Executive assistant

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 To deliver strategic support to the Functional Director, providing leadership across business operations, communications, planning, and executive support. The role enables the effective running of the Director’s office, drives forward key strategic initiatives, and enables delivery of corporate and functional objectives through strong governance, stakeholder engagement, and operational oversight.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and own the development of high-impact functional and external stakeholder communications, enabling alignment with strategic objectives and executive priorities.
• Liaise, co-ordinate and manager senior stakeholder interactions with other Executive Directors, and senior leaders in DFT, NR, Train Operating Companies, government ministers and various external or national boards to advance the objectives of the directorate.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the Functional Director by shaping briefing materials, Board papers, and presentations for ExCom and Board-level decision making.
• Drive and oversee strategic initiatives and projects on behalf of the Functional Director, providing leadership, governance, and direction across senior management teams to ensure delivery of critical programmes aligned to business priorities.
• Support and influence cross-functional collaboration at executive level, driving the identification and implementation of best practices to enhance performance, customer outcomes, and organisational effectiveness.
• Act as a trusted interface for business operations, change, and communications on behalf of the Functional Director, providing oversight, shaping messaging, and driving alignment of change initiatives across the function and wider organisation.
• Oversee high-profile internal and external engagements, so that events and stakeholder interactions reflect organisational priorities, enhance reputation, and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Support the monitoring of functional delivery against milestones, budget spend and resource requirements in line with the DFTO Business Planning process, tracking progress and liaising with the team and other directorates where appropriate.
• Build a strong, collaborative & professional EA network, as well as organising travel, diary commitments and planning with other Executive Assistants to coordinate key meetings.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications

• Proven experience supporting senior executives at Director / ExCo level
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects and influence senior stakeholders
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (written and verbal)
• Strong organisational, planning, and governance expertise
• Ability to operate with discretion, professionalism, and sound judgement
• Ability to manage multiple, differing priorities in a fast paced experience

Key Deliverables The role delivers timely, high-quality briefings, Board and ExCom papers, and executive communications that meet agreed standards and deadlines; drives the effective implementation of key projects and initiatives with clear tracking of progress, resources, and spend; produces coordinated business plans and performance updates that align with organisational requirements; delivers well-run, professional meetings, events, and stakeholder engagements with clear outputs; maintains consistent and effective communication across the function; and provides a reliable central point …