Commercial Manager

Join Our Dynamic Capital Delivery Team at Network Rail!

You will be part of the North West & Central Region (NW&C), which consists of three routes: North West, Central, and West Coast South, and a regional team supporting Regional Major Programmes & Professional Services. Are you ready to be part of the driving force behind the region’s rail transformation?

Our Capital Delivery team is at the heart of delivering innovative projects that meet the soaring demand for rail travel. Here’s how we make a difference:

• Boosting Capacity: We expand our network to welcome more passengers and increase freight movements.
• Enhancing Speed and Reliability: By upgrading tracks, we enable faster trains and shorter journey times.
• Renewing Infrastructure: We keep the network dependable, ensuring smooth travel for people and goods.
• Revamping Stations: We elevate the passenger experience with modern, user-friendly stations.

Our team members bring a wealth of expertise and experience, allowing us to tackle a diverse range of projects, from high-speed, high-volume tasks to politically sensitive and complex challenges. Collectively, we commit to ‘Making Tracks Together’ across Capital Delivery and our Supply Chain, to drive efficiency, champion safety, and build the best possible railway for passengers and freight. This pledge is driven by innovation, shapes our interactions, and defines our commitment to excellence.

Why North West & Central?

In the North West & Central Region, we’re proud to be building a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We know that inclusive teams make better decisions, drive innovation, and help us create a safer, more accessible railway for everyone. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. If you’re passionate about making a difference and believe you have the skills or potential to thrive in this role, we’d love to hear from you. We’re committed to creating an open, supportive environment where everyone feels they belong. Your unique perspective and experience could be exactly what we need to keep Britain moving safely and sustainably.

About the Role

To provide pre and post-contract commercial management of medium value/medium risk activity and support pre-contract activity within the project delivery team’s scope of work, providing specialist commercial advice, guidance, and recommendations to mitigate commercial risks.

Major Projects – Liverpool City Region

As a Commercial Manager for this Portfolio, you will be a key contributor towards the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA)’s fast and highly committed rail modernisation and growth, via the creation of new Stations (such as Baltic, Runcorn, and Carr Mill) and the early feasibility works on the expansion of the lines from Liverpool to North Wales or Chester area (IPEMU project). This will comprise a profound and crucial involvement with an array of external stakeholders, as well as first-hand experience at all levels of PACE. You will play a key role in the successful delivery of major rail projects by providing expert commercial support from contract award through to project close-out. You’ll work closely with project and programme teams to manage costs, forecast performance, assess contractor applications, identify and mitigate commercial risks, and ensure compliance with governance and contractual requirements. Using your commercial insight, you’ll influence decision-making, support change control, lead contract valuations and negotiations, and provide meaningful analysis that drives value, efficiency, and successful project outcomes.

Package: £43,588 – £53,167

Location: The successful candidate can be based in the North West (Manchester Square One or Crewe Mannin House), but there is an expectation to travel to Liverpool regularly. Assessments will take place at Crewe Mannin House on 10 September 2026. The assessment will include a competency-based interview covering motivational fit, safety, diversity and inclusion, and a technical knowledge question. As this is a role in a regional team, regular travel across NW&C is required. Candidates should be comfortable with frequent travel to client sites, regional offices, or other business locations as needed. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a large volume of applications is received.

What’s in it for you?

Here are a few of the benefits we have to offer:

• 28 days annual leave, with the opportunity to buy and/or sell up to 5 days
• Access to a range of contributory pension schemes
• The potential to top up your competitive salary with a bonus
• A subsidy of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets if you travel to work on the train
• Privileged staff travel: Discretionary leisure travel discount of 75%
• We can offer you a season ticket loan; annual season tickets are discounted.
• A 35-hour-per-week contract with flexible working options available to help support your work-life balance
• Hybrid working where possible and enhanced family-friendly support
• Take advantage of healthcare offers (including discounted healthcare club membership), discounted cycle hire, and online shopping sites
• 5 days of paid volunteering leave
• 2 weeks paid reserve leave for the Armed Forces community

Your Experience and Skills

What you’ll be doing:

We are looking for a commercially driven and detail-oriented professional to play a vital role in ensuring the financial and contractual success of major projects across Network Rail. In this role, you will provide expert oversight of project costs and commercial performance, delivering robust forecasting, reporting, and analysis that supports confident decision-making at every stage. Working closely with project and programme teams, you will identify risks and opportunities early, challenge assumptions, and help shape commercially sound outcomes. You’ll take the lead in managing contractor relationships, from contract valuations and payments through to negotiations, change control, and final account settlements, ensuring everything is delivered in line with governance, contractual obligations, and best practice. Alongside this, you will offer proactive advice, support continuous improvement, and contribute to smarter, more efficient ways of working. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact by driving value, strengthening commercial discipline, and helping deliver projects that matter.

What you’ll have:

• Demonstrable experience in commercially managing investment projects
• Demonstrable relevant experience
• Good understanding of railway and construction industry forms of contract
• Good understanding of the construction/railway industry
• Good negotiation skills

We would also like but it isn’t crucial to have/to be:

• Educated to degree standard in a related subject
• Membership of a relevant professional institute, chartered status
• Significant experience of working within a generalist commercial environment
• Awareness of industry issues