An experienced professional, I have a proven track record in Strategic Management support, Development Management, and Programme & Project Controls with c.15 years of experience in the delivery of large multi-disciplinary schemes within the Rail industry. I am an effective communicator, able to lead, manage and be part of diverse and inclusive teams and have demonstrated the ability to communicate with impact to senior stakeholders and subject matter experts alike. I’m resilient and have shown the determination and initiative required to work in challenging and changing environments. I’m capable of creating and implementing controls processes from scratch, and actively seek to work in continuously improving environments. 

On a personal level, I’d consider myself to be an approachable, positive and supportive person who embraces integrity, learning, growth, physical and mental health & wellbeing, and someone who strives to help and improve myself, my family and my colleagues. I also love live music and travel.

Development Programme Manager supporting Network Rail with -

• Strategic guidance to Capital Delivery STEP NW&C route under their new management structure and operating arrangements. Creating opportunities for efficiency and communicating progress to route directors. 

• Designing and Developing processes and procedures to populate the programme management plan to deliver strategic objectives.

• Implementing Route led ICOM operating model. 

• Supporting Director and SLT with bespoke requests and requirements.

Strategic lead for prioritising and planning the implementation of Control Period 7 (CP7), Networks Rail's 5 year funding envelope for Capital Delivery NW&C Route Signalling, Telecoms and E&P Team. 

Developing and delivery a strategy to deliver CP7 

• Stakeholder Management, bringing together multi-disciplinary teams to understand perspectives and objectives toward delivering a common goal

• Understanding and Communicating the Strategic Business Plan commitments, volumes and unit rates and working with Route and Regional owners to build a strategy to deliver CP7.

• Supporting Director and SLT with bespoke requests and requirements

The Rail Systems portfolio is a suite of c.£4bn of projects designed to deliver the infrastructure required to run HS2 trains once the Civils construction work is ready for handover.

• (Oct 21 – Jul 22) Project Controls Workstream Lead for the Rail Systems readiness project – Responsible for interpreting the proposed Alliance agreement and putting the plan in place to adapt the business-as-usual data systems / platforms, processes and procedures to compliment the upcoming introduction of 10 Alliance contractors.

• (Jan – Jul 22) Tender Assessment & Moderation – I successfully co-authored the Works Information requirements for project controls and then assessed & moderated c.10 tender responses in SEA Procure Award software as part of the procurement process.

• (Apr – Aug 21) Estimate Refresh (Rail Systems affordability exercise) – from concept to final delivery - I proposed and developed a waterfall style cost baseline, including works categorisation and coding structures, trends, high probability risks / opportunities, potential scope modifications, and assumptions / exclusions.  I was responsible for the co-creation and presentation to the Chief Financial Office (CFO) and co-ordinated the final sign-off and Change Control process.

• (Apr - Jun 20) portfolio wide Quantative Risk Assessment (QRA) exercise - As senior Project Controls Manager I was instrumental in the creation, compilation and delivery of the Risk Assessment, involving the re-classification and qualification of c.£1bn of risk exposure, this involved identifying the scope, requirements and time constraints of the exercise, compiling a delivery plan, organising and delivering Subject Matter Experts (SME) sessions collated information, and co-running risk identification sessions with the risk team. I then compiled a presentation pack and co-delivered the outputs to the Executive Committee and CFO for endorsement.

The On-Network Works portfolio is a suit of c.£1bn multi-disciplinary intervention projects designed to ensure Network Rail’s infrastructure works with High Speed 2.

• (2016 -2018) Joint Implementation Programme - I was instrumental in the initial set-up and management of the tripartite arrangement for Project Controls between Network Rail (NR) (Sponsor), Network Rail (Deliverer) IP, and High Speed 2 Ltd (Client) reporting to the Department for Transport (DfT). I acted as the lead responsible Controls manager for a portfolio. I designed joint sessions to be a continuous improvement forum drawing information gathered from Joint team MBR’s.

• Baseline 7 – I set up and managed a 12-month process to successfully deliver ONW’s Baseline 7 submission as part of HS2’s submission towards notice to proceed (NTP), this included full details of Scope, Cost, Schedule, Risk, Change and associated Assumptions and Exclusions. I lead the programme to complete Baseline 7 across On Network Works, designing and managing the population of reports to enable detailed information to be gathered from joint teams. I lead the process of Line of Defence (LoD) 1 & 2 response working closely with assessors to achieve a successful LoD score and submission towards Baseline 7 (BL7). This work resulted in an aligned view with Network Rail regarding the submission of BL7 Cost and Programme, a first for High Speed 2.

• I ensured On-Network Works (ONW) provides Controls information with accuracy and integrity to constructively influence the ONW programme, and effectively engaged with multiple stakeholders such as Project Directors, Head of Controls, Network Rail directors, the Department for Transport, P-Rep Auditors, PwC Auditors etc. This includes setting up and managing cost reporting process considering such complexities as the 4 weekly / monthly variance of reporting cycles. I co-designed and incorporated controls programme management protocols such as Joint baseline agreement forms, joint milestones definition forms, SharePoint sites.

• Responsible for Programme Controls across the Infrastructure Projects (IP) Signalling Manchester region to a cumulative Anticipated Final Cost (AFC) in excess £400million. I managed the Programme Controls and Planning Function including Principal and Project planners, Planning assistants and Document Controllers. Responsible cross-discipline programme engagement across team Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

• Business Planning and CP5 and CP6 (control Period) 5 yearly budgeting periods. I was responsible for creating Primavera P6 cost-loaded schedules and work closely with the Commercial Management teams and Route Managers to accurately profile Control Period spend forecasting.

• Responsible for Planning Projects across the Signalling and Telecom LNW region to a cumulative Anticipated Final Cost (AFC) in excess £300million. Manage plans so they are fully resource loaded and profiled correctly, interrogate contractor plans. Report actual performance and variance against plan and develop recovery programs when objectives change.

2003 – 2005               BA (Hons) in Business Management (2:1)

                                        Staffordshire University - (Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology)

2001 – 2003               BTEC HNC in Business Management

                                        Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology

1993 – 1996         BTEC HNC in Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering

      Staffordshire University

Memberships

APM – MAPM Full Membership to Association for Project Management (member since 2009)

APMP - Association for project management qualification

previously I’ve been a Prince2 Practitioner - project management accredited

HS2 Classroom Learning

NEC ECC Project Manager Accreditation

NEC3 ECC Programming workshop

NEC3 ECC Compensation Events workshop 

Several Diversity, Wellbeing and mental health workshops

Network Rail Classroom Learning

Senior Leaders Programme

Electrification Engineering Principles 

Pertmaster Practitioner

Inclusive Leadership

Signalling Engineering Principles 

Project Management, Planning and Control 

PPS Possession Planning System

Estimating for Non-Estimators

Project Safety Management

Risk Management for Projects 

OP02 – Oracle Projects for Commercial Assistants (Network Rail)

Other Professional Learning

      Previously held - 

CSCS Manager

IOSH Managing Safely Diploma 

Also CDM Awareness Training

City & Guilds 2D Computer Aided Drafting Levels 2 & 3 

Several LEEA ’Lifting Equipment Engineers Association’ qualifications, ISO 9001:2000 Auditor

• AWARD – Tender review software

• ARES PRISM – Enterprise Project Controls System

• Oracle Projects, Applications E Business Suite

• Microsoft Power BI

• P6 – Primavera Project Management Software

• Microsoft Office and MS Project

• Xactium & ARM Risk Management

• Pertmaster – Primavera Risk Analysis

• CEMAR

• Bentley eB

• PPS – Possession Planning

• Acumen FUSE schedule assessment tool

• DWWP – Delivering Work within Possessions

• Developing and administering Relational Databases. Using query and report writing software