Head of Implementation
Location
London with extensive travel
Job Type
Permanent
Salary
Competitive with excellent benefits
About RSSB
RSSB is an expert body that helps the rail industry collaborate to continuously improve
and meet future challenges. It spans the whole railway, including in its membership
infrastructure companies, train and freight operators, rolling stock owners and suppliers
to the industry. RSSB supports rail in the areas of safety, standards, knowledge,
innovation and a wide range of cross-industry schemes.
The role
This role shapes and leads R&D implementation activities. These include:
 Implementation planning aimed at improving the understanding and the clarity of the
potential implementation journey for current and proposed research.
 Research dissemination aimed at identifying and coordinating what messages go out
and when.
 Implementation facilitation aimed at supporting industry take up for recently closed
research and past research judged to have significant unrealised potential.
 Implementation monitoring aimed at improving RSSB understanding of the extent
completed research is used and has delivered benefits or has latent potential.
In excess of £9m is invested each year in the RSSB-managed cross-industry research and
development programme. This delivers a wide range of answers, toolkits, models and
knowledge to improve the business of operating and engineering the railway system.
Within this context, there is the need to ensure that:
 Projects are designed to be deliverable and implementable, and the outputs are
specified to meet stakeholder needs
 Project findings and benefits are effectively communicated
 Industry is able to gain benefits through use of the research findings
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 One of the most challenging part of the job is to establish effective working methods
with industry partners which strike the right balance between respecting their
autonomy and providing valuable support to help overcome barriers to research
implementation. One of the most rewarding part of the job is to lead and shape
implementation activities that have the potential to generate significant benefits and
enable significant change in industry.
Key responsibilities:
 In liaison with the Head of R&D, develop and maintain an oversight strategy for the
planning, facilitation and monitoring of R&D implementation by the industry and
other stakeholders, including priorities and mechanisms.
 Supervise the activities associated with the monitoring and facilitation of R&D
implementation delivered by others in the R&D team.
 Establish and maintain working relationships with stakeholders at senior level within
the industry, and with relevant cross industry groups.
Implementation planning
 Provide steer, advice and tools to project teams to ensure that current projects have
robust whist proportionate implementation plans.
 Monitor progress of promising high value research projects, in order to promote take
up of emerging findings.
 Provide a key contribution to the identification and communication of key findings
and potential benefits from completed projects.
Research dissemination
 Provide steer and advice to project teams to ensure that on targeting and delivering
communication activities on current projects.
 Be the R&D lead point of contact with the communication team to enhance and
deliver communication tools and mechanisms that cut across the R&D programme, eg
newsletter, communications campaigns by theme and by audience.
Implementation facilitation
 Lead the design and delivery of implementation facilitation activities for each
significant project, based on a sound understanding of barriers faced by industry and
the scope and remit of RSSB. This will involve time spent undertaking outreach
activities within stakeholder organisations, as well as arranging for others to do the
same where skillsets / resources demand.
 Build and maintain a portfolio view of implementation facilitation activities for
significant R&D projects.
 Encourage and facilitate the implementation of R&D findings through activities of
other departments across RSSB, and cross-industry initiatives led by other
organisations.
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Implementation monitoring
 Build and maintain a database containing evidence on how far significant findings and
R&D products have been implemented, barriers to implementation, and realised or
latent benefits.
 Present progress reports on an annual basis to DfT; and produce other strategic
papers, as necessary, for a range of senior groups such as RSSB Board, RSSB Senior
Leadership Team, and ORR.
Requirements
The post holder is educated at a degree level or above and has an excellent all round
understanding of the GB and European Railway industry, from organisational,
engineering and operations perspectives. The post holder has strong stakeholder
management skills, including ability to work effectively in virtual teams and with senior
people from a variety of organisations. The post holder has a sound understanding of
barriers to research and innovation take up.
Financial
None formally but would effectively be managing the budget for specific facilitation
activities where they involve external cost.
How to apply
If you’re keen to fulfil your potential in the rail renaissance by joining us at RSSB, then
please email your CV and covering letter to vacancies@rssb.co.uk.
You can find out more about RSSB by visiting our website at www.rssb.co.uk
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