At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead marketing evaluation and insights to shape the future of Britain's railway.
- Company: Join DFTO, the government’s public sector rail owning group with over 30,000 employees.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous annual leave, and a strong pension scheme.
- Other info: Flexible working options available; join a collaborative team driving real change.
- Why this job: Make a national impact by influencing marketing decisions that affect millions of journeys.
- Qualifications: Experience in analytics, stakeholder management, and strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 66000 - 66000 £ per year.
About DFT Operator
DFTO is the government’s public sector rail owning group. Its purpose is to bring all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership in advance of the creation of Great British Railways in 2027 - and deliver improvements in the here and now by unifying and integrating train operations under common public ownership. DFTO has over 30,000 employees, runs over 11,000 services a day and delivers over 930 million customer journeys across its networks every year.
Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership - these are LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE), Southeast, South Western Railway (SWR), c2c, Greater Anglia, WM Trains, GTR, and Chiltern. We work closely with the DfT but operate independently with our own governance and leadership teams. Our priority is ensuring efficient, dependable rail services for everyone.
Primary Purpose of Job: Help shape the future of marketing investment across Britain's railway. We're looking for a Market Insights & Evaluation Manager to lead the development of a more consistent, evidence-based approach to marketing evaluation across the rail industry. This is a unique opportunity to influence how marketing performance is measured and understood at a national level, helping stakeholders make better investment decisions that drive customer growth and revenue.
Working in a highly collaborative environment, you will partner with train operators, industry bodies and external suppliers to establish best practice, improve analytical capability and build confidence in the evidence used to assess marketing effectiveness. Your work will directly support strategic decisions on marketing investment and contribute to delivering greater value from industry-wide campaigns and initiatives.
The role: As Market Insights & Evaluation Manager, you will take the lead in embedding a new industry-wide approach to marketing evaluation, working closely with our econometric analysis supplier and stakeholders across train operating companies (TOCs), Rail Delivery Group and the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO). You will act as the focal point for marketing analysis, ensuring that evaluation activity is robust, transparent and aligned across the industry.
Combining stakeholder management, analytical leadership and commercial insight, you will help transform how marketing impact is measured and understood, enabling more effective decision-making and stronger returns on investment.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead relationships with specialist econometric suppliers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality analysis that supports strategic marketing decisions.
- Drive the implementation and ongoing adoption of a consistent evaluation framework for both national and TOC marketing activity.
- Establish and facilitate cross-industry forums that promote collaboration, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement in marketing measurement.
- Commission, manage and review the evaluation of national marketing campaigns and initiatives.
- Deliver or oversee analysis of wider commercial and marketing activities, including partnerships, promotions and rail sales.
- Work closely with marketing teams to shape evaluation approaches, ensuring analytical outputs answer critical business questions.
- Translate complex analytical findings into clear, actionable recommendations for senior stakeholders and director-level audiences.
- Build strong relationships across DFTO, TOCs and industry partners, becoming the recognised point of contact for marketing evaluation and insight.
- Contribute to the development of a centre of excellence for marketing evaluation, supporting capability-building and the adoption of best practice across the industry.
- Provide evidence-based insight and recommendations that improve marketing effectiveness and support revenue growth.
Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications:
You’ll be an experienced insights, analytics or evaluation professional who enjoys working across organisational boundaries and influencing complex decision-making. You’ll combine strong analytical capability with excellent stakeholder management skills and be comfortable communicating with both technical and non-technical audiences.
You’ll bring:
- Experience leading complex projects or programmes involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
- A proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and build consensus in matrix or partnership environments.
- Experience managing suppliers, consultancies or external partners to deliver business outcomes.
- Strong presentation and communication skills, with experience presenting analytical findings and recommendations to senior leaders.
- The ability to critically evaluate methodologies, challenge assumptions and assess the robustness of analysis.
- Experience leading or shaping analytical projects that support strategic business decisions.
- A sound understanding of statistical techniques, such as mixed media modelling, regression analysis or econometric modelling.
- Experience partnering with marketing, commercial or growth-focused teams.
- Strong data interrogation and analytical problem-solving skills.
- The ability to work at pace, manage ambiguity and maintain high analytical standards.
It would be great if you also have:
- Experience driving the adoption of new processes, frameworks or ways of working.
- Experience evaluating marketing campaigns, investment decisions or commercial performance.
- Knowledge of marketing effectiveness measurement and campaign evaluation methodologies.
- Rail industry experience or familiarity with rail industry datasets.
- Advanced knowledge of mixed media modelling, econometrics or statistical modelling techniques.
Why this role? This is an opportunity to make a significant impact at a national level. You will be joining a collaborative, fast-paced team that plays an important part in shaping commercial strategy and preparing the railway for Great British Railways. You’ll help shape how marketing investment is assessed across the rail industry, influencing decisions that affect millions of customer journeys and substantial marketing investment.
Working with senior stakeholders across multiple organisations, you’ll play a key role in creating a more collaborative, evidence-led approach to decision-making while establishing best practice that will be adopted across the industry. If you’re passionate about turning analysis into action and driving meaningful commercial outcomes, we’d love to hear from you.
Vacancy Details:
- Duration: Fixed Term up to 31st March 2028 contract/secondment
- Location: We currently have offices in London Waterloo, Leeds, Birmingham
- Salary: up to £66,000
- Closing date: 18th November 2026
DFTO Locations: DFTO currently have office locations in London, Birmingham and Leeds and individuals can be based from any of the three locations. Whilst we do offer hybrid working there are sometimes demands to travel to the other office locations.
DFTO Benefits:
- Annual Leave: Starting at 25 days and rising to an additional day per year of service completed within the first 5 completed years up to a maximum of 5 additional (30 days)
- DC Pension Scheme: 10% Employer contribution, 5% Employee contribution
- Opportunities to learn and network across the wider industry
Additional Information:
Disclaimer: Candidates applying for this position on a secondment basis must inform their line manager prior to submitting their application. This is to ensure transparency and facilitate any necessary discussions regarding workload and responsibilities.
About our people and the recruitment process - We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don't always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we'll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.
Contact: If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments, please contact Jason.blakemore@dftoperator.co.uk.
Market Insights and Evaluation Manager in Leeds employer: DfT Operator Limited
DfT Operator Limited is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the North of England where legal professionals can thrive. With a strong focus on employee growth and development, the company provides opportunities for training and collaboration with experienced legal teams across various locations. The inclusive work culture fosters innovation and ensures that every team member plays a vital role in shaping the future of public transport law.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Market Insights and Evaluation Manager in Leeds
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We think you need these skills to ace Market Insights and Evaluation Manager in Leeds
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Experience with Campaigns:In marketing-communications, it’s all about showcasing your ability to create impactful campaigns. Make sure to include any relevant projects you’ve worked on in your CV, detailing your role, the strategies used, and the results achieved. We're looking for candidates who can demonstrate their creativity and analytical skills!
Tailor Your Writing Samples:For a temporary role, we want to see your versatility and adaptability in communication. Include a couple of writing samples that align with our brand voice or reflect your ability to engage various audiences. This gives us a taste of what you can bring to the team at DfT Operator Limited from day one!
Show Off Your Digital Savvy:Digital marketing is a big part of marketing-communications, so make sure your application reflects your understanding of social media, SEO, and content marketing. Feel free to throw in any certificates you've earned in these areas—it shows your initiative and dedication to learning the latest trends!
Express Your Enthusiasm for the Short-Term Role:In your cover letter, focus on why you’re interested in this temporary position at DfT Operator Limited specifically. Share what you hope to learn during your time with us and how you can contribute to our ongoing projects. We're all about passion and potential, so let that shine through!
How to prepare for a job interview at DfT Operator Limited
✨Showcase Your Creative Portfolio
As a candidate for a temporary marketing-communications role at DfT Operator Limited, your portfolio will speak volumes. Bring along samples of your best work—think campaigns you've managed, social media content, and any visuals. Be ready to talk through your creative process and the impact your work had on previous projects.
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We know the marketing-communications field moves at lightning speed. Make sure you brush up on the latest trends—such as digital storytelling or the effectiveness of influencer partnerships. Being able to discuss these trends during your interview will show DfT Operator Limited you're not just up-to-date but also eager to innovate.
✨Highlight Your Adaptability
Since this is a temporary position, emphasise your ability to adapt quickly and work on short timelines. Share examples from your past where you had to pivot a strategy or campaign swiftly to meet changing demands. This will reassure DfT Operator Limited that you’re ready to hit the ground running.
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Be prepared for questions that assess your communication skills. You might get asked to pitch a marketing idea on the spot or create a quick content plan. This is your chance to shine and show how your unique perspective can solve problems for DfT Operator Limited, so think on your feet and don't hesitate to showcase your creativity!
