Dr Mahdi Ghaffari
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Career

Experience

Eleven-plus years across rail, highways, aviation, stations and depots — from project-controls in a £1bn highways PMO to commissioning on a live railway.

  • Rail
  • Aviation
  • Stations
  • Highways
  • Depots
Career timeline 2009–2026: 5 roles and 18 projects across UK transportation sectors. 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 Roles Projects Jacobs UK — Project Manager — Transportation Infrastructure · Nov 2021–Present Jacobs UK Project Manager — Transportation Infras… Alstom — Project Manager — Rail Systems & Control · Apr 2021–Nov 2021 Alstom Project Manager — Rail Systems & Contro… Atkins / SNC-Lavalin (now AtkinsRéalis) — Project Manager / Assistant PM — Rail · Jun 2018–Apr 2021 Atkins / SNC-Lavalin (now Atk… Project Manager / Assistant PM — Rail ·… Atkins / SNC-Lavalin — Project Manager's Assistant — Transportation / Highways PMO · Oct 2016–Jun 2018 Atkins / SNC-Lavalin Project Manager's Assistant — Transport… Govah JSC — Project Management Apprentice — Heavy Vehicle Repair · 2009–2011 Govah JSC Project Management Apprentice — Heavy V… Walkden Station AfA (ES4) — Network Rail · Jacobs · ~£500k · Step-free access via a new lift facility and layout renewal. Walkden Station AfA (ES4) Network Rail · Jacobs · 2026 ~£500k Pre-Conditioned Air Units Improvements — Heathrow T5 / Ferrovial · Jacobs · ~£1m · Aircraft-stand serviceability and docking reliability; led interface management. Pre-Conditioned Air Units Imp… Heathrow T5 / Ferrovial · Jacobs · 2025… ~£1m Airside Pedestrian Crossings Phase 2 — Heathrow / Ferrovial · Jacobs · ~£1.5m · Airside pedestrian safety; design plus Road Safety Audit Stages 2 & 3. Airside Pedestrian Crossings… Heathrow / Ferrovial · Jacobs · 2025–pr… ~£1.5m Bus Priority Programme — TfL · Jacobs · ~£1m · Programme reporting, commercial management and QA. Bus Priority Programme TfL · Jacobs · 2025–2026 ~£1m Cheadle Station (ES4) — Network Rail · Jacobs · ~£1m · Tender-stage surveys and Approval-in-Principle design for a new station. Cheadle Station (ES4) Network Rail · Jacobs · 2025 ~£1m Burnley Manchester Road AfA (ES4) — Network Rail · Jacobs · ~£500k · New footbridge with lifts and stairs; fire strategy. Burnley Manchester Road AfA (… Network Rail · Jacobs · 2024–2026 ~£500k Cottam Parkway Station (ES4) — Network Rail · Jacobs · ~£1.5m · PACE ES4 preliminary design across ~20 disciplines; value engineering. Cottam Parkway Station (ES4) Network Rail · Jacobs · 2023–2024 ~£1.5m Manchester International Depot Signalling (ES3) — Network Rail · Jacobs · ~£150k · Option selection separating routes between two operators. Manchester International Depo… Network Rail · Jacobs · 2023–2024 ~£150k FLOW/WOLF Footbridge Programmes — Network Rail · Jacobs · ~£1m · Reinforced-polymer footbridge product development; first site delivery. FLOW/WOLF Footbridge Programm… Network Rail · Jacobs · 2022–ongoing ~£1m GMPE Depots Surveys & ES4/5 Design — Network Rail · Jacobs · ~£900k · Depot energisation; surveys plus PACE ES4/5 design. GMPE Depots Surveys & ES4/5 D… Network Rail · Jacobs · 2022–2023 ~£900k Three Bridges ASC ARS — Network Rail · Alstom · £6m · Automatic Route Setting to cut signaller workload and delays; led re-programming and on-site night-shift commissioning. Three Bridges ASC ARS Network Rail · Alstom · 2021 £6m Parsonage & Littlehaven Level Crossing Re-Control — Network Rail · Alstom · ~£1m · Control-system data and hardware re-control to Three Bridges ASC. Parsonage & Littlehaven Level… Network Rail · Alstom · 2021 ~£1m Feltham Re-Signalling Phase 5 (GRIP4) — Network Rail · Atkins · £2.5m · Multidisciplinary design; led risk, estimate, WBS/CBS, programme and change control. Feltham Re-Signalling Phase 5… Network Rail · Atkins · 2020–2021 £2.5m Feltham Re-Signalling Phase 1 (GRIP5–8) — Network Rail · Atkins · £34m · Richmond–New Malden renewal; led four supply-point packages (~£1m); Commissioning PM, Easter 2021. Feltham Re-Signalling Phase 1… Network Rail · Atkins · 2019–2021 £34m Basingstoke ROC ElectroLogIXS Training Centre — Network Rail · Atkins · ~£1.5m · Network Rail's first ElectroLogIXS training centre, GRIP5–8. Basingstoke ROC ElectroLogIXS… Network Rail · Atkins · 2019–2021 ~£1.5m Regional Investment Programme — Highways England · Atkins · ~£400m · PMO for five major motorway junction upgrades. Regional Investment Programme Highways England · Atkins · 2017–2018 ~£400m M20 & M23 Smart Motorways — Highways England · Atkins · Cost reports, EVM, change pricing and invoicing. M20 & M23 Smart Motorways Highways England · Atkins · 2017–2018 M25 Junction Improvement Programme — Highways England · Atkins · Chaired reviews, produced client reports and applied Lean tools. M25 Junction Improvement Prog… Highways England · Atkins · 2016–2017 Now

Roles

  • Jacobs UK Project Manager — Transportation Infrastructure Nov 2021 – Present
  • Alstom Project Manager — Rail Systems & Control Apr 2021 – Nov 2021
  • Atkins / SNC-Lavalin (now AtkinsRéalis) Project Manager / Assistant PM — Rail Jun 2018 – Apr 2021
  • Atkins / SNC-Lavalin Project Manager's Assistant — Transportation / Highways PMO Oct 2016 – Jun 2018
  • Govah JSC Project Management Apprentice — Heavy Vehicle Repair 2009 – 2011

Projects

  • Walkden Station AfA (ES4) Network Rail · Jacobs 2026
  • Pre-Conditioned Air Units Improvements Heathrow T5 / Ferrovial · Jacobs 2025–present
  • Airside Pedestrian Crossings Phase 2 Heathrow / Ferrovial · Jacobs 2025–present
  • Bus Priority Programme TfL · Jacobs 2025–2026
  • Cheadle Station (ES4) Network Rail · Jacobs 2025
  • Burnley Manchester Road AfA (ES4) Network Rail · Jacobs 2024–2026
  • Cottam Parkway Station (ES4) Network Rail · Jacobs 2023–2024
  • Manchester International Depot Signalling (ES3) Network Rail · Jacobs 2023–2024
  • FLOW/WOLF Footbridge Programmes Network Rail · Jacobs 2022–ongoing
  • GMPE Depots Surveys & ES4/5 Design Network Rail · Jacobs 2022–2023
  • Three Bridges ASC ARS Network Rail · Alstom 2021
  • Parsonage & Littlehaven Level Crossing Re-Control Network Rail · Alstom 2021
  • Feltham Re-Signalling Phase 5 (GRIP4) Network Rail · Atkins 2020–2021
  • Feltham Re-Signalling Phase 1 (GRIP5–8) Network Rail · Atkins 2019–2021
  • Basingstoke ROC ElectroLogIXS Training Centre Network Rail · Atkins 2019–2021
  • Regional Investment Programme Highways England · Atkins 2017–2018
  • M20 & M23 Smart Motorways Highways England · Atkins 2017–2018
  • M25 Junction Improvement Programme Highways England · Atkins 2016–2017
Career timeline 2009–2026: 5 roles and 18 projects across UK transportation sectors.
Roles

Jacobs UK

Project Manager — Transportation Infrastructure

Nov 2021 – Present London, UK

Managing multidisciplinary transportation-infrastructure projects and specialist work packages across rail, highways, airside/airport and stations for clients including Network Rail, TfL, Heathrow and Highways England.

  • Coordinate civil, environmental, telecoms, MEP, systems, signalling, survey, fire-strategy, road-safety-audit and construction-support disciplines across multidisciplinary commissions.
  • Lead tendering, mobilisation, programme and reporting, commercial management, QA and client communication across T&M and lump-sum contracts.
  • Deliver projects and work packages end to end — from tender and early definition through surveys, design development, construction support and closeout.

Alstom

Project Manager — Rail Systems & Control

Apr 2021 – Nov 2021 London, UK

Managed rail signalling and control-system delivery, including the demanding transition from off-site testing to commissioning on a live railway.

  • Owned project setup, planning, reporting, cost control and stakeholder coordination.
  • Led commissioning including night-shift working and a rapid off-site-test → live-railway transition.

Atkins / SNC-Lavalin (now AtkinsRéalis)

Project Manager / Assistant PM — Rail

Jun 2018 – Apr 2021 London, UK

Managed signalling, telecoms, power, software, construction, ergonomics and operations-room packages on a major re-signalling programme, co-located with the Network Rail client.

  • Maintained risk registers, estimates, WBS/CBS, baselines and change control across multiple disciplines.
  • Led digital-transformation and Lean initiatives within the project team.
  • Co-managed the winning ~£2.5m GRIP4 bid.

Atkins / SNC-Lavalin

Project Manager's Assistant — Transportation / Highways PMO

Oct 2016 – Jun 2018 London, UK

Key member of a Highways England transportation PMO supporting a programme pipeline of around £1bn.

  • Ran KPI reporting, cost and risk tracking, Earned Value Management, invoicing and NEC3 financial reporting.
  • Priced compensation events and supported commercial governance; awarded a performance bonus.

Govah JSC

Project Management Apprentice — Heavy Vehicle Repair

2009 – 2011 Iran

Supported heavy-vehicle overhaul projects for the Iranian National Oil Company.

Built MS Project schedules, WBS estimates and monthly progress reports.