively challenge plans, identify dependencies, and recognize when additional engineering, safety, or commercial expertise is necessary.

Missions/Main Duties
Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and governing the E&M Transformation Programme by establishing appropriate governance, accountability, decision-making processes, programme controls, and reporting arrangements.
• Translating the approved E&M Improvement Plan into an integrated programme roadmap and driving coordinated implementation across agreed workstreams and improvement initiatives.
• Providing overall integration and direction across the programme, ensuring that organizational, operational, technical, commercial, systems, and behavioral changes are aligned while managing key interdependencies effectively.
• Coordinating with clients, subcontractors, and other stakeholders to facilitate collaboration, resolve implementation barriers, and ensure that decisions are acted upon.
• Maintaining effective oversight of the programme, including tracking progress, managing risks, issues, dependencies, benefits, and necessary decisions, with timely escalation to management or executive levels as needed.
• Delivering clear, evidence-based reporting to the Executive and governance forums, highlighting progress, achievements, emerging concerns, required decisions, and overall transformation outcomes.
• Ensuring that improvement initiatives are effectively executed, embedded, and sustained, including coordinating the necessary specialist input and transitioning completed changes into business-as-usual operations.
• Managing the transition of completed outputs into business-as-usual ownership.

Key Deliverables

• Approved programme charter, governance plan, and task-force terms of reference.
• Integrated programme roadmap and detailed implementation plan.
• Programme RACI and decision-rights matrix along with a prioritised initiative portfolio.
• Consolidated resource and capacity plan, including organization structures.
• Comprehensive risk, issue, dependency, and decision registers, along with a benefits-realisation plan.
• Monthly executive dashboard and steering committee pack.
• Stakeholder engagement and change-management plan.
• Programme closure and transition-to-business-as-usual plan.

Profile/Skills
Essential Experience

• Significant experience leading complex transformation or improvement programmes.
• Experience delivering multi-workstream change in rail, transport, utilities, aviation, infrastructure, or other safety-critical asset environments.
• Working knowledge of railway operations and maintenance to understand delivery, engineering assurance, defects, asset performance, and operational constraints.
• Proven experience managing senior stakeholders, governance forums, and preparing executive reports.
• Coordination experience in operational, engineering, commercial, digital, and organizational change.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in a metro, tram, railway concession, or operator-maintainer environment.
• Management of client, operator, maintainer, and subcontractor interfaces.
• Background in organizational design, operating models, or post-diagnostic transformations.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, business, project management, or a related discipline is desirable.
• Asset-management or rail-industry qualifications are advantageous.