Case Manager Team Leader

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 23,000 employees, runs over 6,000 services a day and delivers over 450 million customer journeys across its networks every year. This accounts for 26% of total UK passenger journeys and 30% of passenger miles. Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership - these are LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE), Southeastern, South Western Railway (SWR), c2c and Greater Anglia.

Primary Purpose of Job: This is a rare and exciting opportunity to shape something new. DFTO is setting up a new Enforcement Team, an industry first, which will be responsible for all prosecution activity across the DFTO Group. This is a significant change in strategic approach, and as DFTO’s Enforcement General Counsel, you will play a pivotal role in delivering DFTO enforcement partnering closely with our leadership team to support confident, informed decision-making.

You will lead the case management team supporting criminal and civil cases – such as fraud, theft, fare evasion, disorderly conduct, trespassing and property damage and vandalism. Set strategic priorities for the case management team, manage resources and drive continuous improvement, so that cases are managed consistently, cost-effectively and in alignment with DFTO objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build, lead and provide direction to a high performing team of case managers, fostering capability and resilience and supporting career development.
• Set strategic direction for case allocation and team priorities, analysing trends and forecasting case volumes by jurisdiction, so that workload distribution is cost-effective and aligned with organisational objectives.
• Review case load at a function-wide level and lead regular case management reviews with senior lawyers in the team, highlighting progress, risks, budget implications, and success metrics, so that informed decisions are made.
• Lead the development and implementation of standard operating procedures and governance frameworks for case management, embedding best practice and compliance across all functions.
• Provide case management services for high profile and complex services and act as escalation point for the team, providing guidance and mitigating risks in sensitive matters.
• Under the direction and supervision of the General Counsel (Enforcement), manage the team’s budget and support procurement processes for external counsel where necessary, exercising financial discipline and delivering value for money.
• Lead lessons-learned reviews for the entire Enforcement function and embed findings into processes, driving continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Coordinate engagement with external experts and industry specialists, so the team obtains technical and operational input to strengthen case preparation and prosecution.
• Build strong relationships with senior managers across the business and external stakeholders and third parties, facilitating access to critical information and supporting collaboration on legal and operational priorities.
• Oversee production of management information and governance reporting for leadership, defining frameworks and templates to deliver accurate insights on case performance, compliance, and resource utilisation.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications:

• Proven experience leading a case management or paralegal team in a legal or regulated environment.
• Strong knowledge of criminal and/or civil litigation procedures, including court processes and compliance requirements.
• Ability to analyse data to forecast case trends and workload distribution.
• Commercially minded with experience managing budgets and managing contracts with external counsel.
• Demonstrated ability to review complex cases and act as escalation point for sensitive matters.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills across senior leadership and external bodies.
• Advanced organisational and prioritisation skills to manage team workloads effectively.
• Proficiency in case management systems, data reporting tools, and Microsoft Office.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills to build team capability and drive improvements.
• Background in rail, other transport, or other regulated industries is desirable but not essential.

Duration: 2 year Fixed Term contract/secondment

Location: Hybrid/Waterloo/Leeds

Salary: up to £56,166

Closing date: 13th February 2026

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)

Opportunities to learn and network across the wider industry.

Contact: If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments, please contact jason.blakemore@dftoperator.co.uk. Please do not email any CV's to us, your application must be made by clicking the 'Apply' button.