Procurement Risk & Assurance Manager - C&P

About Network Rail

Join Our Team at Network Rail!

Vacancy: Procurement Risk & Assurance Manager

Location: London Stratford Place (this role is also being advertised to be based in York)

Salary: £55,596 to £63,767 per annum (plus an inner London allowance of £3,270 per annum)

Role Type: Permanent, Full time

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.

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.

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!

At Network Rail, you will also have a clear development path with access to training and additional qualifications.

In joining Network Rail, you're not only joining an organisation with a vital role to play for the country, but also a team of more than 40,000 people, and a business dedicated to being one of Britain's best employers.

Network Rail Benefits: In addition to the above, you can enjoy a fantastic range of employee benefits, such as:

1. 28 days annual leave + bank holidays
2. 75% discount on rail leisure travel for you and your family
3. 75% subsidised Season Ticket for work travel (includes Underground)
4. A range of pension options
5. Annual Performance Related Pay package
6. Flexible and agile working arrangements
7. Healthcare package
8. Discounts on shopping
9. Discounted Gym memberships and much more.

For the full range of our fantastic benefits, click here.

Brief Description:

As part of an exciting transformation in the Eastern Region Commercial Directorate, we are looking for talented individuals to join our growing team and work alongside a range of business units and across a varied and large portfolio. There are opportunities to support and lead Commercial activities on major projects and programmes, which deliver some of the most exciting and innovative projects in UK infrastructure.

The Eastern Region Commercial Team prides itself on continuous improvement and a learning culture, with opportunities for career development for everyone, where individuals with the right skills, enthusiasm and behaviours can make a real impact on the commercial, supply chain and governance approaches we take in the Eastern Region. Furthermore, we are part of the solution to addressing wider industry targets in our business, such as sustainable supply chains or carbon net zero targets, therefore no one day need be the same.

This role sits in the Compliance, Assurance & Performance team, part of the Commercial & Procurement function in the Eastern Region of Network Rail. We are seeking an experienced commercial professional, who will utilise their knowledge and experience in procurement, contract management, risk and assurance to provide guidance and advice to regulated commercial and procurement activities throughout the organisation.

You will control and implement our risk and assurance activities across the Eastern Region's commercial community with a focus on post contract, conducting internal functional reviews and utilising data to provide strategic insights to the commercial leadership team. Liaising with stakeholders across the Region at every level, you will deliver a business partner style service.

Key Accountabilities:

1. Independently undertake and provide verbal and written feedback on end-to-end procurement lifecycle activities including category strategy, sourcing and supplier management outputs. Provide assurance over all key process outputs and deliverables, providing a viewpoint in relation to a number of key factors e.g. best practice, whole life value, innovation and regulatory compliance (in line with Utilities Contract Regulations), to deliver best value to NR and its customers.
2. Plan and control the execution of an auditable procurement risk and assurance first line of defence model across Route Services Commercial & Procurement so that assurance undertaken balances the need for commercial activity to progress at speed, whilst also allowing new contractual commitments to be developed effectively (e.g. in line with financial, reputational, contractual and regulatory requirements).
3. Direct and manage external Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the delivery of additional assurance activities, planning work allocation and reviewing the outputs. Delivering timely and effective assurance reviews for stakeholders.
4. Implement second line of defence audits on regional Commercial & Procurement teams. Review compliance with central policy and agree improvement actions where required, to develop the overall compliance and performance of the Commercial & Procurement profession within Network Rail.
5. Identify and implement improvements to the Procurement assurance framework. Work in collaboration with Commercial & Procurement experts across Network Rail and additional key stakeholders to improve commercial outcomes including Risk & Opportunity management.
6. Raising awareness of assurance and streamlining future procurement programmes by delivering training and awareness sessions to a wide variety of audiences on the Network Rail approach to commercial assurance.
7. Facilitating greater risk awareness and management by implementing risk management activities throughout Route Services C&P, improving the overall commercial control within Network Rail.
8. Contribute to the development of the Risk and Assurance team by providing input into training requirements, fostering teamwork and mentoring junior members of the team thus maximising the value the team can deliver for the organisation.

Essential:

1. Educated to a degree standard or equivalent work experience
2. Experience of undertaking commercial Risk and Assurance activities
3. Experience in undertaking sourcing activities within a regulated environment
4. Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously
5. Ability to manage change and dispute resolution
6. Experienced with cross-functional collaborative working methods
7. Politically aware, with the ability to use direct and indirect influencing strategies
8. Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to effectively engage with stakeholders at all levels
9. Demonstrable level of problem-solving experience in a large, complex organisation
10. Detailed understanding of the Utilities Contract Regulations 2016 or Public Contract Regulations 2015 and their employment on the sourcing of complex goods, works and services contracts

Desirable:

1. Detailed knowledge of the UK Rail Industry
2. Experience within a highly regulated infrastructure or engineering environment
3. In depth experience of preparing and reviewing contract documentation

Research suggests that individuals from underrepresented groups may be less likely to apply for a job if they don't meet all the listed criteria. We are building a diverse and inclusive place to work where people of all backgrounds can thrive. We encourage you to apply for this role.

How to apply:

Network Rail welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender status, sex (or gender), employment status, trade union affiliation, or other irrelevant factor.

We are a Disability Confident Leader employer! We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.

We are here to support you through every step of the recruitment process and to enable you to perform to the best of your ability. If you require any adjustments or modifications please contact Mark Holt (Resourcing Business Partner) at mark.holt@networkrail.co.uk. You can also visit Evenbreak's Career Hive for advice on accessibility support if you're unsure of the options available.

We positively embrace flexible working, recognising that employees may wish to balance work with their family and home life.

Network Rail Benefits: To find out about what benefits we offer, click here.

Network Rail is required to comply with UK Government standards when carrying out pre-employment checks for all new starters; this includes a basic criminal record check. In addition to the basic criminal record check, in accordance with the UK Government we are also required to verify your identity, right to work in the UK and previous three years employment history.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. 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 be able to demonstrate your personal commitment to safety and awareness of our safety vision.

Network Rail can offer you a rewarding career with competitive pay and excellent benefits including a choice of contributory pension schemes, a generous annual leave package, a bonus scheme and an annual 75% subsidy on season tickets costing up to £3,333 (to a maximum amount of £2,500). You will also be entitled to 28 days annual leave.

Salary: £55,596 to £63,767 per annum.

*Employees will be entitled to a 75% discount off leisure travel, this includes off peak and super off peak tickets.*

Drugs & Alcohol test: All prospective candidates offered a conditional role 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.

Closing date: 16th January 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes.