Portfolio Assurance Manager - 18 Month FTC

Salary : Up to £57,042

Help Shape the Future of Britain's Railway

Rail Delivery Group (RDG) partners with Britain’s train operators to put customers at the heart of everything we do, delivering essential services and dedicated experts who keep the nation’s railway running efficiently.

From journey information, reservations and Railcards to improving performance, safety and accessibility, we drive the services and people that keep the railway moving. Anyone who has travelled by train or booked a journey for friends or family, will have used our services. We are integral to the running of the railway and play a crucial part at every stage of the customer journey – making sure we are delivering a better railway for all our customers, now and in the future. As we embark on a new era for rail, we are now looking for a Portfolio Assurance Manager to join us. If you are motivated by meaningful work and want to play a role in the future of Britain's railway, we'd love to hear from you!

What is the purpose of this job?  

This role sits within the RDG Projects & Programmes team and will help improve delivery. We are looking for a highly skilled Portfolio Assurance Manager to join our Portfolio Delivery Office, devise and run project and programme assurance and take our risk management to the next level.

This will suit someone with genuine expertise in risk management and project / programme assurance and reporting combined with a natural ability to work well with project / programme managers.

What can I expect to do in this job? 

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but things you can expect to lead and be involved with include:

• Devising a process for project and programme assurance.
• Scheduling and leading project and programme assurance reviews, making recommendations and tracking their implementation.
• Maintaining and improving project and programme planning and management standards across the portfolio through assurance and other activities, providing coaching and support where relevant.
• Ensuring risks and issues are identified, assessed and managed consistently in accordance with RDG standards, setting guidelines and coaching teams where required.
• Facilitating portfolio risk reviews, challenging the quality and content of risk data where appropriate, and contributing insights and solutions.
• Advising project and programme managers on the quantification and mitigation of risk.
• Running the end‑to‑end portfolio reporting cycle, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.
• Conducting a rigorous PMO “review and challenge” to strengthen project reporting and governance.
• Supporting the identification, tracking and management of inter-project dependencies, including producing scenarios for review.
• Monitoring and governance of changes to projects’ baseline schedules and scopes, ensuring traceability.
• Continually improving the process for organisational learning (lessons learned), embedding learning into the wider Projects & Programmes department.
• Ensuring excellent data quality across areas of oversight for all project, programme and portfolio artefacts, designing processes to ensure sustainability.
• Working with project and programme managers to troubleshoot and analyse problems, contributing insight and offering solutions where appropriate.
• Contributing to the development of a high-performing PMO team. 

What experience, skills and knowledge do I need?

Essential

• Minimum 3 years PMO experience within a portfolio or large programme setting, owning, running and improving processes for positive impact.
• Strong understanding of project and programme management.
• Demonstrable experience of conducting project / programme assurance.
• Strong understanding of risk management principles, frameworks and processes, ideally backed up by a qualification.
• The ability to analyse project and programme data and reports, and to challenge tactfully and effectively.
• Experience embedding learning into organisations beyond own area of responsibility.
• Excellent communication skills.
• A proactive, collaborative mindset.
• Experience as a Project Manager.
• Desirable
• Relevant PMO, project management or risk qualifications.
• SmartSheet experience.

Benefits

Why Work for RDG?

We offer a highly competitive package, including:

75% discount on rail travel (for work and leisure), plus international rail discounts

30 Days annual leave (plus buy/sell options and additional leave for key life events)

Two Personal Development Days are granted to employees annually

Interest-free Season Ticket Loan for commuting costs

Enhanced family leave – 30 weeks full pay for maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and shared parental leave

Pension scheme – up to 8.64% employer contribution

Subsidised Private Medical Insurance (Vitality PPP) and Health Cash Plan (Healthshield)

Access to our flexible benefits portal - a central hub for accessing retail discounts, shopping, dining, travel, and entertainment perks

Flexible working arrangements available