Job Description

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to improve quality of life, by bringing people together to get the most out of life.

About the job

The Senior Digital Programme Manager is responsible for The IT & Digital Programme across SWR. This encompasses Programme and Project Management and software licensing.



SWR is reliant on its people using technology to carry out normal business activity including train operations, retail, commercial, finance, security etc. This role will bring project teams together to deliver through technology.

Your main responsibilities will be:

Digital Programme & Project Management

Lead the development and maintenance of the IT and Digital Services Programme plan for SWR. Maintain the Programme Risk and Issues log. Develop and maintain an appropriate Programme and Project Management methodology for managing and implementing IT and Digital Projects in SWR. Manage the IT Project Management Team and ensure there are Project plans in place. Maintain an awareness of potential interdependencies with other projects and their impact

Stakeholder management

Provide significant input into the DPD (Digital Programme Delivery) Working Group. Meet with Business Sponsors to understand potential projects that may be required and update Programme plan accordingly. Meet with Sponsors and Project Managers to understand any deviation in the Programme plan and assist with any remedial action. Attendance at relevant industry forums to understand industry behaviour and direction

Finance and budget planning

Manage the software license part of the IT & Digital Services budget and ensure spend is contained within this budget by working closely with the relevant finance budget holder. Work with all other functions to identify future change activity and assist in the production of appropriate budgets for Digital and Technology initiatives. Ensure all Technology capex submissions and change notes are costed correctly. Work with business support and procurement teams to ensure value for money with software licensing. Ensure the IT procurement process is followed and liaise with the South Western Railway Procurement and Contract department as necessary to fulfil requests made. Comply with SWR financial processes at all times.

Software Licensing


Manage the software licensing Team. Ensure compliance and integrity of Software Licensing across multiple service lines and technologies Provide guidance to the IT License and Software Manager, define and implement a License Management Strategy, covering policies, partners and toolsets Regular reporting of all licence and software status Work with key stakeholders to validate current installed products are in use and are required moving forward Manage software licenses for local installation, SaaS models and cloud-based solutions To oversee all software installed within the organisation using multiple data sets.

You'll need to be:

A self-motivated, Senior IT Programme and Project Management professional with significant IT Technology experience and excellent understanding of software licensing.

As a minimum, you will need to have:

Experience in project management methodologies such as Agile, Prince 2 or PMP Experience in programme management methodologies such as MSP Managing Successful Programmes Customer focused (both internal IT users and the end customer of TOC solutions) Excellent communication skills Knowledge and understanding of Software Licensing

About the location

South Western Railways HQ is based on the 4th Floor at South Bank Central, a stone's throw from the River Thames and a 10 minute walk from our busiest station, Waterloo. It is local to many well-known attractions, restaurants and retail facilities and is easily accessible by public transport.

Working pattern

On average you will work 37 hours per week across 5 days.



There will be an on-call commitment with this role.

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:


Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent) 75% discount on many other train operating companies Full training and support with development Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR.

Ourvision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.



We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.



We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.



We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.



If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.



https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/



https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/