Assistant Development Manager

Here are a few of the benefits we offer

• 28-day annual leave with the option to buy and sell days
• Choice of pension schemes
• 75% discount of leisure travel for you and your family
• Private Healthcare
• 5 days paid volunteer or carers leave
• Up to 75% subsidised Rail and Underground travel
• Gym Pass -access to gyms across UK
• My Benefits platform- giving national and local retail discount

Our aim is to ensure your candidate experience is as positive as possible. If you require reasonable adjustments at any point, simply let us know and we'll do our best to assist you.

Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing.  We will share further details with you as part of your formal offer.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information. 

Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) is the Government's flagship programme to improve connectivity between the North's major cities, at the heart of the Northern Growth Strategy. Its focus is the Northern Growth Corridor - between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford and York, with regular services to Newcastle, Hull and Chester also benefitting. NPR aims to ensure passengers in the North will benefit from convenient, consistent services boosting the ability and confidence of commuters to use the railways, helping drive Northern growth.

The Government has committed a £45 billion funding envelope for the delivery of NPR as a long-term programme. In January 2026, the government announced support for NPR and a three-phase approach to delivery:

• Phase 1 focuses on Leeds to Sheffield, Leeds to Bradford and Leeds to York. 
• Phase 2 focuses on service improvements between Liverpool and Manchester. 
• Phase 3 considers cross-pennine links, building on the government's investment in the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

The three phases of delivery will see major construction work in the 2030s, continuing through to the 2040s.

NPR is a high-profile portfolio with high stakeholder interest from senior National and Regional leadership teams, along with a range of external stakeholders including Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSA) and Train Operating Companies (TOCs).

This is an excellent opportunity to work both in a supportive team and across the business. The scope is broad as you'll collaborate and contribute towards the developing the future of the railway network in the North. It's an exciting time to join the team to help us meet the development milestones and support the outputs agreed with the Department for Transport (DfT).

1. Support the Programme Development Manager to sponsor the development of assigned programmes and projects including remits, scope and specifications ensuring these align to funder requirements, stakeholder asks, operational needs and governance processes optimising value for money to support preparation of business cases.
2. Work with senior colleagues to collaborate with funders supporting and establishing project scope, baseline conditions and timescales to optimise value for money, consider the whole life cost and support preparation of the business case for investment.
3. Identify and evaluate risks associated with developed interventions and propose recommendations.
4. Contribute to the identification and consideration of other company and industry requirements that are necessary to form part of the output specification, including risk, success criteria, project interdependencies, asset protection and payment regime.
5. Develop the assurance and co-ordination project work streams to support the project or programme throughout its lifecycle.
6. Contribute to the commissioning and management of deliverers to meet agreed requirement. Monitor project progress against agreed objectives and milestones, supporting governance and reporting requirements and escalating issues where appropriate.
7. Assist the work of the Development team across the portfolio of interventions and in balancing the requirements of internal and external stakeholders including Clients, funders and the Department for Transport.

8. Facilitate the discharge of the duties assigned as detailed within the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 and Common Safety Method (CSM) on Risk Evaluation and Assessment Regulation (352/2009 and 402/2013).

As an Assistant Development Manager (ADM) you will be part of the sponsorship team guiding the current development stage. You will work closely with the Programme Development Manager to help shape and progress the current development stage whilst developing links in a sponsorship role between the client, Region, delivery agent and key stakeholders.

This is a sponsorship role supporting the development of NPR, including developing the project benefits and target project outcomes to agreed scope, time and cost.

We are looking for someone with a good knowledge of the rail network, internal and external stakeholders, and a varied and adaptable skillset including:

• A strategic mindset with an ability to think of the railway as a connected system, whilst also being able to focus on detail of engineering development and programme requirements
• Knowledge of project development and understanding of the project lifecycle.
• Awareness of the Network Rail governance processes including the Investment Regulations, and knowledge and experience of the different Regional panels. 
• Collaboratively working with teams and stakeholders, including experience of managing a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Experience of challenging evidence and opinions, articulating complex problems in a simple manner
• Excellent time management and working to challenging deadlines 
• Practical problem-solving skills, balancing project detail with programme objectives
• Excellent communication skills to a range of audiences at all levels, both written and verbal

This is a great opportunity to work both in a supportive team and across the business. The scope is broad as you'll collaborate and contribute towards the NPR portfolio that will develop the future of the railway network in the North.

This specific role is York based and for the Leeds Programmes of NPR. The Leeds Sponsorship team is responsible for developing and designing a solution for the Leeds to Bradford and East of Leeds corridors, as well as the busy Leeds station area, itself impacted by NPR services from Bradford, York and Sheffield. This role will be absolutely crucial to us making a success of NPR and will require a strategic thinker who can take detailed information and explain it in a compelling way. You will be part of a close team and receive support in developing in the role, helping you to be part of shaping the future of the north and its railway. 

Someone who is proactive and collaborative with a keen eye for detail. With experience of the railway and ideally some early development experience. 

On a personal level we are looking for a positive, flexible and collaborative attitude to work  as part of the team to progress the development of NPR.