Lead Project Engineer – Major Rail Depot Development

If you’ve seen this role before, it’s because the client is looking for more applicants. This is a critical hire for a pivotal industry project, and we want to ensure we find the right person. If you previously considered applying but didn’t, or weren’t available at the time, now is the chance to put yourself forward.

You will become the Engineering Guru, forming a Tripartite Leadership Team alongside the Head of Commercial and Head of Delivery, managing the development of a state-of-the-art Depot for a major new infrastructure project north of Birmingham. The depot will house rolling stock maintenance facilities, operational headquarters, and training hubs, becoming a significant local employer.

This is a top-down project engineering function, requiring a broad multidisciplinary systems perspective, rather than a single-discipline design focus. You will oversee all rail engineering challenges, working with subject matter experts across Signalling, Rolling Stock, OLE, Track, and other disciplines, ensuring seamless system integration.

You will take a holistic view of the Depot being built, with additional Senior Engineers focusing on critical aspects of the Depot’s functions.  Consequently the leadership piece is very critical, to bring all engineering threads and stakeholders together.

What I’m looking for

• Multidisciplinary & System Integration Leadership – Experience working across multiple rail disciplines, with an emphasis on system-wide integration. Experience from the construction side is highly valued.
• Proven Leadership – Strong track record of leading teams directly and managing contractors, ensuring smooth coordination across all engineering streams.
• Major Depot Experience – We need someone with significant depot project experience, ideally covering the full lifecycle from design through to construction, testing, and commissioning.
• Stakeholder & Compliance Management – Experience engaging with multiple stakeholders, embedding environmental, urban integration, and community considerations. Strong knowledge of CDM regulations is essential.
• Technology & Innovation – With systems contracts now being awarded, this is an opportunity to work on cutting-edge railway technologies, shaping the future of depot operations.
• You may have held Contractors Engineering management status ( CEM ) 

The depot is a mini railway system in itself, with multiple interdependencies both within the site and the broader railway network. Other depots and stations are being developed in parallel, requiring a collaborative, systems-thinking approach.

This is a pivotal industry project, and we’re committed to finding the right person for the role. If you previously considered this role, or if your situation has changed, now is the time to apply.