Network Rail
Who We Are
Join Network Rail! Where People and Connections Matter.
At Network Rail, we’re dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. When you join us, you’re not just part of a team – you’re part of something that matters to millions. We believe that our people are at the heart of what we do, and every role plays a vital part in building a better, more connected railway. We’re committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve.
We value flexibility and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. As a Disability Confident Leader, we’ll do everything we can to accommodate any needs throughout the recruitment process. Safe behaviour is a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their awareness of our safety vision.
About the Role
The central Corporate Commercial team at Network Rail reviews and authorises all types of contracts that the company enters into, which do not fall under the procurement, track access or property banners. Whether it is for agreements for Network Rail’s provision of design services, implementation of projects, asset protection or funding agreements, you will be dealing with an ever-varied array of contracts and it will be your job to protect Network Rail’s position in our dealings with external partners.
As our regionally-based representative in the North West and Central Region, you will support colleagues in sponsorship, asset management, asset protection and other departments to ensure they enter into agreements which are fair and comply with the company’s policies, whilst pragmatically assessing risk. You will also get to train colleagues in the art of completing our template agreements, as well as dealing with claims that occasionally arise.
Location
London, Manchester, Birmingham or Milton Keynes. For Milton Keynes, you need to live within 75 minutes of The Quadrant in Milton Keynes. Hybrid working is welcome, with a minimum of three days in the office. During your first 6-12 months in the role, you will be required to spend more time in offices with Corporate Commercial colleagues in London, Manchester and York whilst you become proficient in your duties. Some travel within the region and nationally will be required.
What does our recruitment process look like?
- Once you have applied, our Recruitment Specialist will look at your CV.
- If your experience matches what we’re looking for, you’ll be invited to an in-tray exercise in-person in London on 7th or 8th September 2026 (subject to change).
- If you are successful at the in-tray exercise, you’ll be invited to an in-person interview in Birmingham on 16th or 17th September 2026 (subject to change).
What’s in it for you?
Salary: Band 3B salary range £46,701 – £56,963
Here are a few of the benefits we offer:
- 28-day annual leave with the option to buy and sell days
- Choice of pension schemes
- 75% discount on leisure travel for you and your family
- Private Healthcare
- 5 days paid volunteer or carers leave
- Up to 75% subsidised Rail and Underground travel
- Gym Pass – access to gyms across UK
- My Benefits platform – giving national and local retail discount
Our aim is to ensure your candidate experience is as positive as possible. If you require reasonable adjustments at any point, simply let us know and we’ll do our best to assist you. Some of our roles require face-to-face Drugs & Alcohol testing. We will share further details with you as part of your formal offer. All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.
Your experience and skills
What you will be doing:
- Assist colleagues with drafting contracts, help with negotiations and ultimately assure and approve agreements that Network Rail enters into. Whilst doing this, you will look to balance our commercial needs with a risk appetite that’s appropriate for a public body.
- Before you can do this, you will train to obtain your own delegated authority, which will allow you to work independently. For agreements which are above your own delegated authority, prepare submissions for senior colleagues or hold governance panels that will authorise these more complex transactions. In some cases, you may be dealing with contracts that reach the company’s Chief Financial Officer or even the Board!
- Work with regional teams to produce reports for the Office of Rail and Road that detail the agreements we enter into with external parties, their values and risks associated with them.
- When things go wrong and our customers submit a claim, assist colleagues with reviewing and validating it. Once a comprehensive claim pack has been built, take it through the necessary internal approvals process.
- Train local teams on the various company policies that control commercial risks. Identify local non-compliances with these policies, report them and follow up on improvement actions. This is mostly done by undertaking quarterly reviews of agreements authorised locally.
- With your hands-on experience, help us further develop our suite of agreements and improve them in real time. This may extend to supporting the development of corporate policy and challenging the way things have always been done!
- Deliver training on our agreements suite and our processes. Work with new starters to introduce them to our world and ensure they work within the governance and policies set by Network Rail’s Board.
What We’re Looking For
Essential:
- Educated to degree standard or equivalent
- Proven experience of commercial management
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Some experience of negotiation and/or policy application
- Demonstration of an eye for detail and completer/finisher approach, taking ownership of the challenge at hand
- Excellent Microsoft Word skills and experience of manipulating Microsoft Excel information
Desirable:
- Significant experience of working within a generalist commercial environment
- Experience of the railway industry
- Excellent understanding of railway forms of contract
- Proven success in managing stakeholders
- Experience of policy development
- Experience of working with both upstream (funder) and downstream (procurement) processes
- A working knowledge of the Office of Rail and Road’s Third Party Investment Framework
