Lead Architect - Depots & NICC

Job Description

Base salary: £63050pa to c.£78800pa depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

As Lead Architect – Depots & NICC you’ll be the key architectural subject matter expert (SME) for the Network Infrastructure Control Centre (NICC) and all HS2 rolling stock (RS) and infrastructure maintenance (IM) depots. The post holder will be a key representative of the HS2 Design team and act as the point of contact between it and Rail Systems and System Delivery colleagues, together with the contractors who are developing the design and constructing the works. To assure that specifications and requirements are being met and that the HS2 Design Vision is applied.

About the role:

• Enables and supports project delivery as the asset discipline Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Architecture and design-related matters, through design development stages (concept and scheme design) and following contract-award through the detailed design with the Design and Build Contractor.
• Manage the authorisation, delivery and scope of architectural design and/or guidance procured under the Architecture Design team budget.
• Defines technical scope and input for procurement at PQQ and ITT stages, and helps assess tender returns.
• Helps to establish design-related discipline specifications, technical and assurance requirements, on behalf of Infrastructure Directorate (ID), to be provided by the design suppliers.
• Provides client technical support and review of Schedule 17 (planning) Application packages.
• At delivery stage, reviews supplier-provided documentation for evidence of compliance with architectural and related design technical and assurance requirements.
• Champions a holistic and integrated design approach for Architecture and design-related disciplines with the other project disciplines and delivery area teams including civils, rail, systems, MEP, environment, operations and maintenance, security, commercial development, urban integration, arts and culture, heritage and third party interface, construction logistics and planning etc.
• Acts as the guardian for the HS2 Design Vision, HS2 Design Handbook and HS2 Design Approach guidelines on their application on depot and NICC projects through their respective design development and construction.
• Ensures safety is a key priority in all aspects of the role.
• Actively promote and embed Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work, and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

About You:

Skills:

• Presentation skills to deliver complex written and oral communications and presentations suitable for a broad audience and a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Work package development and management skills.
• Risk Management Skills – including the ability to assess, analyse and escalate risk.
• Analysis skills – including the ability to compare, assure and provide analysis on information coming from a variety of sources.
• Ability to influence senior decision makers and management on matters that may affect the success of design on depot and NICC projects.
• Influencing and negotiating – including internal and external stakeholders on technical design decisions.
• Project management skills – ability to co-ordinate and manage multiple workstreams.
• Mentoring and coaching skills that can help and guide junior, architectural year-out interns and apprentices in acquiring meaningful experience of design and engineering within a rail industry environment.

Knowledge:

• Registered architect (ARB/RIBA).
• Knowledge of relevant architectural and/or engineering standards and be able to interpret in a railway/ transportation environment.
• Understanding of the complex nature and operations of control centres, rolling stock and infrastructure maintenance facilities.
• Understanding of how architecture and design related disciplines fit within the overall multidisciplined context and dependencies within a rail industry environment.
• Understanding of working in complex organisations and project workplaces.

Type of Experience:

• Experience in delivering large complex facilities in a multi-disciplinary design and delivery environment.
• Experience of large complex programmes and/or projects (preferably large-scale transportation, operations and/or maintenance projects) with an understanding of how the discipline (Architecture and design-related disciplines) fits within the overall multi-disciplinary context and interdependencies.
• Working as part of a multidisciplinary management team within a large, complex project.
• Experience of project planning and organisation to meet significant project deadlines.
• Experience of giving risk-based advice to senior stakeholders.

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect.

As HS2 Ltd do not hold a sponsorship license from the Home Office, we are not able to provide sponsorship to any applicant. Applicants must already have the Right to Work in the UK at the time of application and our process involves a Right to Work validation prior to the interview stage. Note, there are certain types of time-bound visas that we cannot accept.

Any offers made to applicants will be subject to satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks which include Nationality & Immigration Status, employment references, DBS, Financial and Education checks.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review.

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

About Us

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK’s new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain’s major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our ‘Safe at Heart’ programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.