Head of Rolling Stock Insight in London

We are looking for a Head of Rolling Stock Insight to be based at any of our office locations: London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, York, Glasgow. At ORR we have adopted hybrid working and are currently expected to work from a workplace location for a minimum of two days per week or 40%.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain’s railways and monitor of performance on England’s strategic road network. This is an exciting time to join ORR, as we are delivering a significant transformation programme to create a consistently agile and enabling organisation, with the right capability and a strong, inclusive culture that reflects our talented people. This will ensure we continue to operate as an independent, expert regulator, fit for the future and equipped with the capabilities and ways of working required to support sector-wide rail reform, while contributing to the government’s broader agenda on regulatory reform and economic growth.

This is a new function for ORR, arising from the introduction of our whole system monitoring and advice role for GBR. The Rolling Stock Insight team will provide expertise in monitoring and providing advice throughout the lifecycle of GBR’s approach to rolling stock: from how the strategy and requirements are drawn from the railway’s long-term strategy and train service plans, through design, procurement, introduction and deployment of the rolling stock, strategies and plans for undertaking light and heavy maintenance, and fleet cascades.

The team will develop a presence with industry stakeholders and the supply chain. It will work closely with other teams across ORR including specialist rail vehicle engineers and the wider engineering team (who provide assurance that GBR is acting in accordance with relevant parts of its licence and with applicable regulations e.g. interoperability), operations specialists and colleagues in other directorates (such as Economics, Finance and Markets and Railway Safety).

The Head of Rolling Stock Insight will lead ORR’s capability for monitoring the design, development and implementation of GBR’s rolling stock strategies, plans and contracts and feed into ORR’s reporting and advice to funders as appropriate. You will shape ORR’s new regulatory approach in this area. You will lead the team in monitoring and engaging with GBR, advising internally and externally on how far GBR’s rolling stock processes are suitably integrated within the railway’s whole system model. This includes the approach taken to identifying operational and passenger needs.

You will monitor the specification and procurement of contracts and the approach chosen to achieve high-quality maintenance, depot infrastructure and equipment – and advise on how well this substantial area contributes to passenger experience and to the wider economics of the GB railway network.