About DFT Operator

Join Our Team at DFTO

DFTO is the government’s public sector rail owning group. Its purpose is to bring all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership in advance of the creation of Great British Railways in 2027 - and deliver improvements in the here and now by unifying and integrating train operations under common public ownership.

DFTO has over 30,000 employees, runs over 8,500 services a day and delivers over 640 million customer journeys across its networks every year. 7,000 people joined the railway family in the last year

Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership - these are LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE), Southeastern, South Western Railway (SWR), c2c, Greater Anglia and WM Trains.

We work closely with the DfT but operate independently with our own governance and leadership teams. Our priority is ensuring efficient, dependable rail services for everyone.

Primary Purpose Of Job

This senior role sits within the DfT Operator organisation and forms a critical part of the rail industry integration agenda. The Culture, Engagement & Inclusion Manager will lead the design and delivery of a cohesive culture strategy that supports the transition to an integrated railway, ensuring that workforce engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are embedded at every level of the organisation.

The position is reporting directly to the Director of Learning, Leadership & Capability, the post-holder will act as a visible champion for inclusion and belonging, driving culture change programmes that align people values with the broader objectives of rail integration and public service excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Culture Strategy & Leadership

Develop and own a multi-year Culture & Engagement Strategy aligned to the DfT Operator's values, rail integration goals and public sector obligations.
Lead the implementation of culture change programmes across the organisation, embedding values, behaviours and inclusive leadership practices.
Provide strategic advice to the Director and senior leadership team on cultural risks, organisational sentiment and inclusion priorities.
Champion a culture of psychological safety, openness and continuous improvement across all functions and grades.

Employee Engagement

Design and deliver a comprehensive employee engagement framework, including pulse surveys, listening events, staff networks and feedback mechanisms.
Analyse engagement data and workforce insights to identify trends, surface issues and develop targeted intervention plans.
Partner with HR, Communications and Operations teams to ensure consistent, authentic employee voice processes are in place.
Lead the organisation's engagement with national frameworks such as the Civil Service People Survey, benchmarking results and driving action planning.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

Develop and implement a DEI strategy that reflects the demographics of the rail workforce and the communities the network serves
Lead on the development of inclusion plans, working closely with protected characteristic staff
networks and trade union representatives.
Ensure all people practices – recruitment, promotion, development and retention – are reviewed through an equality lens and meet legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
Monitor and report on DEI metrics, publishing transparent data and driving accountability at leadership level.
Build and maintain relationships with industry bodies (e.g. RSSB, Women in Rail, Race on the Agenda) to share best practice and position the DfT Operator as an inclusion leader in rail

Integration & Organisational Change

Support the rail integration agenda by designing cultural integration workstreams for transferring staff from predecessor organisations.
Facilitate organisational development activities including team effectiveness workshops, leadership offsites and values alignment sessions.
Work alongside the Workforce Planning and Capability teams to ensure cultural considerations are embedded in transformation programmes.
Manage stakeholder relationships across Network Rail, Train Operating Companies and DfT policy teams to align culture and inclusion objectives.

Leadership & Management

Lead and develop a small team of engagement and inclusion professionals, setting clear objectives and fostering high performance.
Manage the Culture, Engagement & Inclusion budget, ensuring effective use of public funding and value for money.
Report progress to the Director and Executive Leadership Team through regular board-level updates and inclusion reports.
Represent the DfT Operator at cross-government, industry and public forums on culture and inclusion matters.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications

Essential Skills & Experience

Strategic & Leadership Capability

Proven track record of developing and delivering organisation-wide culture, engagement or DEI strategies at a senior level.
Experience of leading and influencing in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, ideally within transport, infrastructure or the public sector.
Strong leadership presence with the ability to inspire confidence among senior leaders, trade unions and frontline staff alike.
Demonstrable experience of managing and developing high-performing teams.

People & Engagement Expertise

Deep expertise in employee engagement methodologies, including survey design, action planning and measuring impact.
Knowledge of current DEI frameworks, legislation (Equality Act 2010, Public Sector Equality Duty) and best practice.
Experience facilitating culture change in organisations undergoing significant transformation or integration.
Ability to interpret complex people data and translate insights into compelling narratives and actionable plans.

Communication & Influencing

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present to Board-level audiences and engage frontline workers with equal effectiveness.
Skilled at building coalitions, managing resistance and sustaining momentum for culture change over multi-year programmes.
Experience developing communications strategies that support culture and engagement initiatives.

Commercial & Operational Awareness

Understanding of the operational realities of a 24/7 workforce environment, including shift patterns, safety-critical roles and union relationships.
Budget management experience with the ability to demonstrate return on investment for culture and inclusion programmes.

Desirable Skills & Qualification

CIPD Level 7 or equivalent qualification in HR, Organisational Development or a related discipline.
Postgraduate qualification or professional accreditation in Diversity & Inclusion (e.g. ILM Diversity & Inclusion Award).
Experience within the rail sector or a similarly regulated, safety-critical industry.
Familiarity with Civil Service values, the public sector equality duty and government people frameworks.
Coaching or facilitation qualification (e.g. ILM, ICF).

Vacancy Details

Duration: Fixed Term until the 31st October 2027 Contract/Secondment

Location: Hybrid

Salary: up to £65,500

Closing date: 5th May 2026

Reports to: Group Head of Learning, Leadership and Development

DFTO Benefits

Annual Leave: Starting at 25 days and rising to an additional day per year of service completed within the first 5 completed years up to a maximum of 5 additional (30 days)

DC Pension Scheme: 10% Employer contribution, 5% Employee contribution

Opportunities to learn and network across the wider industry

Additional Information…

Disclaimer: Candidates applying for this position on a secondment basis must inform their line manager prior to submitting their application. This is to ensure transparency and facilitate any necessary discussions regarding workload and responsibilities.

About our people and the recruitment process - We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don't always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we'll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.

Contact: If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments, please contact dean.palmer@dftoperator.co.uk

Please do not email any CV's to us, your application must be made by clicking the 'Apply' button.

DfT Operator

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Culture, Engagement and Inclusion Manager