Head of Commercial Assurance & Compliance

Head of Commercial Assurance & Compliance

Application Deadline: 14 December 2025

Department: Commercial

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Milton Keynes

Reporting To: Strategy & Assurance Director

Description

East West Rail is an infrastructure programme linking communities between Oxford and Cambridge. The area is currently let down by a lack of transport choices, and we have a once in a generation opportunity to fix that - improving prosperity for people and places along the way.

East West Railway Company (that's us) was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way.

At East West Railway Company, we're committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple - to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications of all backgrounds and experiences.

The Commercial function provides commercial and procurement capability across the programme lifecycle, including strategy (setting the commercial strategy and advising risk allocation underpinning the delivery strategy), delivering procurement activities for the goods and services required to deliver the asset and run EWR Co, and delivering contract management services for the complex network of suppliers supporting EWR Co. Across all three of these domains the commercial function will run governance and reporting to measure compliance and provide commercial assurance.

This role will lead and oversee the development, implementation and maintenance of commercial assurance, compliance and risk frameworks, ensuring appropriate policies and systems are in place and adherence to EWR Co and regulatory standards related to commercial activities. This role will monitor and report on commercial compliance, the assessment of risks, and provide assurance to senior management and stakeholders and ensuring appropriate tools/ systems are in place.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and implement comprehensive commercial compliance, risk, and assurance frameworks - identifying, incorporating and communicating changes driven from best practice or governance policy.
• Own the commercial assurance model and lead and deliver commercial assurance, which includes providing internal assurance on procurement and contract management activities, as well as overseeing an assurance pipeline and managing an external assurance function.
• Monitor and report on compliance with internal commercial policies and relevant regulations, ensuring that findings are built into a continuous improvement programme.
• Conduct risk assessments and develop mitigation strategies to manage identified commercial risks, ensuring alignment with best practice and the corporate risk management model.
• Provide expert advice on relevant regulations and compliance issues in commercial activity.
• Provide assurance to senior management on the effectiveness of commercial compliance and risk management processes, ensuring timely reports are generated with robust data and analysis.
• Support internal and external audits related to commercial activities, interfacing with and supporting NAO, GIAA, NISTA and others, ensuring timely resolution of audit findings.
• Facilitate training and awareness programs on commercial compliance and risk management.
• Collaborate with other departments (for example, Risk Management) to ensure integrated commercial risk management and compliance efforts.
• Challenge category strategies and procurement strategies, where appropriate, to improve commercial outcomes.
• Review and challenge business cases to make sure they are fit for purpose and delivering against agreed strategies.
• Participate in and represent the organisation in cross-government commercial forums as required, and create effective networks with other Arms' Length Bodies.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Extensive experience in commercial compliance, risk management, and assurance.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing effective commercial compliance and risk management frameworks.
• Strong understanding of regulatory requirements and industry standards related to commercial activities.
• Experience of working in project environments in the construction and infrastructure sector.
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage at all levels of the organisation.

Benefits

What we offer:

• Competitive base salary
• Up to 12% employer's pension contribution
• 36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) + up to 2 days to buy
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a range of benefits on the Perkbox platform
• On-the-spot and annual awards
• Advanced learning and development programmes
• Great work-life balance and flexible working opportunities
• Enhanced family-friendly policies
• Exceptional IT tools

EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives. EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual's work life balance and style.

Diversity and Inclusion:

To discover the best solutions, it's important we embrace diversity of thought. That's why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged and valued. Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being. Our approach to diversity is simple - a workplace where everyone is welcome and everyone is encouraged to be themselves. It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve.

We are open to secondments through the Rail Industry Talent Exchange Programme.