Rachel Braid
Grantham
Summary
Accomplished professional with extensive expertise in programme management, blockade management, and project management. Demonstrates exceptional delivery skills, integration meeting facilitation, and stakeholder engagement. Proven track record in managing PACE deliverables through a project lifecycle and delivering projects to CDM standards. Adept at QSRA results production, contingency planning, and supply chain collaboration. Skilled in client relationship management, investment paper review, and challenging and holding to account the supply chain. Committed to continuous improvement and best practices sharing within investment and finance processes.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
2011
2011
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Project Manger/Programme Manager Secondment
Network Rail TRU Central
12.2023 - Current
- Working within the integration team on the hub and spoke model W2BC project leading and managing the delivery of over 1200 on site surveys on behalf of 5 design spokes to inform ES4 design. Managing the contractor on both on site delivery of the works and the production of survey reports within a timely manner in order to be able to achieve the overall programme milestones.
- Successfully worked with the geotechnical engineer to apply MVP to the initial survey asks and reducing the overall number by over 500 resulting in a cost saving of circa £1m.
- Developing a programme of survey delivery and applying priorities to this delivery in order to meet the IDC timescales set by the over all programme and working with other programme managers within the team to apply appropriate mitigations and risk management in order to protect the programme.
- Managing the PC team and ensuring they are delivering safely, complying with CDM regulations, standards, best practices and holding supply chain to account.
- Experience in working with the PACE framework and undertaking the PACE check list initiation for both W2BC and the W4E projects, ensuring all the stage gate information is documented and the deliverables assigned and monitored against programme.
- Managing and holding contractors to account in terms of financial and risk management and challenging the delivery methods and ways of working to delivery best for business.
- Leading my programme area risk sessions with the internal team and the supply chain to document the main risks to the survey programme and the mitigations we can implement, feeding into the over arching risk review.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop and implement new policies.
- Led a large recruitment drive for new Scheme Project managers within the team and since appointments developed and managed an individual encouraging growth and providing further development opportunities.
- Managed contracts through CEMAR and undertaken NEC4 training.
Project Manager
Network Rail
12.2023 - 09.2024
- Management and delivery of the Track North capital programme of works circa £42m and the Heavy workstream (£25m), delivering domestic work bank projects such as re railing and medium refurb projects from south of York to Berwick on ECML and branch lines, as well as complex renewals over extended possessions, programme management and site supervision
- Excellent safety leadership skills regularly leading WD safety week sessions, engaging with supply chain to develop safer ways of working and successfully reduced WD track nork accident position by 70% by leading from the front and changing behaviours
- Management of complex projects including blockade working, DWWP process, integration with alliances, Capital Delivery and TRU
- Management of 10 direct reports across a wide geographical area, maintaining performance progress, day to day task management, supporting development and expectations
- Delivery of various enhancement projects such as the Harrogate station and sidings capacity increase programme allowing for the stabilisation of LNER Azuma trains in a prime location
- Delivery of Bridlington Station rationalisation scheme, Nunnery Junction S&C renewal, Seamer and Danby Plain line renewal and developing and leading on a new construction method for reballasting high speed concrete S&C units
- Efficiency lead for Eastern Region Track, management of the efficiency tracker, monitoring the numbers recorded and driving initiatives through directly working with my delivery team
- Financial monitoring of a programme of works, cost monitoring, producing estimates, monitoring cost and volume, driving unit rates down and constantly looking for new and efficient ways of delivery within the teams
- Engaging with the client and leading reviews – producing new cost and volume pack for SRAM reviews, leading the conversations, and taking the lead with Track Governance for the North
- Delivering safety stand down discussions and driving safety improvements and behaviours within the team
Scheme Project Manager
Network Rail
01.2019 - 11.2019
- Management and delivery of the LNE/EM Drainage projects delivered by the Special Projects team, and contractors £6.7million authority in year 1 CP6 and £15million year 2
- Completing COWD, tracking project financials, change controls, investment papers and re authority submissions, volume reporting
- Ensuring projects are CDM compliant, including WPP, CPP and PCIP, working with the construction manager to complete the AMP process, knowledge of the engineering management plan and implementation within network rail
- Producing 3CM’s, attending site walk outs, construction meetings and planning readiness reviews
- Running periodic PDR meetings with the client, communicating concerns and success and building relationships, deputising for WDM and PM, manning list requests, senior management meetings, efficiency and headwinds tracking
- Producing the periodic MBR pack for the whole team, attending RAM MBR and communicating periodic results
- Commercial requests in Bravo, tracking orders, liaising with third parties and contractors
Management Accountant
Network Rail
01.2016 - 01.2019
- This role within the Works delivery department of Network rail involves Business Partnering with the S&T North and E&P North teams, managing both OPEX and CAPEX financials, and supporting the project based teams in discussions with clients and customers
- Completing period end accounts, journals, OPEX transactions, balance sheet queries, reporting financials to both budgets and forecast and keeping in depth reports up to date for business partners
- Management of CAPEX financials for project management including COWD, accruals, forecasts, AFC, variance commentary, investment papers, project set up templates and PEST
- Complex data analysis of vast amounts of data and challenging delivers on their accounts
- Attendance at Investment panel, RAM authority discussions, commercial panels, collaborative working with commercial teams on SPL and other contractors
- Ad hoc reporting for business partners as required, assisting PM for 12 months on all financials aspects of projects and RAM reporting due to team vacancies
Assistant Management Accountant
Network Rail
06.2015 - 12.2015
Assistant Income Accountant
Harrogate and district NHS foundation trust
06.2014 - 06.2015
Income Accountant
NHS Lancashire and Cumbria CCG
01.2010 - 06.2014
Education
BA Honours Degree - History and Politics
University of Newcastle Upon Tyne
Newcastle upon TyneA Levels - History, English combined, Media studies and General studies
GCSE’s - 10 A-B including Maths-A, English-A and double Science award-AA
CIMA - Qualified
Skills
- Delivery skills
- Programme management
- Blockade management
- Integration meeting facilitation
- Reporting
- Deadline management
- QSRA results production
- Contingency planning
- Supply chain collaboration
- Stakeholder engagement
- Client relationship management
- Best practices sharing
- Continuous improvement
- Investment and finance processes
- Accounting knowledge
- Project management
- Investment paper review
- Presentation skills
- Challenging and holding to account supply chain
- Delivering projects to CDM
- Managing PACE deliverables through a project lifecycle
Custom
- Prince2 Foundation Course
- Facilitator and Verbal presenting Course
- PTS
- IOSH
- Association of Project Management
- Level 1 accident and investigation training
Timeline
Project Manger/Programme Manager Secondment
Network Rail TRU Central
12.2023 - Current
Project Manager
Network Rail
12.2023 - 09.2024
Scheme Project Manager
Network Rail
01.2019 - 11.2019
Management Accountant
Network Rail
01.2016 - 01.2019
Assistant Management Accountant
Network Rail
06.2015 - 12.2015
Assistant Income Accountant
Harrogate and district NHS foundation trust
06.2014 - 06.2015
Income Accountant
NHS Lancashire and Cumbria CCG
01.2010 - 06.2014
A Levels - History, English combined, Media studies and General studies
GCSE’s - 10 A-B including Maths-A, English-A and double Science award-AA
CIMA - Qualified
BA Honours Degree - History and Politics
University of Newcastle Upon Tyne
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