Rail Safety Compliance and Assurance Manager

About the role

Hafeet Rail is looking for a Rail Safety Assurance and Regulatory Compliance Manager to provide independent safety assurance and regulatory compliance oversight across its cross-border operations and maintenance activities in the UAE and Oman. As the second line of railway safety assurance, the role challenges, audits and assures that operations, engineering and maintenance functions meet applicable legislation, regulatory requirements, the Hafeet Rail Operations Safety Case, GCC interoperability standards and international standards. It also acts as the main interface with National Safety Authorities and government bodies on regulatory compliance and supports railway authorisation, certification, Entry into Service and continued operational approval.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and run the annual Safety Assurance and Compliance Audit Programme and the Compliance and Assurance Framework, and maintain the legal and regulatory register.
• Plan, conduct and manage internal audits, compliance inspections, assurance reviews and independent assessments across operations, maintenance, asset management and supporting functions.
• Assess the effectiveness of the Railway Safety Management System (SMS), operational controls, hazards, risks and Management of Change (MoC) activities, and review Safety Cases, safety justifications and certification evidence.
• Monitor compliance with legislation, operating licences, national and international standards and company governance, and coordinate regulatory audits and external inspections.
• Act as principal contact with National Safety Authorities and government bodies, oversee contractor, supplier and third-party compliance, and report significant issues to Executive Management and governance committees.
• Advise on safety assurance, regulatory compliance and corporate governance, support the Safety Assurance Review Board (SARB), and promote continual improvement of the SMS and safety culture.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Railway Engineering, Engineering, Transport Systems, Safety Management, Risk Management or a related field; a master's degree is desirable.
• Extensive experience applying railway technical standards, operating rules and maintenance standards to assess compliance and safety.
• Experience in railway authorisation, certification, Entry into Service and operational approvals.
• Knowledge of incident investigation, root cause analysis and corrective action management.
• Desirable: formal training or certification in ISO 19011, ISO 45001 or ISO 9001 auditing, a Lead Auditor qualification, and membership of a recognised railway, engineering, safety or compliance body.

Required skills

• Railway Safety Management Systems (SMS), EN 50126 (RAMS lifecycle), CSM-RA and Management of Change.
• Designing and running risk-based safety assurance and audit programmes, and leading multi-disciplinary assurance activities.
• Strong analytical, leadership and communication skills, able to produce evidence-based assurance reports and regulatory submissions.