About DFT Operator
Join Our Team at 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 11,000 services a day and delivers over 930 million customer journeys across its networks every year. 7,000 people joined the railway family in the last year
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, 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:
Do you want to help shape the future success of Great British Railways? We are looking for an experienced commercial or marketing professional to support the delivery of the GBR Revenue Growth Plan and assist in the development of annual business plans. This will set the platform for a sustainable and customer-first railway through developing and coordinating initiatives at a national, regional and local level.
This is a fantastic opportunity to use your experience in stakeholder management, market insight and proposition development to drive sustainable revenue growth. You will also need be adept at working in a complex commercial environment where change and ambiguity are constants.
You’ll support the development and refinement of specific market strategies, using research and analysis, and the project management and implementation of activities and initiatives, to improve our understanding of our customers, enhance our customer propositions and acquire and retain customers to deliver increased passengers and revenue growth.
Key Responsibilities:
- Experience within commercial and marketing roles in a complex commercial environment
- Demonstrable product/proposition background in travel or retail sector and relevant experience of working within a proposition creation and customer focused environment
- Sound understanding of using insight and data to proactively inform recommendations and marketing activities
- Experience of working within an agile, fluid work environment with the ability to cope with ambiguity and uncertainty
- Excellent stakeholder, communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to explain complex or sensitive commercial issues clearly and manage differing views.
- Skilled in influencing decision making and building cross functional / cross company relationships.
- Advanced Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint skills, with the ability to analyse data and present clear, evidence-based recommendations.
- Proven ability to organise and coordinate with competing priorities from different team members.
- Experience of managing and driving change
Duration: Fixed Term up to 31st March 2028 contract/secondment
Location: We currently have officesin London Waterloo, Leeds, Birmingham
Salary: up to £67,000
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.
Please do not email any CV's to us, your application must be made by clicking the 'Apply' button.
Market Sector Manager in London employer: London Waterloo
London Waterloo is an attractive employer due to its commitment to employee development and the stability offered by working in the public sector. The company provides comprehensive training programs and opportunities for career advancement, making it a great place for those looking to grow in the railway industry.
