Director of Transport Programmes
You will be responsible for leading a high-impact portfolio of various transport projects, directly contributing to the West of England’s economic growth and sustainability, and ensuring a lasting impact on regional growth.
Welcome
Dear candidate,
We are delighted to be sharing this key senior leadership opportunity at the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Turn strategy into action. Lead transport programmes that transform lives across the West of England.
Led by Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, the combined authority invests for the benefit of people living and working in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire – with North Somerset in the process of joining.
Together, our aim is to deliver reliable transport that connects our communities, build affordable homes in the right places with essential services, and enable pathways into green jobs that power our future economy.
About the role
The Director of Transport Programmes will be responsible for connecting people to opportunity and transforming the way people move around the region. You will be responsible for delivering and monitoring programme progress, ensuring programmes are delivered on time while achieving the best value for money.
Your ability to work with stakeholders in this role will be key, as you will need to develop robust business cases and prioritise funding for projects that will provide the most significant benefits to the region and result in improved outcomes.
You will need to be commercially aware, overseeing contract negotiation and management to ensure contracts are aligned with strategic goals and our broader aims.
Your role will be far-reaching, and you will be expected to work closely with colleagues and internal stakeholders such as the Executive Director of Transport, whilst maintaining strong relationships with public sector partners, contractors and consultants. You will be expected to leverage your knowledge of industry best practice and remain informed on new advancements in transport and infrastructure to ensure the programmes are successful.
About you
You will need to be a highly credible transport leader, with experience in a complex, high-profile and multi-stakeholder environment. Your programme experience to date will be critical to your success. You will need to demonstrate your project and programme leadership experience, orchestrating major projects or leading as the Senior Responsible Officer on these programmes.
As you will be working with contractors, you will need sound knowledge of the relevant Public Procurement Requirements, as well as an understanding of public sector financing and funding. You will need to demonstrate your success in business case presentation and awarding, alongside your ability to manage multiple priorities across a broad portfolio of projects.
Your influencing and communication skills will be critical in this role. You will need to build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders, supported by your knowledge of contract management, risk management and budgetary responsibilities.
As a leader, you will need to be comfortable with coaching and mentoring to build a high-performing team where everyone is aligned in their thinking and priorities.
Please note that the closing date for this role is midnight on Friday 19 June 2026.
We are planning for final assessments to be held on Friday 3 July 2026.
For an informal conversation about this role, please contact our recruitment partners:
- Seb Lowe, Partner, 07464 543442, seb.lowe@gatenbysanderson.com
- Emily Lockwood, Senior Researcher, 07384 258626, emily.lockwood@gatenbysanderson.com
By registering your interest in this vacancy, you are agreeing that your information may be shared for recruitment purposes, between Gatenby Sanderson and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority
The West of England is a fantastic place to live and work; a place where ideas flourish and businesses grow, and a diverse population calls home.
With a highly-skilled workforce, innovative businesses, and rich cultural and natural assets, the West of England competes on a global scale.
However, we know we face challenges, particularly in the way people get around our region. We are committed to tackling these challenges head on, taking decisive action to help people access their homes, places of work, training or education, or leisure opportunities in a more sustainable, affordable and reliable way.