WSP Group

A bit about us:

At WSP, there’s nothing we love more than pushing boundaries. Harnessing innovation and sharing insights across our diverse, international team to create a tomorrow’s world that's cleaner, greener and safer. Join us and you’ll be part of an organisation that takes pride in its people and purpose: creating long-lasting solutions to meet the needs of generations to come.

Our work is serious, and serious fun. We create homes for penguins, help you get from A to B faster and safer, create inspiring places to live and work, and shape the skylines of our cities.

We value our people and our reputation. Having a diverse and robust workforce enables us to look for answers, not problems, and we pride ourselves on offering clients clever, imaginative, future-facing solutions. If you are interested in finding ways to help society thrive, at home and further afield, an exciting career could be waiting for you here.

Our Rail business designs and delivers solutions for railway infrastructure throughout the world with teams based in offices across the UK, India and Serbia. We work from early development through the entire project lifecycle and our capability encompasses single discipline renewals, nationally significant infrastructure projects and everything in between.

A bit about the role:

Our Rail Client Advisory and Engineering Services group within the Rail business is seeking a Senior or Principal Rail Operational Planner to support the continued growth of our services. This role will be akin to an Operational Planner, STP/LTP Timetable Planner, Strategic Timetable Planner, or Senior Timetable Planner role. In your role you will build on the existing capabilities across operational planning, system capability analysis and modelling and simulation. You will be part of a group that is a trusted advisory and delivery partner to transport businesses and governments both in the UK and overseas. We have a strong track record of providing a wide portfolio of rail advice to our clients and pride ourselves on our forward thinking and record of successful project delivery.

You will apply your experience to heavy, light, high-speed passenger or freight rail projects to deliver iTSS assessments, capacity studies, timetables and operational plans that meet client and wider stakeholder requirements. This includes identifying appropriate infrastructure and/or service changes working with the project team as well as clients/TOCs/FOCs to determine the optimal solution. Projects range from single discipline studies to complex multi-disciplinary projects, including franchising and concession tendering, and span across a UK and international client base.

You will support work winning and client engagement, using your experience to assist in planning, developing and delivering competitively positioned tender responses. You will be able to build client relationships to develop trust and gather intelligence to support work winning activities.

Our Rail Client Advisory and Engineering Services team helps our clients solve the most complex rail transportation problems. Whether for a new or existing railway, public or private sector, passenger or freight services, we use strategic and critical thinking together with understanding of how a railway system can be operated to deliver the outcomes of moving people and goods to deliver social, economic, and environmental value. You will support this through providing hands-on consulting to help us solve these complex problems.

We are WSP - Join us and make your career future ready!

In today’s world it’s important to work for a company that has clear purpose, giving back to communities and supporting what is truly important in the world.

When considering a career move its vital to work for a business that is aligned to your values and goals, a place where you can belong.

To find out more about our business click on the following link and discover what awaits you at WSP: Who We Are | WSP (https://www.wsp.com/en-gb/who-we-are)

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU

Work-life balance?

WSP recognises that work is only one part of your life and making time for other things is important – whether that’s for your families, friends, or yourself.

Our hybrid working policy allows the flexibility to work from the comfort of your own home as well as collaborating in our contemporary offices across the UK.

Inclusivity & Diversity?

We want our people to achieve rewarding careers, bringing their whole selves to work. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing diversity to create a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP.

Our employee resource groups VIBE (LGBTQ+ employees), CREED (Championing Racial Equality and Ethnic Diversity) and our Gender Balance Group, in tandem with WSP’s Neurodiverse Community Group, WSP Connect Group (visible and non-visible disabilities) help us promote the right environment for you to reach your full potential.

Health & Wellbeing?

We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme.

Med24 gives you and your family unrestricted telephone access to an NHS doctor where you can call day or night or have a face-to-face video consultation.

Flex your time?

For improved work life balance, WSP offers the “WSP Hour” which enables you to take one hour per day to do as you wish and make up the time earlier or later that day. We also offer part time and flexible working arrangements plus the option to flex your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.

Your development?

We appreciate that development and training is important to you and that’s why we have a supportive environment that invests in your development, whether that’s chartership, training or mentoring.

APPLY NOW AND BE THE FUTURE OF WSP!

#WeAreWSP

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.

Please note WSP reserves the right to close the vacancy before the advertised closing date.

• As a Senior or Principal Rail Operational Planner, you’ll be used to facing a wide range of technical, commercial, people and other challenges across business and project activities. The role has a series of core responsibilities which are broadly as follows:

• Building and maintaining strong collaborative client relationships with infrastructure managers, government and devolved bodies and train/freight operating companies

• Involved in delivering projects focused on the planning, operation and performance of the railway

• Actively engaged in client facing roles

• Assist in quality assurance, checking analysis and reports delivered by the team

• Producing clearly written, concise and professional quality reports and proposals to our clients

• Assisting to develop our pipeline of work through client engagement and work winning activities

• In addition, you will be passionate about people development, and support the development of advisors, engineers and leaders coming through the business.

• You’ll be passionate, engaging, energetic and articulate when bringing diverse, multi-disciplinary teams together to address the range of challenges our clients face. You’ll also understand the importance of implementing robust systems and processes to ensure that our bid and projects deliver value for money in achieving client goals and requirements as well as and cost and programme targets.

A proven track record in providing timetabling or Rail Operational Planning with at least three years’ experience, for example as an Operational Planner, STP/LTP Timetable Planner, Strategic Timetable Planner or Senior Timetable Planner.

Knowledge of UK rail industry structure with an understanding of what our railways major clients need, both nationally and internationally, and how we best tailor our services and build robust and lasting relationships.

An ability to apply the Network Code

An ability to establish, build, sustain and share strong, professional relationships with relevant groups both inside and outside the organisation. You’re naturally driven to exceed client expectations.

An ability to reason logically and apply a systematic process to finding solutions, proactive in responding to problems, able to apply sound logic in situations of ambiguity and problem-solving methodologies across a range of circumstances.

A desire to constantly improve, motivate and encourage others.

A forward-thinking mindset, capable of visualising and planning for the longer term.

Actively champion sharing knowledge, ideas, and intelligence. Strong presentation skills influential and persuasive internally and externally, encourages open dialogue and feedback.

A desire to develop and secure opportunities through active business development and work winning activities.

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