Lead Portfolio Manager

Role Overview

Our client is seeking an experienced Lead Portfolio Manager to support the Passenger ETCS Deployment Programme within the Industry Partnership for a Railway project. The role focuses on establishing and overseeing projects that implement ETCS onboard passenger trains, working across a national portfolio that spans rolling-stock engineering, fleet strategy, operator readiness, programme governance and ETCS deployment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead projects deploying ETCS across passenger fleets.
• Establish projects for onboard ETCS fitment and upgrades.
• Oversee rolling-stock modification and fleet-fitment work.
• Coordinate delivery across operators, engineers, suppliers and industry stakeholders.
• Align fleet projects with the national ETCS deployment strategy.
• Manage dependencies between fleet readiness, engineering and infrastructure.
• Drive projects through governance, assurance and approvals.
• Oversee programme risks, issues, milestones and dependencies.
• Support operator and fleet readiness for ETCS introduction.
• Provide portfolio-level reporting to senior stakeholders.

Essential Experience

• Delivered onboard ETCS/ERTMS or major rolling-stock modification programmes.
• Strong project engineering experience in the rail industry.
• Experience in rolling stock, fleet fitment, retrofit, integration or upgrades.
• Strong Project, Programme or Portfolio Management experience.
• Managed complex multidisciplinary rail projects or programmes.
• Strong stakeholder management across engineering, operators, suppliers and leadership.
• Experience with governance, assurance, risk, dependencies and approvals.

Highly Desirable

• Passenger ETCS fleet-fitment programmes.
• ETCS/ERTMS onboard integration or retrofit.
• Rolling-stock modification or upgrade programmes.
• Railway/East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) experience.
• Public Sector experience.
• Train Operating Company or rolling-stock organisation experience.
• Fleet introduction, operational readiness, engineering assurance or approvals.

Ideal Candidate

The strongest candidate combines ETCS knowledge, rolling-stock delivery and senior programme/portfolio management experience - particularly someone who has personally managed onboard ETCS fitment, fleet retrofit or major rolling-stock modification programmes.