Lead Portfolio Manager (12-month FTC/secondment opportunity covering maternity)

Who We Are

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. Now is a fantastic time and join our team in Wales and Western region as we finalise the reforms to our maintenance organisation which will deliver:

• A safer and more reliable and punctual service for passengers and employees - quicker fault fixes by more agile multi-disciplined response teams.
• Individual rostering - enabling us to send the right number or people to fix a fault.
• Multi-skilling - investing in the knowledge and skills of our people so they are better equipped to fix the most common faults themselves.
• Accelerated and improved technology deployment - we have a raft of labour and life-saving technology ready to be rolled out.

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 your part of our team, you matter to us and you matter to millions. Watch our video to find out more!

About our people and the recruitment process

We’re an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We look for opportunities to offer great opportunities to learn and grow through personal and professional development. And, if you make the grade then you can look forward to a rewarding and fulfilling career with a company that joined the top 50 in the Glassdoor's 2021 Best Places to Work.

About the role

Overview

Lead and deliver the Telecoms Renewal Portfolio that contribute to NRs strategic objectives by improving safety, performance, customer outcomes and value for money. The role will provide leadership across the PACE lifecycle, ensuring projects are developed and delivered efficiently, safely and compliantly.

Your Main Responsibilities will be to

• Control and lead and control the development of robust Development/Approval in Principle for assigned projects, focussing on specific and measurable outcomes, benefits and requirements, to achieve an unambiguous procurement exercise and efficient contract award.
• Identify and secure optimum options for clients and funders considering programme/schedule and cost options, contribute to the strategic planning, alignment and delivery of the business case for the assigned projects.
• Develop access strategies for assigned projects in Collaboration with Regional colleagues to achieve optimum balance between affordable, deliverable and of minimal impact to passenger and freight colleagues in alignment with Putting Passenger First Principles.
• Develop funding strategies for assigned projects to secure optimum incremental funding, embodying and promoting project SPEED and PACE Principles in the approach to investment proposals and decisions.
• Develop the specification and early stage embedment of appropriate, specific and measurable KPI / KRA into the pre-contract documentation for assigned projects to provide a foundation for active monitoring and measurement throughout the contract phase.
• Develop and implement contracting and procurement strategies for assigned projects within Legislative, Corporate Governance and procurement guidelines, adopting Agile Client Principles to transfer delivery and integration responsibility to the supply chain wherever appropriate.
• Conduct evaluation of supplier proposals to achieve timely contract award for assigned projects, in alignment with the overall programme objectives and strategic objectives of the Portfolio.
• Contribute to establishing the strategy for the contracting and financial authorisation processes of assigned projects to achieve a timely, risk managed approach to contract award, embodying Agile Client and PACE principles.
• Develop the facilitation and management of a progressive programme of Level 1 assurance reviews within assigned projects and undertake Level 2 assurance activities within the wider capital delivery portfolio as directed. Implement the measurement and monitoring of discharged and delegated responsibilities for assigned projects, generally for core systems and processes compliance, with particular focus on responsibilities under the Construction Design Management (CDM) 2015 regulations.
• Establish, implement and monitor the assurance framework appropriate to the stages of assigned projects within the Portfolio / PACE project lifecycle, implement an assurance regime that monitors the supply chain compliance with standard requirements and those identified in the specification stage and also the core requirements of delivering safely to time / cost / quality.

Pay and Rewards

Salary: £55,596 to £67,813 per annum.

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 (48 passes per year)
• Benefits package including healthcare offers, a cycle to work scheme, discounted healthcare club membership, and a 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, 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.

More about the role and your application

This is a 12-month fixed term contract opportunity covering maternity.

Closing date: 4th September 2026. Late applications will not be accepted.

We want to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity. Therefore, should you require any reasonable adjustments/modifications, please include within your application.

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

Our Drugs and Alcohol Standard has changed. All prospective candidates 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 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.

Your experience and skills

You will ideally have

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or equivalent demonstrable experience.
• Membership (or working towards membership) of the Association for Project Management.
• Registered PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent.
• Demonstrable project safety management practice and knowledge of Health and Safety legislation and best practice.
• Knowledge of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations.
• Knowledge of procurement principles and processes.
• Knowledge and demonstrable previous application of assurance principles and processes.
• Demonstrable experience of the application of Construction Design Management (CDM) and the Common Safety Method (CSM).
• Knowledge and application of the Three Lines of Defence Assurance Model.
• Demonstrable experience of bringing different people together; promoting working as one team.
• Demonstrable experience of challenging self and others to improve services and approaches.
• Demonstrable experience of supporting the physical and mental well-being and safety of themselves and colleagues and of challenging business and safety related risks.
• Demonstrable ability to work proactively through complex issues.
• Demonstrable experience of thinking through the cost, business priorities and customer implications of their decisions.
• 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 within your application.

What could set you apart

• Detailed Knowledge of Investment, Commercial and Procurement regulations and practices.
• Demonstrable experience of the application of PACE
• Knowledge of structuring safety cases in support of projects.
• Formal qualifications in risk identification and assessment.
• Knowledge of Network Rail's assets and how they are managed.

Not sure if you meet all the requirements? Let us decide. Some of these criteria may be learnt in role. Therefore, if you do not meet all the criteria, please submit your application. We will screen your application against these criteria to assess the best match.

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