Job Description

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. Watch our video to find out more!

We\'re continuing to build a diverse organisation which is representative of the people we serve. We want to harness the skills and expertise of our people and attract the best talent, to enable a safe and accessible railway for everyone. To learn why inclusion is important to us, please click here.

About our people and the recruitment process - We\'re an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone!

We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don\'t always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we\'ll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.

We\'re also a Disability Confident Leader employer 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.

Brief Description

You\'ll help keep our nation moving every single day.

Acritical part of the work we do is the daily upkeep of the rail network. As an operative you\'ll work outdoors in a small team, supporting essential maintenance to keep the railway running safely and smoothly for passengers and freight users.

Our operative community comes from a variety of different backgrounds, and this might be the first time that you\'ve even considered a career in rail. We\'re focused on your transferrable skills and behaviours and if you can demonstrate that, then we will provide you with all the necessary training to have you working safely and competently out on the network.

And if you make the grade then you can look forward to a rewarding and fulfilling career with a company that recently joined the top 50 in the Glassdoor\'s 2021Best Places to Work.

About the role (External)

Operatives can specialise in a range of disciplines but for this role you\'ll become a specialist in

Off track: You\'ll be responsible for maintaining, inspecting, and repairing the land alongside the track network to keep the railway safe and efficient. This includes vegetation management, drainage, and ancillary structures.

Our operatives work outside in all conditions, at all times of the year, day, or night. You\'ll be involved in demanding manual work, often with the need to transport kit, across tricky terrain. Being safety focused, respectful of rules and a team player will be critical as you\'ll often be working next to moving trains travelling at high speed.

You matter to your team

The team depends on you. You\'re the one who shows up first and leaves last, who makes sure the van and equipment are checked and ready for every shift, and who drives the team from site to site. Every day you\'ll support your team in maintaining equipment and will provide lookout duties to keep the whole team safe.

You matter to us

Your commitment to self-development and continuous learning is hugely important in this role and we\'ll provide you with all the training to develop both technical skills and non-technical skills. If you\'re joining us from another industry, the structured training will give you the skills and confidence to move into a rewarding career in rail. Today\'s operatives are tomorrow\'s technicians and team leaders, and we offer a clear career path for you.

Your skills matter

Our operatives play a key role in our maintenance teams. You don\'t necessarily need rail experience, but you do need to show how your transferrable skills meet the following:

Teamworking Our maintenance teams depend on each other and you\'ll be able to work closely with the team to deliver safe and efficient work delivery.

Communication You\'ll have good communication skills so you can work safely and effectively.

Proactive planning Being punctual, having the van and equipment ready and anticipating the needs of the team are essential to keeping our passengers and freight moving.

Working under pressure Working outdoors in all conditions, and with trains passing close by means you\'ll need to remain calm under pressure.

Following rules and instructions It is important that you understand and respect the rules, but also feel confident to challenge if you see a situation is unsafe.

Willingness to learn You\'ll consistently develop your skills and competencies relevant to your discipline, keeping up to date with new standards, procedures, and instructions.

It matters that this is the right role for you

Here\'s some additional information which might help you.

Shifts Operative roles involve a changing shift pattern including days, nights, and weekends.

Outdoor working - Our operatives work outside in all weathers and so you\'ll be comfortable working in different conditions.

Safe working - offers of employment are subject to drug and alcohol testing and passing of the relevant medical assessment and BPSS pre-employment checks. This will include a hearing and eyesight examination.

Driving - As an operative you\'ll also need a driving licence (category B) so you can drive Network Rail vehicles.

Commute times - You\'ll also need to be within a 60-minute commute of the location that you\'re applying for.

How to apply (External)

Salary: \xc2\xa329,044

Closing date: 13th September 2023. Late applications will not be accepted.

Click apply now to apply.

This is a fixed term opportunity ending on DD-MM-YYYY. [remove if not applicable] and has the potential to become permanent. [remove if not applicable]

For this role you need to live within 75/90 minutes of The Quadrant in Milton Keynes. [MK roles only! Remove if role is not based in Milton Keynes]

Remote working opportunity! this role requires working in the office 2/3 days a week (amend as applicable)

What does our recruitment process look like? [remove/amend if not applicable] * 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 interview /or complete a first interview using xxx a video interviewing platform, you can complete your interview anytime that works for you. /or complete an assessment.
• If you ace your video interview/or assessment, you\'ll be invited to face to face interview with the hiring manager.

Drugs and Alcohol Standard:

Our Drugs and Alcohol Standard is changing as of 16.01.2023. All prospective candidates who have not been offered a conditional role by 16.01.2023 will be required to undergo and pass a 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 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.

You can visit for advice on accessibility support if you\'re unsure of the options available. Should you require any reasonable adjustments/modifications, please add a note to your application.

Network Rail Benefits -

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Network Rail