IPFA – A Day in the Life of Lara Oyeleye, Programme Manager, Network Rail

We asked Lara Oyeleye, Programme Manager at Network Rail a few questions to get to know her better:

1.Title & Role Summary:

 Programme Manager

I am a Programme Manager within the Infrastructure team on Network Rail’s Anglia Route. My role sits at the intersection of strategy, governance and delivery, ensuring that what we plan is affordable, integrated and deliverable within the realities of a live railway, while keeping the network safe, reliable and aligned to long-term priorities.

2. What does my role involve?

In my role, I work closely with both Asset Management and Maintenance teams. With Asset Management, the focus is on ensuring interventions align to whole-life asset strategy. With Maintenance, it is about understanding what is happening day to day, recurring faults, access constraints and safety risks, so that investment decisions reflect operational reality rather than planning assumptions.

Governance is a significant part of my role. I contribute to weekly, periodic and quarterly Business Reviews, ensuring the infrastructure portfolio is transparent, evidence-based and defensible at Functional, Route and Regional levels. These reviews give us space to step back and check whether we are delivering what we said we would, and whether our priorities still make sense in the context of emerging pressures.

I also work closely with Finance, Performance, Transformation, People, and Safety teams to manage trade-offs across safety, performance, sustainability and affordability. Ultimately, my role is about bringing together engineering insight, operational experience and financial discipline into a coherent, well-governed programme.

3. What does a typical day look like?

There is rarely a typical day, which reflects the dynamic nature of the railway. Most mornings begin with reviewing my emails, analysing asset performance data and identifying any emerging issues that could affect our programmes. Early conversations with stakeholders help surface pressure points and ensure our decisions remain grounded in operational reality.

Afternoons often focus on governance and forward planning, preparing for Business Reviews, reviewing forecast movements, or working with delivery teams to ensure reporting reflects the true position. These sessions involve constructive challenge: testing assumptions, probing risks and clarifying delivery confidence.

Alongside my role, I am completing an MBA in Major Infrastructure Delivery at UCL. Evenings are often spent researching or writing, and I find the themes of governance, integration and leadership closely mirror the practical challenges we navigate daily, particularly balancing long-term value with short-term operational constraints.

4. What does success look like for me?

For me, success is when investment genuinely improves asset reliability and reduces repeat failures, rather than simply improving metrics. It is when Asset Management strategy and Maintenance experience are clearly aligned, so we are addressing the right problems.

It also means fostering open and honest governance conversations, where risks are surfaced early and addressed meaningfully. A successful portfolio is one that can withstand scrutiny because it is evidence-led and prioritised with integrity.

When the programme feels controlled, coherent and trusted, both internally and externally, that is when I know we are delivering well.

5. Why should people consider working in infrastructure?

Infrastructure underpins economic growth and social mobility. Working in this sector means contributing to assets that communities rely on every day. It offers a unique combination of engineering challenge and public service.

There is real responsibility in making decisions about assets that millions depend on. In Fixed Infrastructure, you see how engineering, operations and finance intersect, requiring systems thinking, resilience and collaboration.

The work can be complex and occasionally pressured, particularly around governance cycles, but it is purposeful. You are shaping infrastructure that will outlast individual projects, and often outlast you, and that enduring impact gives the work meaning. Infrastructure is for everyone, regardless of background.

6. Top song to listen to when you have finished your work and study day?

Lately, it has been “You Made a Way” by Travis Greene. After a long day of work and study, it helps me pause, reflect and remain grateful for the journey.