Head of Asset Management and Route Engineering

Purpose of Role - To lead the Asset Management function and coordinate route engineering stewardship and assurance under the authority of the Director of Engineering and Asset Management. The role is the operational owner of the LSPH Asset Management System and provides evidence-based review, challenge and assurance of route maintenance, renewals and asset performance, including activities at Ripple Lane Exchange Sidings. - The role operationally owns the corporate Asset Management System across LSPH and provides asset stewardship for route infrastructure. Station asset stewardship remains with the Head of Stations Engineering and Operations. Engineering responsibilities under this role are limited to route infrastructure. - Station engineering, station maintenance, station renewals and station engineering assurance remain with the Head of Stations Engineering and Operations. - The role defines and uses asset-information requirements. It does not oversee supply-chain asset data, information systems, data architecture, information governance or technology platforms, which remain with the Head of Technology. - Engineering strategy, engineering governance, major investment decisions and executive-level assurance remain with the Director. Approval, endorsement or recommendation of the route renewals work bank remains subject to the approved scheme of delegation. - The role does not own or manage the organisation’s enterprise or directorate-wide registers for uncertainty, controls or corporate assurance. Key Responsibilities and Duties Asset management system - Act as operational owner of the LSPH Asset Management System and lead its maintenance and continual improvement. - Develop and recommend the asset management policy, Strategic Asset Management Plan, objectives and supporting framework for approval through appropriate governance. - Promote alignment between LSPH and the asset management arrangements of infrastructure managers, operators and principal suppliers across route, stations and car parks. - Deliver internal asset management objectives and support the practical application of ISO 55000 principles. - Maintain alignment between the Operator Agreement, Concession Agreement and the Asset Management System. - Support effective use of asset decision-support tools, value frameworks and whole-life cost models. Route engineering stewardship and assurance - Provide route infrastructure stewardship, technical review and engineering assurance under delegated authority from the Director. - Review and challenge route maintenance strategies, engineering submissions, standards, technical proposals and supporting evidence produced by infrastructure managers and suppliers. - Review route standards applied by infrastructure managers and recommend LSPH technical positions or changes to the Director. The role does not independently approve directorate engineering policy, material departures or reserved technical standards. - Undertake and coordinate engineering assurance reviews of the route renewals work bank, including scope, technical justification, lifecycle need, interfaces, deliverability and alignment with approved asset strategies and regulatory commitments. - Provide documented assurance findings and recommendations. Approval or endorsement of the route renewals work bank is undertaken by the Director or the relevant governance body in accordance with the approved scheme of delegation. - Monitor route asset condition, reliability and performance information to identify trends and priorities for further review. - Support engineering audits, inspections, technical investigations and lessons-learned activities for route infrastructure. Ripple lane exchange slidings - Coordinate LSPH technical review and route engineering assurance of infrastructure activities at Ripple Lane Exchange Sidings. - Review maintenance, renewal and enhancement proposals and the supporting engineering evidence, asset condition, interfaces and proposed controls. - Monitor asset performance and engineering issues and escalate material matters to the Director. - Do not assume design, installation, operation, maintenance, contract-management or delivery accountability from the relevant infrastructure manager, operator or supplier. Regulatory and business assurance - Coordinate preparation and internal review of asset management and route engineering evidence for regulatory submissions, audits and assurance activities. - Provide assurance reporting on asset management capability, route stewardship, engineering evidence and supplier capability. - Prepare updates, forecasts and recommendations for the Director and relevant governance forums. - Build effective working relationships with regulators, infrastructure managers, operators and suppliers within delegated authority. - Supplier engagement is limited to route technical and asset-management review, challenge and assurance and to delegated contractual authority. The role must not issue commercial or contractual instructions unless formally authorised to do so. - The role may represent LSPH on matters within its professional remit and delegated authority but must not make regulatory, contractual, financial or policy commitments unless expressly authorised. Asset information requirements - Define, document and maintain the asset-information requirements needed for asset management, route engineering assurance, lifecycle planning and regulatory evidence. - Provide those requirements to the Head of Technology and participate in evaluating whether agreed business needs are met. - Use available information to assess asset stewardship, challenge proposals and support whole-life decisions - Confirm whether route asset information is technically suitable for asset-management and route-engineering purposes. This does not transfer responsibility for data governance, system control or supplier data-management processes from the Head of Technology. - Do not manage the collection, governance, assurance, control or operation of supply-chain asset data, systems or contractual data-delivery arrangements. Business continuity - Coordinate the consolidation, review and exercising of the Engineering and Asset Management directorate business-continuity plan. Each functional head remains responsible for preparing, maintaining and testing continuity arrangements for their own function. - Coordinate interfaces with stations, technology, sustainability, operations and suppliers without replacing their respective continuity accountabilities. - Support preparedness and recovery planning for route infrastructure disruption and interruption to essential asset management activities. Leadership and collaboration - Lead and develop the Asset Management and Route Engineering team. - Work with the Head of Stations Engineering and Operations to maintain a clear station and route engineering boundary while supporting one integrated Asset Management System. - Work with the Head of Technology on asset-information requirements and digital enablement without assuming data or systems accountability. - Provide route engineering and asset-information subject-matter support where supply-chain cyber security matters may affect route engineering systems, route operational technology or asset information. The Head of Technology leads cyber security assurance and retains accountability for the cyber assurance process. - Provide technical and asset-management input to the Sustainability Manager’s coordination of LSPH assurance of the NRHS Route Research and Development Programme. This advisory input does not make this role responsible for coordinating the overall programme assurance process. - The Sustainability Manager defines and assures sustainability and environmental requirements. This role incorporates those requirements into route technical assurance and escalates unresolved conflicts to the Director. - Deputise for the Director only when expressly requested and within documented delegated authority. Key Skills and Experience - A rounded railway engineering professional with strong asset management, route infrastructure and rail maintenance knowledge. - Demonstrable experience of engineering assurance, technical review or asset stewardship in a safety-critical infrastructure environment. - Strong understanding of maintenance and renewals governance and the ability to challenge technical proposals and evidence. - Practical knowledge of ISO 55000, whole-life decision-making and asset information requirements. - Experience working with regulators, infrastructure managers, suppliers and external stakeholders. - Experience of business continuity planning and multidisciplinary route engineering interfaces. Education/Qualifications - Degree in an engineering subject or equivalent relevant experience. - Chartered Engineer, or working towards Chartership with an expectation of achievement within 12 months. - Certificate in Asset Management or equivalent recognised qualification. - Project management or assurance qualification desirable. Important points - There may be occasions when the post holder is required to work outside standard hours. - London St. Pancras Highspeed operates a hybrid working policy, requiring office presence a minimum of three days per week. - The post holder may be required to attend meetings and events outside the normal office base; occasional travel will therefore be required. - No role profile can cover every task that may arise. The post holder is expected to carry out other duties from time to time that are broadly consistent with those described.