Asset Engineer (Structures)

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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

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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 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, hybrid working, 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.

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Brief Description

To grow our Engineering and Asset Management capability in railway structures in Wales and Western region, we are expanding the team as we enter Control Period 7 (2024-2029). We are looking for structural or civil structural engineers with several years of post-qualification experience, but you do not have to have rail background.

Asset Engineer roles are focused on the management of risk by specifying and prioritising maintenance, inspection and renewal work. This work supports the immediate and long-term availability of the railway and the other services we cross or are adjacent to (such as roads, utilities, coastal defences etc.).

To be successful in these roles you will have strong attention to technical detail and an ability to step back and see the bigger picture.

We have 2 Asset Engineer vacancies within the team who will work in our Wales Examination and Maintenance Team.

About the role

Your Main Responsibilities will be to:

1. Schedule examinations, inspections, monitoring and assessment of structures assets and the evaluation of the reports in accordance with functional policy, systems and standards. Implement mitigation measures where proposed management actions are deferred.
2. Specify and prioritise actions to address defects, comments and other issues raised in the reports, in accordance with standards and functional policy, for inclusion in work plans. Oversee the development, implementation and handover of prioritised work items to realise the required outputs. Produce route specific and asset type management regimes, and progress mitigations if items are deferred.
3. Undertake engineering analysis and risk assessments of assets or asset components to support the asset management process and scheme development, including business cases and whole life cost analysis.
4. Monitor and evaluate asset condition and capability trend data, and failure precursors to inform examination, maintenance, strengthening, risk mitigation and renewal plans to efficiently achieve corporate objectives.
5. Provide support to the specification and development of enhancement schemes and manage the interface with network capability programmes.
6. Liaise with the central structures team to develop and disseminate consistent best practice and in the review and development of functional policy and standards.
7. Determine mitigation actions necessary to reduce the impact of adverse weather on the performance of structures assets.
8. Maintain structures asset data and information within the company systems and processes.
9. Support the review and development of national standards relating to structures Asset Management.
10. Support initiatives to develop the buildings & civils strategic direction and input to the Control Period (5 year funding cycle) bid process in the route and supporting negotiations with regulatory bodies.
11. Provide engineering support and participate in investigations of incidents relating to structures.
12. Review proposals from other disciplines or external organisations that could impact on the route structures assets and/or programmes of work to identify potential synergies or conflicts.
13. Support the process for the review and approval of abnormal vehicular and rail loads.
14. Control the technical development of projects, ascertaining that renewal requirements are sufficient, correctly interpreted and any changes are agreed with Route Asset Manager. Assist with the approval in principle of designs and manage acceptance of detailed design certification.

You will ideally have

• HNC/HND or equivalent qualification in Civil or Structural Engineering
• Substantial relevant experience in structures or civil engineering
• A sound knowledge of structures engineering policies and standards
• Knowledge of Structures Assessment
• An understanding of safety management systems and risk assessment techniques
• Working towards membership of a relevant professional institution

What could set you apart

• Degree in a relevant subject
• Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer
• Member of a relevant professional institution

Not sure if you meet all the requirements? Let us decide

Salary: £43,588 to £49,037 per annum.

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.

Click ‘apply now’ to apply.

Depending on the number of applications received, we will use the desirable criteria to support interview shortlisting.

There will be a 2-stage interview process:

1. A first stage interview on Microsoft Teams.

• Prepare a 10-minute presentation outlining a structure that you have worked on; give the problem statement (what the defects were) and the solutions. The presentation should explain implications for Health and Safety and for Putting Passengers and Freight Users first (or equivalent end customers for a non-rail example).
• The 10-minute presentation will be followed by 5 minutes of questions.
• If you are successful, there will be a second stage face to face interview.

A second stage interview day, during which there will be 2 interviews of 60-75 minutes each.

• Competency questions including technical scenario questions.
• Extended technical questions.
• (Presentation scoring will be carried across to second stage and contribute to overall score).

The interviews (second stage) are planned to be held on the 25^th or 28^th February 2025.

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. Click here for more information.

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.

We are working in conjunction with the Cultural Fusion team. If you would like support with your application or interview please contact Wales&WesternCulturalFusion@networkrail.co.uk or visit the connect page: Wales and Western Cultural Fusion (sharepoint.com). For all other support please contact your HR Business Partner.

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. You can visit Evenbreak’s 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.

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

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.

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.