Technical Director

Railway Engineering Institution

Hours
40 hours per week

About the Organisation

Railway Engineering Institution (RailEI), formerly the Permanent Way Institution (PWI), is a welcoming, professional railway engineering community, bringing people together to share, learn and build rewarding railway careers. We provide technical knowledge, advice and support to all those engaged in railway engineering systems worldwide.
 
As a member of RailEI, you will receive our respected quarterly technical journal, access to over 1000 resources in our Knowledge Hub, routes to professional registration, technical education, and discounts on our suite of textbooks and tickets to our very popular technical seminars focused on the practical aspects of railway engineering.

About the role

The Technical Director is a member of the RailEI Board, appointed under Article 4(1)d. The purpose of the role is to undertake the Technical Director responsibilities of the Institution and lead all aspects of the technical services offered by the Institution. Technical responsibilities include approving and signing off technical aspects, including specific duties under the Engineering Council licence to award professional qualifications.

Technical services work is primarily delivered through a number of discipline-specific working groups comprised of RailEI staff and volunteers. Stakeholder management is a key part of the role, working with employed staff, volunteers and external stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have worked in a senior technical role within the rail engineering sector, have a detailed understanding of multi-disciplinary engineering activity, possess excellent organisational, communication and stakeholder-management skills, and have the ability to bring people, processes and information together to support high-quality delivery and continuous improvement across the Institution.

Responsibilities

Technical Governance:

• Board member, participating in four Board meetings per year and contributing to the overall strategic direction of the Institution.
• Member of the Senior Executive team, providing leadership and guidance.
• Oversee the technical aspects of the Institution’s Engineering Council licence, including ex officio membership of the RailEI Academic Panel, Membership Committee, and Professional Development Committee.
• Oversee the academic sign-off of technical education programmes, materials, and awards.
• Responsible for confirming all technical information that is publicly distributed by the Institution is accurate, up-to-date, and meets the corporate standard.

Technical Leadership:

• Oversee the development and delivery of Institution technical services such that they meet the needs of members, both individual and corporate.
• Lead and develop the Institution’s Technical Committee model, to encompass a portfolio of railway engineering and management disciplines appropriate to the Institution’s objectives.
• With the CEO, maintain and develop outward-facing relationships with key technical stakeholders – UKRRIN, Royal Academy of Engineering, Skills England, and railway regulatory bodies.
• With the CEO, maintain and develop relationships with national and international forums by attending and chairing meetings and sessions at conferences and events.
• Line management responsibility for Technical Managers and Project Management support staff.

Technical Services:

• Lead the delivery of the technical aspects of:
  • Technical Seminars
  • Lunch & Learn Programme
  • Journal of the Institution
  • Practical Challenges
  • Knowledge Hub
  • Technical Publications
  • Technical Board
• Support key corporate members/stakeholders in determining the content of their internal technical seminars.
• Facilitate the resolution of significant technical issues raised by corporate and individual members.

Stakeholder and Volunteer Coordination:

• Liaise with Institution volunteers, committee members, reviewers, speakers, suppliers, and other stakeholders to schedule and support project activity.
• Build positive working relationships with internal colleagues and external parties to support effective delivery.
• Ensure volunteers and stakeholders are well-informed; understand their role and have the information they need to contribute effectively.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Knowledge & Experience:

• Significant and credible experience and prior work in a senior management role within the rail engineering sector and currently active in the field of railway engineering
• Understanding of multi-disciplinary engineering activity, its principles and challenges
• Advocate for the railway industry with evidence of attending networking events
• Excellent understanding of the railway transport industry’s structure and scope of its activities
• Strong supporter of Professional Engineering Institution(s)
• Ability to speak and communicate knowledgeably on rail industry issues of the day, including technical, safety, performance, organisational, governance and regulatory matters.

Qualities & Attitude:

• High level of integrity and initiative.
• Commitment to equity and diversity and understanding of how this applies in the working environment.
• Ability to articulate thoughts and ideas clearly.
• Demonstrable evidence of collaboration across multiple scenarios.
• Able to motivate and lead both paid and volunteer staff to achieve goals.
• Excellent organisation and time management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain positive relationships.
• Positive, self-motivated and independent.
• Proactive and results-driven, with strong attention to detail.

Qualifications:

• Chartered Engineer with demonstrable CPD
• Membership of RailEI

Product Knowledge:

• Good knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite - PowerPoint, Excel, Word and Teams.
• Confident using digital systems to manage records, actions and project information.

Desirable:

• Active in volunteer activity in a relevant PEI, such as undertaking professional reviews and committee membership
• Involvement with universities and colleges, giving career talks to students, membership of industry advisory boards, guest lecturing, and facilitation of placements and site visits
• Understanding of JBM activities
• Active in railway engineering forums
• Experience of multi-disciplinary engineering activities, encompassing:
  • major project work
  • asset management
  • routine renewal
  • maintenance
• Excellent and broad range of senior rail industry contacts.
• Negotiation skills.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• An enthusiasm for improving processes and supporting colleagues, volunteers and stakeholders to deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights or equivalent CRM experience.
• Project management or workflow tools, such as
• Planner, Trello, Asana or Monday.com.
• Social media, particularly LinkedIn.
• Fellowship of RailEI or other PEI(s)
• Evidence of further formal learning

Working locations

• Home-based
• With extensive national travel and some international travel

How to apply

• To apply, please email your CV and covering letter to [email protected]
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged. 

Interviews

• Interviews will be held in early December 2026.

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