About Department

This opportunity sits in Supply Chain Operations (SCO), a division of Route Services that procures safe, sustainable, products and services that are in turn used to improve and enhance the rail infrastructure across Britain. SCO aims to deliver excellent value and service to our customers, helping the rail industry to work together to deliver a more cost-effective railway.

Our extensive supply chain network plays a crucial role in helping to run a safe and efficient railway.

Every year we:

• Buy and deliver 2,000km of rail and 2.5 million tonnes of ballast.
• Operate 1,200 rail vehicles.
• Process £7,000,000,000 of payments.
• Handle over 23,000 IT helpdesk calls.
• Mechanical and electrical locking fitters maintain 468 signal boxes and 387 ground frames.
• Operational property helpdesk process over 200,000 calls

About Supply Chain Operations Capital Programmes

Supply Chain Operations Capital Programmes team delivers the outputs of a large portfolio of national programmes. Working on behalf of regional customers and route clients, the SCO team deliver networkwide initiatives to time, cost and quality, driving for the realisation of benefits for the operational railway. The key part of our model and approach will be ensuring we can support our team, putting proper focus and resource on the continuous development of the people across all our teams.

Working in an expanding portfolio model, we create individual opportunities and provide the flexibility to move expertise and support across the programmes as required. The SCO portfolio contains many industry leading initiatives that are being delivered for the first time so there is no “textbook” to follow. Very often the teams will need to work from first principles to develop the systems standards and process for the initiatives that we are delivering.

Main responsibilities

• Maintain relationships with nominated customers and stakeholders and monitor whether Network Rail is fully responsive for the development of schemes. Support the interests of the customers and stakeholders within Network Rail.
• Assist with the development of new project proposals from customers and stakeholders for capital funded enhancements, to establish the nature and scope of their schemes in line with the business planning criteria, including consideration of their viability within the investment regulations, planning processes, timetable implications, operational arrangements and commercial property interfaces and benefits.
• Assist with negotiations with customers for the commercial and contractual terms on which schemes will be implemented, or, where the project will be implemented by a third party, the terms on which Network Rail will provide asset protection.
• Assist in the periodic reporting on the progress of SCO Sponsored projects for assurance reviews and programme boards
• Assist with the development of project specific documents including client remits, sponsor instructions and investment papers.
• Comply with the requirements of corporate investment regulations, other corporate governance, and the PACE project methodology.
• Monitor progress on customer schemes against agreed budgets, delivery plans and work programmes, challenge and intervene as required with delivery teams and other stakeholders to realise the project benefits.
• Assist in the ongoing assessment of projects throughout the project lifecycle to assure their continued viability from a cost perspective and the realisation of benefits.
• Assist in the development of a Sponsor Plan to provide visibility to the business of submissions to Investment panels.
• Undertake post implementation reviews to close schemes, check the customer is fully billed and pays for the works, whether the works deliver the intended outputs and new works are fully incorporated into maintenance and renewal plans.
• Contribute to the development of the SCO Business Plan for Captial funded works in line with SCO strategy and other business planning processes.

The ideal candidate

Will have experience in the following:

Essential Criteria

Essential

• Qualified to degree level
• Commercially astute, persuasive, and customer focused.
• Negotiating skills
• Excellent written communication

Desirable

• Knowledge / understanding of the railway industry
• Knowledge / understanding of the project environment
• Excellent presentation skills

To be considered, please attach a copy of your CV and Cover Letter outlining how you meet the Essential Criteria.

Vacancy type: Permanent, 35 hours per week, Hybrid working of 2/3 days in the office. We welcome applications from those seeking flexible or part time hours.

Location: The Quadrant Milton Keynes, For this role you need to live within 90 minutes of The Quadrant in Milton Keynes.

Closing date: 31st December 2024 (On occasions, we may need to close the advert early based upon application volumes. Late applications may not be accepted)

Interview date: 9th and 13th January 2025

Band & Salary: Band 4B £35,582 to £40,029 (Awarded based on experience

We are committed to a diverse workplace enriched with representation from diverse cultures, backgrounds and skills. We pride ourselves on creating an environment where difference is embraced, and individuals can thrive. We recognise that the success of the team is dependent on a multi-cultural, multi-disciplined group of individuals, aligned to deliver successful solutions.

At Network Rail, we have a number of employee networks to reflect our diverse population and help to raise issues to the wider workforce and support their membership and support our Everybody Matters strategy, led by our central Diversity & Inclusion team. We have Diversity & Inclusion Champions who take part and lead on many activities, to drive through more initiatives to support an inclusive environment for all its people and promote a professional and positive working environment.

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You can visit Evenbreak's Career Hive for advice on accessibility support if you're unsure of the options available. Should you require any reasonable adjustments/modifications, please contact mark.powell4@networkrail.co.uk or add a note to your application.