Futures lab type of functions are also known as hubs, incubators or accelerators, and essentially are business units with the goal of identifying novel/critical ideas based on forecasted trends that can either disrupt or significance supplement the sector or the overall company. The RSSB Futures Lab is replicating this function for an RSSB. RSSB must provide a capability to analyse emerging member needs (over a 10-to-30-year time horizon); test ideas; and promote a pipeline of work within safety, sustainability, research and standards.

This role will work closely with the Principal Futures Systems Engineers and colleagues from other directorates in shaping the Futures lab propositions and creating minimum viable products for standards, System Safety and Health areas. These will includes applying systems engineering and modelling techniques to set out how a transformative change would impact the current railway or how a future railway may look like. The systems engineering approaches should also allow for exploration and description of the characteristics that a potential changed system or an RSSB output such as a standards or risk model would need to have to be valuable in either the introduction of the change or increasing the resilience of the system in absorbing the change.

• Apply systems engineering and associated analytical approaches to disruptive technical and other transformative changes to the railway sector.
• Develop tools and models which are re-usable and scalable to understand the impact of disruptive or transformative changes to the railway system.
• Collaborate closely with the RSSB data insights team and System Safety and Health Directorate to understand how data, models and approaches (existing and prospective) can be leveraged and adapted to create new or updated tools and models.
• Maintain and manage these tools and frameworks including updating them as a result of new developments in thinking and ideas in this area.
• Support and work with the Principal Futures Systems Engineer to develop related services to support an innovation sandbox approach where transformative changes to the railway system can be tested to assess their viability and barriers to their introduction.
• Support and work with the Principal Futures Systems Engineer, to provide analytical support strategic foresight capabilities to inform the safety, standards, sustainability, research and wider RSSB company initiatives. This includes:
  • Continued improvement in how we identify and select key trends and technologies for investigation;
  • Continued improvement on how we analyse and disseminate the relevance and applicability of such futures-orientated research and analysis to rail;
  • Enhance existing outputs and tools, and launch new ones that help to better inform RSSB and the wider industry, and influence decisions and strategies.
• Support and work with the Principal Futures Systems Engineer, develop and maintain sound methods and tools for the use of systems engineering and other analytical approaches which can be used in strategic foresight and futures-orientated research for the Sector Strategy and other directorates to use as required.
• Provide input to the improvement of processes and evaluation methods.
• Use findings to suggest new ideas to the relevant Professional Leads and provide input to the pipeline of work for safety, standards, sustainability, and cross-industry research.

Essential 

• Experience of rail or related engineering sectors such as utilities, nuclear, aviation, etc
• Educated to at least graduate degree level with significant analytical experience, ideally acquired in relevant industries. 
• Experience of working in research and innovation fields with experience of working in areas where new product/service needs to be developed.
• Understanding and demonstrated experience of working with the introduction of novel changes to complex systems
• Analytical approach with an ability to quickly understand the critical and most promising development across a variety of complex subjects
• Knowledge and experience of analytical techniques and approaches like the use of UML, RailML, Context diagrams, Functional modelling, Analytical Hierarchical Process, etc.
• Knowledge of systems engineering principles.
• Knowledge of Risk Management and Assessment approaches.
• Communicate effectively and share thoughts and ideas through methods appropriate to the audience.
• Adapt and respond effectively when embracing new opportunities, change and in navigating uncertainty.
• Actively contribute as part of a team and work towards achieving team goals and outcomes.
• Take responsibility and demonstrate accountability in completing tasks and achieving objectives, actively seeking to resolve problems and identify opportunities.
• Committed to customer service and placing customer satisfaction at the heart of our success to ensure we deliver against our shared goals.
• Can work collaboratively within an evolving industry, gaining stakeholder confidence through understanding their goals and motivations and demonstrating credibility as an expert.
• Make timely, informed decisions taking account of the benefits and constraints involved.

Desirable

• Post graduate qualification or additional engineering degree
• Understanding of safety risk modelling and risk assessment approaches such as the common safety methods.
• Previous knowledge / experience of Horizon scanning or strategic foresight

We are committed to investing in our staff and offer formal and informal learning opportunities for development.

We value diversity and equal opportunities in employment and are committed to creating a workplace which is inclusive to everyone. As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we encourage candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria, to apply for our jobs. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme, please let us know in advance by emailing vacancies@RSSB.CO.UK Find out more about Diversity and Inclusion at RSSB: Rail Safety and Standards Board Careers - VERCIDA

If you require any reasonable adjustments with respect to our selection process including information in an alternative format, please contact us at vacancies@rssb.co.uk

We understand the importance of work-life balance and we offer our staff the flexibility to work within our core hours and the option to vary their location between both the office and home. If you are looking for further flexibility, speak to us at interview stage so that we can consider your request.

We value our staff and we offer a competitive benefits package to ensure our staff can achieve their best throughout their journey with us. This includes 30 days annual leave (plus bank holidays); a holiday buy and sell scheme; private medical and dental cover; a season ticket loan and travel subsidy; access to a cycle to work scheme; volunteer leave; a performance related bonus and pension.