Network Rail
Operations Risk Advisor
Cardiff, GB
Department Name: Wales & Western Region
About Network Rail
Join Network Rail – Where People and Connections Matter.
At Network Rail, we’re part of a large family serving millions of passengers and freight users throughout the UK every day. Our service impacts millions of people and we strive to become more efficient as we enhance, maintain, and operate our network. Our passengers and freight users are at the heart of everything we do. We help connect people to their friends and families and get goods to their destination safely and efficiently. We’re an organisation where people matter. When you’re part of our team, you matter to us, and you matter to millions.
The Wales & Western region includes more than 2,700 miles of railway and we serve communities and businesses of Wales, the Thames Valley, West of England, and the Southwest Peninsula. Our ambition to be responsive to passengers and freight users drives us every day and we’re empowered to do the right thing for those who use the rail network. We actively challenge unsafe practices and take responsibility for addressing risks, resolving issues, and protecting safety and wellbeing.
About Our People and The Recruitment Process
We’re an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! As a Network Rail employee, you will enjoy a wide range of benefits!
- Privileged staff travel – Leisure travel discount of 75% on all leisure travel and includes family members.
- A subsidy of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets if you travel to work on the train.
- GWR ticket alliance – Heavily discounted all day passes for you and up to 3 friends and family to use across the GWR network.
- Benefits package including healthcare offers, a cycle to work scheme, discounted healthcare club membership, and discounted offers and benefits including childcare, healthcare and online shopping site.
- A range of Pension schemes to choose from.
- Effectively manage work-life balance with a 35hrs per week contract, hybrid working (which will be 60% office based), flexible working, flexible leave, and enhanced family friendly support.
- 5 days paid volunteering leave.
- 2 weeks paid reserve leave for the Armed Forces community.
- In Wales and Western region, you will have the opportunity to join PROUD, our reward and recognition scheme where you can say thanks and recognise colleagues across the region who have demonstrated outstanding values and behaviours.
We want to help deliver a railway which is safe, reliable, affordable and that provides great customer service to everyone.
Brief Description
You will be responsible for leading the end-to-end delivery of the Route’s Operational Compliance Framework, ensuring that all mandated processes and controls are implemented, monitored, and continuously improved. You will provide expert oversight of compliance activities, drive the consistent application of standards, and ensure that risks associated with operational interfaces are effectively identified, assessed, and managed. Working closely with frontline teams, leadership, and technical specialists, you will champion safe behaviours, promote best practice, and ensure that all statutory and organisational obligations are fully met and evidenced.
Your Main Responsibilities will be to:
- Act as the lead for the Route on the measurement, assessment and monitoring of business risk, operational risk and crime and disorder, including the development of control measures and the monitoring of their application and efficacy.
- Lead the delivery of relevant information regarding all accidents/incidents in an appropriate format and within appropriate timescales to line managers and other relevant organisations.
- Co-ordinate the implementation of health, safety, quality and environment plans and objectives within the Route.
- Co-ordinate the facilitation of and professional operational safety expertise to the OPSRAM, TCRAG and other Route level safety interface meetings as required.
- Ascertain whether operational safety and quality systems are being consistently introduced and that arrangements are in place to undertake sampling of Route based operations to identify best practice as well as areas for improvement.
- Lead the review and authorisation of completed operational, crime and disorder and occupational risk assessments through a consistent application of the process and understanding of cost/benefit of any additional controls.
- Lead the regular review of the operational risk profile, providing appropriate actions and close out to address emerging risks, including level crossings, and record these within the relevant risk registers.
- Lead the delivery of the programme of measurement activity to support the Route in managing operational compliance and allocate the delivery of the objectives to Signalling Inspectors.
- Co-ordinate the formulation of task based instructions derived from the relevant standards and promulgate and embed these within the managed stations environment.
- Lead the provision of Occupational Health and Safety advice to the Route as required.
You will ideally have:
- Must be a member of the Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH) at Technical (TechIOSH) level or above.
- Able to demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of railway operating rules, regulations and standards.
- Proven significant experience of successful railway operations management at middle or senior management level.
- Able to demonstrate a detailed understanding of strategic safety management.
- Understanding of workforce safety risks associated with railway operations.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
What could set you apart:
- NEBOSH Diploma
Not sure if you meet all the requirements? Let us decide.
How to apply
Salary: This role is a band 3C, £55,596 – £65,966 per annum.
This role offers a balanced 35-hour work week with hybrid working available – spend 60% of your time in the office and enjoy the flexibility to work remotely the rest of the week.
Closing date: 20 April 2026. This is a 12-month fixed term opportunity and has the potential for extension/become permanent. Please get your application in as soon as possible, we may close the advert before the listed closing date if we receive enough applications. Late applications will not be accepted.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status.
Diversity and inclusion are more than just buzz words for us. We’re constantly striving to make sure we provide a welcoming and safe environment for everyone. We recognise that certain groups are under-represented within our team and we’re working closely with our regional diversity and inclusion networks to make sure we support these groups as best as we can.
Network Rail is a Disability Confident Leader and we’ll try our best to adapt the process and offer a reasonable alternative to help support people with disabilities access, apply and interview for roles.
All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.
Some of our jobs require that candidates who receive a conditional offer undergo and pass a face-to-face drugs and alcohol test. Your application will be rescinded if you record a positive test. All positive drugs and alcohol test results for prospective candidates will be securely held on Sentinel database and a 5 year suspension from applying for a safety critical role, a role which requires PTS certification or a Key Safety role on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure will be enforced.
Keeping people safe on the railway is at the heart of everything we do. Safe behaviour is therefore a requirement of working for Network Rail. You should demonstrate your personal dedication to safety on your application.
