Rolling Stock Project Manager – New Fleet Introduction in London

Job Title: Rolling Stock Project Manager – New Fleet Introduction

Location: London (Central) – with flexibility for travel to depot and project sites

Salary: £80,000 + DOE (Excellent Benefits package)

Job Type: Contract

Join a leading rail operator at a pivotal moment as we prepare for the introduction of a new fleet.

In this role, you’ll take ownership of ensuring that operational depots are fully prepared to support the incoming rolling stock — including infrastructure adaptations and the readiness of production teams and facilities.

You’ll be responsible for shaping and delivering the overall strategy for integrating new trains into existing maintenance operations, with a focus on driving operational efficiency, upholding safety standards, and ensuring cost-effectiveness. This includes managing the full life cycle cost — from the procurement of the fleet through to long-term maintenance and operational sustainability.

The role will also champion the implementation of best practices across depot production and operations to secure long-term readiness and performance.

Key Responsibilities:

– Lead the production readiness strategy for new fleet introduction, ensuring depot operations can support new rolling stock.
– Develop, coordinate, and implement infrastructure and depot change plans, in collaboration with engineering and infrastructure teams.
– Support the procurement phase by advising on maintenance requirements, depot capabilities, and lifecycle planning.
– Oversee the transition to live operations, managing risks and minimising impact to service.
– Drive the development of VMIs, training, tooling, and maintenance documentation (in collaboration with engineers and suppliers).
– Act as the focal point for change assurance, ensuring safety, quality, and operational continuity are maintained.
– Collaborate with depots, project managers, and senior stakeholders to implement change efficiently and in alignment with programme objectives.
– Contribute to technical acceptance, testing, and post-introduction modifications.

The ideal candidate will have:

– A minimum of an HNC in an engineering-related discipline.
– Extensive experience in rolling stock engineering, ideally with 7+ years in a depot environment working on EMU or passenger fleets.
– Demonstrated experience in the introduction of new or heavily refurbished fleets, including change assurance and updates to technical documentation (e.g. VMIs).
– A solid understanding of depot production operations, maintenance planning, and resource readiness.
– Experience delivering significant infrastructure or depot-based change programmes, preferably within rail, aviation, defence, or other complex transport sectors.
– Strong stakeholder management capabilities, effective communication skills, and a collaborative approach.
– Familiarity with UK rail standards, safety regulations, and industry assurance practices.

Tagged as: rail operator, rolling stock, rolling stock engineer