Contracts Assistant

Location
Milton Keynes, GB

Department Name
SCO - Fleet & Engineering

About Network Rail
Join Our Team at Network Rail
Are you ready to make a difference in people's lives? At Network Rail, we connect passengers and freight customers, ensuring safe and efficient transportation across the country. We're an organisation where people truly matter, and when you join us, you matter to us and millions of others. Click here to watch our inspiring video to learn more about us

We're dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the passengers we serve. To achieve this, we're committed to becoming an open, diverse, and inclusive workplace, leveraging the skills and expertise of our talented workforce. Together, we strive to create a safe and accessible railway for everyone. Discover more about the importance of Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail by clicking here .

Investing in our people is key to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our railway system. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact, then this opportunity is for you Click here to learn about our vision for a simpler, better, greener railway, and here to learn about our approach to safety and how it's at the heart of everything we do.

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.

If you're ready to make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you

Brief Description
Route Services is a division of Network Rail that provides the Routes with services so they can help Network Rail deliver a better railway for a better Britain. We support the Routes with a myriad of services and supplies they need to maintain and operate the railway To learn more, please click here to watch our video.

This role sits within
Supply Chain Operations (SCO)
, an area of the business which supplies and delivers the logistics, materials, components, rail and road fleet that enable the maintenance and renewal of the railway.

SCO keeps the materials, machinery and components required by its customers moving – making sure they are on-site when needed so work can go ahead as planned and on schedule. Watch our video Working in Supply Chain Operations

Working with us is More than a Salary

About The Role (External)
In this role, you'll support the management of the supply chain to achieve the most cost effective, compliant delivery and recycling of material. You'll record and analyse data to facilitate the provision of management information.

Day-to-day, you will be managing the delivery schedules of parts, chasing late orders and updating the systems, so any experience working with suppliers would be beneficial. You should also have some previous experience working in a client service environment and be used to communicating effectively by telephone and email communication.

Key accountabilities include:

• Support the management of supply chain contracts to achieve the most cost effective delivery of goods and services.
• Collate data on all transactions incurred in delivering contracts. Investigate and reconcile transactions and costs as part of an end-to-end process.
• Develop effective relationships with customers and suppliers. Develop and maintain processes for effective query resolution.
• Support the team as required, to deliver a comprehensive service to the business areas.
• Provide data, analysis and commentary for management reports.
• Assist in supporting the timely collection of business unit commercial information and payment of business unit creditors.
• Assist in identification and implementation of quality and efficiency improvement initiatives.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following criteria:

Essential

• Proven ability to work to tight deadlines and mandated processes with a high level of accuracy.
• Advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint Presentations
• Good administration and analytical skills.
• Good interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Good commercial awareness.
• A customer focussed approach.

Desirable

• Railway knowledge.
• Awareness of supply chain processes.
• Experience within a customer service role.

How To Apply (External)
Vacancy type:
This is an 18 month fixed-term contract / secondment, with the potential to be extended or become permanent (unless a suitable redeployee is identified) .

NB for internal applicants: Secondments are subject to your line managers agreement. Please discuss this opportunity with them to avoid disappointment.

Location:
The Quadrant,Milton Keynes.

Hours:
35 hours per week with hybrid working, 5 days in office during initial training period, moving to 3 days in the office and travel to NR depots/suppliers as required.

Salary range:
Band 5.£24,960 - £27,985 per annum, depending on skills and experience.

Closing date:
17 November 2025. Late applicants will not be accepted. This role is being advertised internally and externally.

You will need to complete a supporting statement addressing how you meet the essential criteria,
please complete this as part of the application process and
add this to your CV in one document
.
Applicants who do not complete this statement will not be shortlisted. Please see attached guide – How to complete Supporting Statement.
If you cannot access the guide, please contact

and we will send you a copy.
Click 'Apply now' to submit your application. If you would like to speak the Resourcing Team, please contact us using the email address above.

If you would like any reasonable adjustments support during your application or throughout the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to contact the Resourcing Team who will happily assist.

Below are some examples of adjustments we can make:

• Changing a provision, practice or 'the way things are done'

For example, we can give candidates extra time to complete online, tasks or interviews as needed.

• Changing a physical feature of our workplace For example, office/room layout can be adapted to accommodate individual needs.
• Providing extra equipment or assistance For example, we can provide sign language interpreters and support workers where needed. Alternative document formats can be made available.

There are lots of other adjustments we can consider – please just ask

The recruitment process will consist of shortlisted candidates being invited to take part in the following:

• Competency Based Interview

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by phone or email.

For further information about how we recruit, please visit:

You can visit Evenbreaks Career Hive 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
- To find out about what benefits we offer, click here

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information

***Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. Further details would be shared with the successful individual as part of their formal offer, if applicable.***