Non Executive Directorships

Office of Rail and Road Non-Executive Director – Finance

Location: London

Date Posted: 02/04/2025

Closing Date: 29/04/2025

£20,900 per annum 42 days/annum

About the appointment

Introduction from the Minister

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the role of Non-Executive Director on the Board of Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

This is an important time for the Department for Transport. We are prioritising investments in infrastructure and public transport to improve journeys, enhance connectivity, drive economic growth, and ensure a fairer distribution of opportunities across the country. Our mission is delivering a transport system that works for everyone, fostering equality and inclusivity in every community.

We are recruiting for a Non-Executive Director to join the Board of ORR. ORR is driving improvements to train service performance; focusing on the efficiency of Network Rail; working with the rail industry to ensure safe operations; holding Network Rail to account for delivery of the Periodic Review 2023 settlement (covering the five years from 2024-2029) as the industry undergoes significant reform; and advising on the third Road Investment Strategy.

The position requires your skills and experience to contribute to the development of rail and road as well as the delivery of a strategy that will help shape the future of transport in the UK. The government’s programme of rail reform will significantly impact ORR over the coming years, as passenger services are brought back into public ownership, and we establish Great British Railways and the Passenger Standards Authority, modernising working practices and improving the deal for both passengers and taxpayers. As a Board member, you will have a crucial role in supporting those changes and steering the organisation through transformation, whilst ensuring it continues to drive improvements to today’s railway.

We strongly welcome applications from all backgrounds. As part of the Department’s commitment to diversity, we believe our public appointments should reflect our customers – the travelling public – who come from all walks of life and have different experiences. We very much welcome fresh talent, expertise, and perspectives, to help us better understand the needs of the communities we serve and support better decision making for all. This includes people who may have never applied for a public appointment – but could bring new ideas, insights and energy.

If you are interested in the role and work of ORR, I would like to encourage you to apply. Our dedicated DfT Public Appointments Team would be happy to talk through the process and answer your questions.

Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP

Secretary of State for Transport

Introduction from the Chair

Thank you for your interest in the role of Non-Executive Director at the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). ORR is a modern and pragmatic regulator, acting in the public interest and with a focus on a safer railway; better rail customer service; value for money from the railway; and better strategic highways.

On rail, we are a balancing mechanism at the heart of the industry: providing assurance and oversight, working closely with Network Rail (and in due course, Great British Railways). For example, by overseeing improvements, deciding fair charges and access for passenger and freight operators and looking out for the long-term national interest.

On roads, we protect the public investment in England’s strategic network by monitoring and transparently reporting on National Highways’ work. We also advise the Department for Transport on funding and performance requirements for future road periods to help set supportive performance expectations and efficiency.

Our ability to deliver impartial evidence-based advice to government and to take regulatory action that balances a wide range of duties in a complex context has helped to build our positive reputation of adding value. We have taken on new responsibilities at the request of government, for example, carrying out a review on smart motorways data and monitoring National Highways’ delivery of its smart motorways action plan.

There are important tasks in the coming years, with the impacts of climate change, a difficult financial and economic environment, and challenges arising from artificial intelligence to address. Yet there are also opportunities, including new digital technology and enhanced data insights, for more thoughtful and effective decision making, as well as improving the service that passengers and other users receive.

Our current priorities include driving improvements to train service performance; focusing on the efficiency of Network Rail; working with the rail industry to ensure safe operations; holding Network Rail to account for delivering the 2023 Periodic Review (which looks at their funding and delivery from 2024 to 2029); and advising on the third Road Investment Strategy. Rail and road are both long-term asset industries; ORR sets 5-year funding periods so that Network Rail and National Highways have funding certainty. This, in turn, gives confidence to the supply chain and generates better performance and efficiencies, to facilitate the government growth agenda.

Major rail reform is also underway with government intending to nationalise passenger train operators in England and establishing Great British Railways. This will initiate transformative changes to ORR’s regulatory role, to which we will respond by growing our skill base in key areas and evolving our culture to fit with new ways of working.

As Chair, it is important to me to ensure that the ORR Board continues to have the right mix of skills and diverse perspectives to guide the organisation in successfully delivering its strategic objectives. I believe we have been successful in building a Board with the requisite expertise and a broad range of experiences. However, as we navigate the natural renewal cycle – with some highly experienced members, including specialists in health and safety and rail industry matters, stepping down as their terms come to an end – we must focus on maintaining this balance. This includes not only expertise but also diversity in gender, ethnicity, and background, which are central to our new diversity and inclusion strategy.1 By aligning our Board composition with this strategy, we can ensure that our decision-making processes are both innovative and reflective of the communities we serve.

A role on the ORR Board provides the opportunity to use your skills and experience to contribute to the development of rail and road as well as the delivery of a strategy that will help shape the future of transport in the UK. I hope you will feel encouraged to bring your experience and skills to our work at this interesting time. Playing your part as a Non-Executive Director of the ORR is your opportunity to make a real difference to customers, taxpayers, and the wider economy.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Declan Collier

Chair, Office of Rail and Road

Appointment description

Our Board sets our strategic direction and approves policy approaches to support that direction. Within that, non-executive directors play a particularly important scrutiny and challenge role in holding our executive to account for delivery against the strategy and agreed business plan. The Board also takes important regulatory decisions, consistently applying the principles of good regulation through an approach that is risk-based, targeted, proportionate and transparent. It works through sub-committees, to which all members are expected to contribute, to supply particular expertise or focus when that is necessary.

Our Board meetings and committee meetings are structured around a two-day programme once a month. Time commitment overall is an average of 3.5 days a month.

We are recruiting for a Non-Executive Directors to join the board of ORR with expertise in Finance or Economics. Rail or road experience is not a prerequisite.

The role requires the ability to fulfil all the general requirements of a Non-Executive Director (see below).

Role of the Non-Executive Director

Non-Executive Directors are expected to:

Demonstration of the ORR values: we aim to be inclusive; professional; ambitious; and collaborative;
Resilience, independence and openness – prepared to constructively challenge and take public responsibility for decisions;
A personal and professional demeanour, integrity and credibility which commands the confidence of our staff and stakeholders;
A flexible, collaborative style;
An ability to distil key issues out of complexity; and
Be highly motivated and able to motivate others.

Essential criteria:

You will need:

The ability to critically analyse complex and sensitive information, providing clear, objective, and evidence-based recommendations to support organisational objectives, alongside sound judgement and professional leadership at board level on strategic matters.
Hold a strategic outlook – able to identify, debate and oversee long term plans and monitor progress while being realistic about short-term pressures and industry concerns;
Excellent communication and stakeholder skills- ability to accept challenge and constructively challenge with clarity and respect. Building effective stakeholder relationships, including with Ministers, Senior Government officials and external stakeholders while at the same time preserving the independence of the Board.
Financial or economic skills and experience, particularly in a complex organisational setting. An appreciation of how to relate the safety and economic regulation roles of ORR to each other and the importance for public finances of doing so, would be a particular advantage; and
Experience of leading complex, large-scale projects and programmes, including through organisational change.

Candidates’ suitability for the role will be assessed against criteria above

Although not an essential requirement for making an application, we would also welcome applications from candidates who are able to demonstrate significant experience in and knowledge of regulation and regulatory strategy. If you consider that you demonstrate strong knowledge of regulation and regulatory strategy, please do specifically identify this.

Notwithstanding the general requirement to declare any potential conflicts of interest, if you are currently or have in the last 12 months been employed by or had business connections with a UK rail or road body, if you were appointed, you may be required to serve an appropriate “cooling off” period before taking up your role on Board. If this applies to you, we will discuss this with you further as necessary.

Organisation description

ORR is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain’s railways, it also regulates performance and efficiency on England’s strategic road network.

Their safety and economic functions are driven by legislation. As an independent regulator, it operates within the framework set by legislation and is accountable through Parliament and the courts. Detailed information on their functions can be found here.

ORR holds Network Rail and National Highways to account for their performance on Britain’s railways and England’s strategic road network, and for how they spend their money.

ORR authorises new train services and rolling stock and approves major works at stations. It investigates competition issues for users, from station catering prices to digital signalling, and oversees ticketing information. ORR sets standards for accessible travel, licenses train drivers and ensure good information during disruption. It tracks how services run and publishes the data; sets passenger complaint standards and encourages freight growth. ORR also supervises the safety of local railways like the London Underground, Tyne & Wear Metro, Glasgow Subway, and all Britain’s tramways, and heritage railways.

On the roads, ORR is responsible for regulating the performance and efficiency of National Highways to maintain, renew, operate and improve the motorways and main ‘A’ roads in England. It also advises government on the appropriate level of funding and performance requirements for the future.

ORR takes a pragmatic and collaborative approach to regulation across the industry, helping shape a future where people and goods move efficiently and safely.

ORR Homepage – Home page | Office of Rail and Road

ORR Board – https://www.orr.gov.uk/about/who-we-are/board

Gov.UK – https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-of-rail-and-road

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website

Person specification

Essential criteria

You will need:

The ability to critically analyse complex and sensitive information, providing clear, objective, and evidence-based recommendations to support organisational objectives, alongside sound judgement and professional leadership at board level on strategic matters.
Hold a strategic outlook – able to identify, debate and oversee long term plans and monitor progress while being realistic about short-term pressures and industry concerns;
Excellent communication and stakeholder skills- ability to accept challenge and constructively challenge with clarity and respect. Building effective stakeholder relationships, including with Ministers, Senior Government officials and external stakeholders while at the same time preserving the independence of the Board.
Financial or economic skills and experience, particularly in a complex organisational setting. An appreciation of how to relate the safety and economic regulation roles of ORR to each other and the importance for public finances of doing so, would be a particular advantage; and
Experience of leading complex, large-scale projects and programmes, including through organisational change.

Candidates’ suitability for the role will be assessed against criteria above.

Apply here

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Other Positions Available:

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Local Authority – Non-Executive Director

Location: North West

Date Posted: 12/04/2025

Closing Date: 12/05/2025