Lead Technical Assurance Manager, High Speed Rail

Lead Technical Assurance Manager, High Speed Rail

Our client is recruiting a Lead Technical Assurance Manager to work at the system and programme level on one of Europe's largest infrastructure programmes. You will not be auditing individual project packages. You will be looking at how the sub-systems and the overall system come together, building an assurance picture that grows as the assets are built and that is evidence-based, traceable and complete by the time it matters. Your day-to-day purpose is to make sure that the technical assurance case for the railway as a whole is coherent, current and capable of supporting final authorisation.

The role sits at the intersection of configuration management, requirements engineering and the V lifecycle. You will apply that framework at programme level, working across multiple workstreams and contracts to ensure that verification and validation evidence is gathered progressively and that it supports integration sign-off at each stage gate. You will lead a team of Senior Technical Assurance Managers and Technical Assurance Managers, coordinating their work across the contracts and workstreams assigned to you, drawing on subject matter experts across safety, requirements, configuration and digital information as the work demands it.

You will accept or reject assurance submissions from supply chain organisations and HS2 project teams, escalate risks and deviations where they need senior attention, and maintain performance reporting against the key metrics your team is responsible for. You will also contribute to process improvement, bringing best practice from other programmes and applying it here, working with the Head of Technical Assurance to develop the department's ways of working over time.

The role expects someone who thinks at the level of the whole system, not just the component. You will interface with engineers across multiple disciplines, with commercial and project managers, and with external stakeholders including the Office of Rail and Road, Network Rail and Transport for London, so the ability to communicate a complex assurance position clearly and confidently is as important as the technical depth behind it.

What you need to bring Your background is in technical assurance, quality assurance or systems engineering on major infrastructure or rail transportation programmes. What matters most is that you have worked at programme level, across multiple contracts and disciplines, with a genuine understanding of how evidence-based assurance builds through the V lifecycle from requirements through to verification and validation. You will have a strong working knowledge of systems engineering principles, safety management, configuration management and requirements compliance. Familiarity with CENELEC EN 5012x standards, ISO 9001 and the principles of change and configuration management under ISO 10007 is expected. An understanding of CDM Regulations and the Common Safety Methodology is also required.

You will be competent working in a data-centric environment and comfortable with the toolsets that support large-scale programme delivery, including document management, requirements management and risk platforms. Experience with NEC3 or NEC4 contract environments is important.

You will be able to lead a team, manage competing priorities across a complex workload, and hold a credible technical position with contractors, specialists and senior stakeholders.

Chartered Engineer status or membership of a relevant professional institution is an advantage, though equivalent experience at this level will be considered.

Useful to have Experience on a major UK rail or infrastructure programme delivered through large supply chains, particularly where you have worked across civils, signalling, control systems or system integration disciplines. A track record of developing or improving technical assurance processes, not just applying them. Experience preparing assurance evidence cases and supporting technical audit activity. Familiarity with systems such as Bentley AssetWise ALIM, IBM DOORS, Relatics or equivalent requirements and asset information tools.

The role is based in Birmingham or London. If this looks right for you, please send your CV across and we will be in touch