Digital, Data & Technology Director in Milton Keynes

A little bit about us: East West Rail is a nationally significant railway project which aims to deliver much‑needed transport connections for the vibrant communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, which blend beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage with globally renowned centres of education, business, technology and an increasingly dynamic business scene. Together these communities contribute around £111 billion to the national economy each year. However, the lack of good East‑West transport connections makes it harder for residents to make the most of everything the region has to offer. From faster commutes to days out with friends and family, EWR will make it easier to reach the things that matter most, bringing a range of benefits to communities between Oxford and Cambridge, and across the UK more broadly. EWR is also one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects, which the government committed to delivering in full in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and again in the 2025 Spending Review as part of its ambition to unlock the potential of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor. EWR is being championed by the Government as a key driver to economic growth leading to a potential £78 Billion boost to the UK economy: supporting new towns, housing, and regeneration.

Role Summary: This role will provide strategic and operational leadership across digital, data, technology, information management and cyber security to support the delivery of a complex railway infrastructure programme and enable a safe, efficient, customer‑centred operational railway. Working closely with the Executive Team and senior leaders across the organisation, the role will play a pivotal part in shaping the digital foundations of a modern railway organisation – spanning programme delivery, corporate systems, future operational readiness and long‑term asset information legacy. This role will also lead the development of digital, data and technology capabilities and an operating model that spans multiple partner organisations, evolving and adapting throughout the lifecycle of the programme.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Strategic Leadership
  • Define and deliver an enterprise wide digital, data and technology strategy aligned to EWR Co’s mission and future operational needs.
  • Lead the development and implementation of a digital, data and technology operating model in conjunction with multiple partner organisations operating across multiple digital and cyber environments.
  • Act as strategic owner of EWR Co’s digital ecosystem, ensuring coherence and interoperability across platforms, architecture, governance and standards.
  • Shape EWR Co’s organisational strategy by being a thought leader and championing the best use of modern, scalable digital and data practices and building a user‑focused and ‘digital first’ culture.
  • Be a trusted adviser to the Board, Executive and Senior Leaders in the business.
• Digital
  • Lead and own digital delivery across the organisation, ensuring digital services and ways of working support both infrastructure delivery and future railway operations.
  • Identify and develop new digital capability and systems that build on and complement existing digital engineering excellence, for example through our Building Information Management and Digital Twin tools.
  • Oversee and prioritise digital investment, making sure spend delivers clear value.
  • Lead on the implementation of AI tools to enable the organisation to deliver more efficiently and effectively.
• Data & Information
  • Deliver a data and information strategy and operating model that is scalable, flexible and can interoperate with multiple partner organisations.
  • Develop East West Rail’s data capabilities and embed a data‑led culture including treating data and information as strategic assets.
  • Set data, information and quality standards and establish effective data and information governance and control across corporate systems, project and the supply chain, for example in line with ISO 19650.
  • Deliver high quality data models – getting the best out of our Microsoft Azure environment and recent adoption of Microsoft Fabric.
  • Enable high quality analytics and insight capabilities – making sure information is trusted, accessible and fit for purpose.
  • Embed robust information security standards and practices.
  • Ensure relevant asset and operational information is available and in suitable form for bringing the railway into operation and handing the physical asset over to the Asset Owner in a highly regulated environment.
• Technology
  • Deliver secure, resilient and scalable technology platforms, including an efficient, interoperable and effective technology architecture.
  • Lead and own cyber security and information risk management, strategy and operations – building on our existing Secure by Design status to make sure East West Rail is a cyber secure organisation.
  • Deliver a high‑quality IT operational service to the organisation including end user computing, incident management, service desk, vendor performance and Disaster Recovery.
• General
  • Responsible for managing and supporting direct reports including: coaching and developing team members to drive individual growth and operational excellence.
  • Leading continuous improvement, through regular performance management and ensuring compliance with organisation policies and updating relevant systems.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Deep expertise across digital, data, technology, information management and cyber security.
• Proven ability to build and mature digital capability and operating models from the ground up.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
• Experience working across programme delivery, corporate functions and 3rd parties.
• A collaborative, adaptable, outcomes‑focused mindset with the confidence to challenge, innovate and set high standards.
• Experience in transport, infrastructure, construction or other regulated and safety‑critical sectors. (Desirable)

Benefits

• Competitive salary that reflects your skills and experience
• Up to 12% employer pension contribution to support your future
• 36 days annual leave (including bank holidays) plus the option to buy up to 2 extra days
• 2 volunteering days, a chance for you to give back to the community
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies to support you and your loved ones
• Life assurance (4x your annual salary) for peace of mind
• Employee Assistance Programme for confidential support when you need it
• Access to Perkbox for a wide range of discounts and wellbeing benefits
• Recognition programme, including on‑the‑spot and annual awards
• Advanced learning and development opportunities to help you grow.

Diversity and Inclusion

At East West Railway Company, we’re committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple - to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and experiences.