At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead workforce planning and develop strategies for a unified rail system.
- Company: Join DFTO, the government’s public sector rail owning group.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, a generous pension scheme, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for professional growth and networking.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on the future of rail services in the UK.
- Qualifications: Experience in workforce planning and strong analytical skills required.
The predicted salary is between 65777 - 65777 £ per year.
About DFTO
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 8,500 services a day and delivers over 640 million customer journeys across its networks every year. Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership.
Our priority is ensuring efficient, dependable rail services for everyone.
Primary Purpose of Job: The Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) Manager leads the development, coordination, and delivery of a unified, system-wide workforce planning approach across DFTO, TOCs, and future GBR structures. The role ensures DFTO has a consistent, data-driven, and forward-looking view of workforce demand, supply, risks and capability, covering both the tactical (18–24 month) and strategic (5–10+ year) horizons. The role enables DFTO to make stronger operational, financial and strategic decisions by embedding SWP into governance, modelling, scenario planning and planning cycles.
Key Deliverables:
- A consistent Group-wide SWP framework and maturity baseline across TOCs and central functions
- Monthly tactical workforce forecasts for critical operational roles
- Long-range strategic workforce scenarios covering demographics, skills, technology, and service evolution
- A version-controlled SWP Assumptions Catalogue and Scenario Planning Library
- Consolidated maturity heatmaps, insights and improvement plans across the system
- Governance materials for SWP Steering Groups, strategic reviews and assumption refresh cycles
- Alignment of SWP outputs into financial planning, capability planning and wider rail strategy
- Clear reporting of workforce risks, gaps and systemic constraints
Key Responsibilities:
- SWP Strategy & Framework Delivery
- Implement and maintain a standardised SWP framework across DFTO and all TOCs
- Lead workforce planning maturity assessments and develop improvement plans
- Define and uphold SWP baseline standards, methodologies and planning templates
- Forecasting, Modelling & Scenario Planning
- Produce monthly tactical workforce forecasts for critical operational roles
- Build and maintain long-range strategic workforce models
- Develop scenarios for service change, technology, automation, training constraints, productivity and policy shifts
- Maintain and evolve the SWP Scenario Planning Library
- Assumptions, Governance & Planning Cycles
- Own and maintain the SWP Assumptions Catalogue, ensuring transparency and version control
- Facilitate SWP governance meetings and cross-functional planning sessions
- Lead the structured cadence of assumption refreshes
- Ensure alignment between SWP outputs and organisational strategy, finance cycles and operational planning
- Cross-TOC Engagement & Capability Building
- Provide support, tools, guidance and challenge to TOC SWP leads and planning teams
- Strengthen planning capability and analytical maturity across the system
- Build collaborative relationships with HR, Operations, Finance and data teams
- Integration with Data & Analytics
- Work closely with data and platform teams to ensure the quality, availability and consistency of workforce datasets
- Ensure that SWP insights are seamlessly integrated into dashboards, modelling tools and strategic reporting
- Support continuous improvement of data definitions, metrics, and planning inputs
- Insight, Reporting & Decision Support
- Produce insightful analysis of workforce risks, gaps, bottlenecks and future capability needs
- Prepare reporting for senior leadership and governance forums
- Advise stakeholders on workforce impacts of operational, financial or policy decisions
Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications:
- Knowledge & Skills
- Strong understanding of workforce planning, modelling or operational planning
- Ability to interpret complex datasets and transform them into clear insight
- Good understanding of operational workforce drivers (rostering, training, service patterns)
- Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills
- Ability to manage governance cycles and lead structured decision-making forums
- Experience
- Significant experience in workforce planning, strategic planning, modelling or operational analytics
- Experience working in complex operational environments (transport, rail, aviation, utilities or similar)
- Experience building multi-horizon forecasts and scenarios
- Experience working across multiple organisations or stakeholders is advantageous
- Technical Qualifications
- Strong analytical capability with proficiency in Excel and workforce modelling tools
- Experience with data visualisation (Power BI, Qlik or similar)
- Familiarity with workforce or organisational data structures
- Understanding of data governance, version control and forecasting methodologies
- Experience with modelling platforms (e.g., OrgVue) is beneficial but not essential
Vacancy Details:
- Duration: Fixed Term contract/secondment up to 31st October 2027
- Location: London Waterloo/Hybrid
- Salary: up to £65,777
- Closing date: 29th June 2027
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
If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments, please contact Dean.palmer@dftoperator.co.uk. Please do not email any CV's to us, your application must be made by clicking the 'Apply' button.
Strategic Workforce Planning Manager in London employer: DfT Operator
DFTO is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where over 30,000 employees contribute to the future of public rail services in the UK. With a strong commitment to employee growth, competitive benefits including a generous pension scheme and annual leave, and a culture that promotes flexibility and inclusivity, DFTO empowers its workforce to thrive while making a meaningful impact on the rail industry. Join us at our London Waterloo location and be part of a transformative journey towards Great British Railways.
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We think this is how you could land Strategic Workforce Planning Manager in London
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We think you need these skills to ace Strategic Workforce Planning Manager in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Relevant Experience:In the public sector, having experience in community engagement, policy analysis, or project management stands out. Make sure to showcase any previous roles or volunteer work that reflects your understanding of public service values and how they've shaped your career path.
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How to prepare for a job interview at DfT Operator
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✨Brush Up on Regulatory Knowledge
Brush up on the regulations, laws, and compliance standards relevant to the role you’re applying for. Since this is the government and public sector, they might throw technical questions related to policy frameworks or project management best practices that you'll need to navigate day-to-day.
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