Head of Infrastructure

• two to three days in the office per week
• at the offices in North Acton, London
• in the Delivery Team of Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation

Head of Infrastructure

In less than a decade, a new £1.7b superhub station will open at Old Oak Common, bringing High Speed 2, Elizabeth Line, and Great Western mainline services into the heart of one of the most underdeveloped yet fascinating parts of London. Set to be one of the most connected parts of West London, Old Oak has the potential to be an internationally significant project and have a transformational impact on the city.  

OPDC is seeking a new Head of Infrastructure to join its Delivery team, a key leadership position. The new head will be responsible for the infrastructure programme for the regeneration of Old Oak and a range of projects in Park Royal. They need an experienced and energetic professional to join a truly exceptional multi-disciplinary team. 

Working closely with colleagues in government, the GLA, the three host boroughs, and the development industry, you will play a leading role in advancing one of London’s largest regeneration projects.    

The purpose of the job is to:

• Provide infrastructure expertise and lead the infrastructure team to support the Executive Director of Delivery, Director of Development, Director of Projects and other members of the Delivery Senior Management Team.
• Lead in the preparation of delivery briefs and the subsequent appointment of delivery consultants/contractors and provide input with respect to the wider professional teams.
• Provide procurement and contract administration to infrastructure projects including formulating procurement strategies, selecting and procuring partners and robustly managing appointments and contracts within budget limits and approvals.
• Lead on the development or inception of new infrastructure projects in line with the Development Corporation's objective to secure the regeneration of its area.
• Manage the relationship with key stakeholders such as Network Rail, HS2, TfL. host Boroughs and utility providers to ensure strong levels of engagement and delivery of high-quality infrastructure.
• Maintain regular and accurate reporting in line with OPDC’s governance processes including OPDC Board, the Development, Infrastructure, and Sustainability Committee, Delivery Programme Board and the Senior Management Team including analysis and evaluation of progress, with respect to the current and forecast status on assigned projects. Identify potential difficulties and risks with project delivery, recommend and/or take appropriate remedial action as necessary.
• Use commercial awareness and expertise to critically appraise the Corporation’s requirements and ensure it gets best value for money from the market by advising on the use of frameworks, firms and procurement strategies to extract best value.
• Manage staff and resources allocated to the job in accordance with the OPDC’s policies and code of ethics and standards, including health and safety.

Reporting:

• You will report to the Director of Development.
• You will be line managing the Principal Project Manager, Principal Sustainability Manager, Senior Infrastructure Officer and Project Support Officers allocated to the role.

To be considered for the role, you must meet the following essential criteria:

• Postgraduate degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant discipline such as Civil Engineering, Infrastructure or Transportation.
• Considerable experience and a proven track record of developing, leading and managing comparable design-related projects or programmes in a complex urban environment, which display the highest standards of design quality.
• Strong level of commercial awareness and experience in the development process
• Thorough knowledge and experience of project management and project control techniques, including budget and project planning, financing and risk management.
• Strong track record of successfully managing multiple and complex projects and resources with significant responsibility for decision-making.
• Experience of selecting and managing professional services and construction contracts.

• Salary band of £79,159 - £85,683 per annum
• Career average pension scheme, with 12% employer contribution
• 30 days annual leave (plus public holidays)

Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via the online recruitment system. OPDC will not accept CVs alone for this role.

Please upload a Cover Letter with a maximum of 1500 words to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form, ensuring you address the following technical requirements and competencies in your Cover Letter.

Word or PDF format is preferred; do not include any photographs or images. Please ensure your CV and Cover Letter are saved with the job reference number as part of the naming convention (E.g. “CV – applicant name - 012345).

If you have a question about the role or would like to discuss it informally, please feel free to contact Marianne Brook to arrange a call. 

Access & Inclusion

London's diversity is its biggest asset, and OPDC strives to ensure that its workforce reflects this diversity at all levels. They welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith, or disability.

OPDC is committed to being an inclusive employer and is happy to consider flexible working arrangements. They welcome applications from candidates seeking part-time work, as this role is open to job sharing. 

As part of OPDC's continuing commitment to being an inclusive and equal opportunity employer, they will remove personally identifiable information from CVs and cover letters that could cause discrimination.

Reasonable adjustments will be made to working arrangements to accommodate a person with a disability who otherwise would be prevented from undertaking the work.