Access Planning Manager

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Brief Description

Join the Route Planning team as an Access Planning Manager to build and negotiate our engineering work plans through our annual construction process to build the Engineering Access Statement. You will manage a small team to negotiate access with TOCs and FOCs throughout planning timescales and have oversight of our Schedule 4 budgeting.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Access Planning Manager role on Sussex Route, accountable for the construction and negotiation of our engineering work plans through our annual construction process to build the Engineering Access Statement. You and your team cover the construction and negotiation of the access plan with TOCs and FOCs through all timescales and across Route boundaries, providing a firm foundation on which more detailed worksite deconfliction can occur later in the planning process. You will work collaboratively with other planning functions, work deliverers, System Operator and our TOCs and FOCs to create the detailed plan around which the timetable can be amended, whilst enabling delivery of the Route's work bank volumes. You will also provide technical support to the Area Planning Manager teams and others in the organisation to maximise efficiency whilst reducing disruptive impacts to passengers and freight.

About the role (External)

Key Accountabilities

1. Lead, develop and negotiate the Route Engineering Access Strategies, acting as the Route lead for the resolution of cross-Route boundary conflicts, minimising Schedule 4 liability and disruptive impact on TOC's and FOC'S to balance whole industry cost.

2. Lead and influence work delivery agents, contractors, Route Asset Management and Sponsorship teams in the establishment of integrated engineering access and Temporary Speed Restriction (TSR) strategies.

3. Lead the decision making for Route and National compliance to the Network Code for the Engineering Access Statement, drafting and confirming Period Possession Plans and subsequent late disruptive access requests.

4. Lead and manage the Dispute Resolution Process on behalf of the Route, in a timely and constructive manner, with professional stakeholder management promoting positive customer relations.

5. Identify and manage the requirement for capacity studies to support the Engineering Access Strategy and delivery of the amended timetable.

6. Support Route and National functions in the development of industry communications and media in connection with disruptive engineering work.

7. Develop, manage and promote collaborative relationships with all key internal and external stakeholders in the development of access strategies to facilitate programme delivery.

8. Provide leadership, management and direction to the planning team, acting as a role model through coaching and mentoring, to develop and enhance team performance.

9. Deliver compliance through competency assessment systems to maintain a competent planning team.

10. Promote a proactive continuous improvement culture, sharing knowledge and best practice across the industry

What are we looking for:

• Experienced user of Possession Planning System (PPS)

• Detailed knowledge of the Network Code and Track Access Conditions

• Knowledge of relevant railway geography and network capability

• Knowledge of relevant train services and network capacity

• Knowledge of Train Planning and access impact to capacity on the infrastructure

• Able to integrate worksite requests into possessions and optimise the possession plan

• Able to specify all aspects of worksite and possession parameters

• Able to work under pressure within a continuous planning process

• Able to evaluate complex factors and make decisions to maximise benefit

• Proven ability in building organisational capability through the development and implementation of processes and business disciplines

• Proven ability to engage with customers and build collaborative relationships with stakeholders at a senior level

• Good negotiating skills and ability to make objective decisions

• Good communication skills and a customer focussed approach

• Experienced and skilled in leadership and development of people

• Able to lead a team and motivate team members

• Understanding corporate governance e.g. procurement rules

• Understanding of company's obligations in relations to ORR

• Understanding railway industry structure and responsibility

• Experience of investigatory skills (Root Cause Analysis)

Network Rail operates, maintains and develops Britain's railway infrastructure managing 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and thousands of signals, level crossings and stations.