TRU Business Change Manager in Manchester

We’re Trans Pennine Express and we’re going places.

Whether that’s helping customers reach their destination, or ensuring our colleagues feel fulfilled and supported in their careers.

We’re looking for people with drive and enthusiasm to join our amazing team and help push for more progress within the rail industry.

We look forward to meeting new faces and eager minds, ready to join our mission of creating a better-connected network in the North and Scotland, for good.

A great opportunity has arisen in our Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) programme.

We are seeking an experienced Change Manager to join the programme team.

In this role you will make a pivotal contribution, helping the TRU programme meet its objectives, on time and on budget, by overseeing the non-technical (people) side of the transformation.

The TRU is a transformative, multi‑billion pound railway programme that will better connect passengers in the North between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.

It will transform the Trans Pennine main line into a high‑performing, reliable railway, bringing more frequent, more reliable, faster, greener trains.

You can find out more about it here.

You will lead TRU’s change workstream, with responsibility for all internal people and organisational readiness activity, ensuring the programme approach takes full account of all human factors / risks.

• Key outputs and deliverables
• Conduct Change Impact Assessments to understand the scale, complexity, and impact of change on affected stakeholder groups, ensuring successful adoption and long‑term reinforcement.
• Assess organisational change risk, develop mitigation strategies, and implement tailored change management plans and engagement strategies aligned to project objectives.

Responsibilities

• Proactively engage stakeholders across TRU/TPE to build commitment, drive readiness and embed sustainable new ways of working.
• Apply a range of dynamic engagement approaches, both directly and through leaders and change networks, to support colleagues through transition, helping them understand, embrace, and confidently operate within the future state while maintaining a strong focus on safety, performance and business outcomes.
• Identify and assess all TRU/TPE interdependencies to ensure these are appropriately and safely managed.
• Establish an agile network, collaborating with other expert colleagues in TRU and TPE to acquire relevant inputs and specialist support.

Qualifications, skills and experience required

• Accredited in a recognised Change Management methodology (Prosci, APMG or equivalent).
• Proven experience applying Prosci Change Management principles and tools to successfully deliver business change initiatives and transformation programmes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships, influence decision‑making and support successful change outcomes.
• Experience delivering Change Impact Assessments, stakeholder engagement activities, communication plans, and training interventions to support business readiness and sustain embedding.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, enabling effective engagement with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• A persuasive, empathetic and confident communicator, able to build trust, encourage collaboration and manage challenging conversations constructively.
• Strong networking and relationship‑building capability, developing productive partnerships across teams, functions and external organisations.
• A collaborative team player, able to work effectively with project teams, business leaders and operational colleagues to deliver shared objectives.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills, producing change plans, communication and engagement strategies, stakeholder updates and impact assessment.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and competing demands, ensuring key deliverables are achieved within agreed timescales.
• Adaptable and self‑sufficient, capable of working effectively in dynamic and evolving environments.
• Proactive and self‑motivated, demonstrating initiative and ownership to drive change activities forward.
• Resilient and calm under pressure, maintaining focus and professionalism when managing complex challenges.

• Competent user of Microsoft 365 applications, including

• Power Point – developing presentations, workshop materials and stakeholder communications.
• Excel – analysing data, tracking progress and producing management information.
• Share Point – managing documents, collaboration sites and information sharing.
• Analytical and forward‑thinking, able to assess impacts, identify risks and anticipate potential challenges.
• A confident problem‑solver, capable of developing practical solutions and overcoming resistance barriers to successful change adoption.

Desirable experience & capability

• Qualification in and/or experience of communications management/practice.
• Qualification in and/or experience of Organisational Development (OD).
• Qualification in and/or experience of Project Management (e. g. PRINCE2).
• Prior experience of supporting large‑scale multi‑organisational transformation.
• Familiarity with e‑publishing platforms/products (e. g. Staffbase).
• IR/TU consultation and engagement experience.
• Rail industry experience not necessary.

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a fundamental part of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) proposals, which fall within their wider Integrated Rail Plan (IRP).

The IRP is part of the Government’s strategy to deliver better journeys for passengers sooner.

With a budget of £96 billion, it is the largest ever Government programme of investment in the railway, and will modernise rail connections across the North and Midlands.

This role places you at the very heart of UK rail transformation and the development of a greener, faster railway that will make life better for the communities we serve.

If that sounds like the right fit for you, we’d love to hear from you, please click apply and complete an application form.

What we offer

• Excellent career prospects.
• Structured training and development.
• Competitive salary paid on a 4‑weekly basis.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Free Trans Pennine Express rail travel for you and your dependants*.
• Travel discounts of up to 75% off other train operating companies, plus international rail travel after 1 year’s service* for you and your dependants*.
• Free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme and Wellbeing Portal, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you with any finance, family, health or wellbeing issues you have.

We make sure there’s someone on‑hand to offer guidance, advice and useful information for our people when they are experiencing hardship at work or at home.

• Option to join the Railway Pension Scheme with significant employer contributions.
• Family‑friendly maternity and paternity benefits.
• High street and lifestyle discounts as well as a cycle‑to‑work scheme*.

*Terms and conditions apply.

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