Commercial Manager (Talent Pool)

Network Rail; Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days annual leave

Pension schemes

Bonus

Season ticket loan

Staff travel benefits

Job summary

Network Rail NW&C is seeking Commercial Managers to support delivery of major investment projects across England. You will manage project costs, contracts, commercial risk and contractor performance, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently and provide value for passengers and taxpayers.

This talent pool offers permanent and fixed-term opportunities across Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, and other locations, with roles covering procurement, governance and commercial strategy while

Qualifications

• Experience in commercially managing investment projects.
• Good understanding of railway and construction industry forms of contract.
• Experience in procurement and contract governance.

Responsibilities

• Provide commercial support throughout project lifecycle.
• Forecasting, reporting, valuations, contract administration, change control, and final accounts.
• Negotiate and review contractor performance; drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Commercial management

Contract management

Procurement

Negotiation skills

Risk management

Education

Degree in related subject

Chartered status / professional membership

Tools

NEC4 contract administration

Rail industry contracts forms

Job description

North West & Central (NW&C), one of Network Rail's largest devolved regions, is strengthening its Commercial team at a pivotal time for the railway. Spanning the West Coast mainline, NW&C region plays a leading role in shaping, managing and delivering some of the most high‑profile infrastructure projects across England.

We're proud to be building a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We know that inclusive teams make better decisions, drive innovation, and help us create a safer, more accessible railway for everyone. Even if you don't meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. If you're passionate about making a difference and believe you have the skills or potential to thrive in this role, we'd love to hear from you. We're committed to creating an open, supportive environment where everyone feels they belong. Your unique perspective and experience could be exactly what we need to keep Britain moving safely and sustainably. Discover more about our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail Equity, diversity and inclusion - Network Rail .

We're alsoa Disability Confident Leader employerand 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.

About the role

Looking to take the next step in your commercial career?

We have launched this talent pool for Commercial Managers to help deliver some of the railway's most important investment projects across England. You'll play a central role in managing project costs, contracts, commercial risk and contractor performance, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently and deliver value for passengers and taxpayers.

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, to smaller‑scale, higher volume reactive works which keep the railway moving and support business‑critical activities.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work on complex infrastructure programmes while developing your commercial expertise within one of the UK's largest infrastructure organisations.

Locations:Birmingham (including Smethwick), Liverpool, Manchester (including Stockport), and Preston.

Type: This talent pool will cover both permanent and fixed‑term opportunities.

You may read the attached document to learn more about Commercial & Procurement within NW&C. You can also hear from our people about what it's like to work at Network Rail:

Candidates should be comfortable with occasional travel to client sites, regional offices, or other business locations as needed.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a large volume of applications is received. Your details will be kept on record for a maximum of 6 months, unless express consent is received to keep them longer. Network Rail will contact you for this consent when appropriate.

What's in it for you

Here are a few of the benefits we have to offer:

• 28 days annual leave - with the opportunity to buy and/or sell up to 5 days
• Access to a range of contributory pension schemes
• The potential to top up your competitive salary with a bonus
• A subsidy of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets if you travel to work on the train
• Privileged staff travel - Discretionary leisure travel discount of 75%
• We can offer you a season ticket loan, annual season tickets are discounted.
• A 35-hour-per-week contract with flexible working options available to help support your work-life balance
• Hybrid working where possible and enhanced family-friendly support
• Take advantage of healthcare offers (including discounted healthcare club membership), discounted cycle hire, and online shopping sites
• 5 days of paid volunteering leave
• 2 weeks paid reserve leave for the Armed Forces community

While there may be specific role-related duties not listed here, in general, you'll provide commercial support throughout the project lifecycle, managing forecasting, reporting, valuations, contract administration, change control and final account settlement activities.

Working closely with project teams, contractors and procurement colleagues, you'll help identify risks and opportunities, challenge assumptions, support commercial decision‑making and ensure strong governance and compliance standards are maintained.

You'll also contribute to negotiations, contractor performance reviews and continuous improvement initiatives that drive efficiency and value across the business.

Some roles are based within our Capital Delivery Programmes functions and require experience of managing NEC and rail supply chain contracts. These roles provide commercial leadership across the full contract lifecycle, including procurement, NEC4 contract administration and commercial governance.

What You'll Have

• Demonstrable experience in commercially managing investment projects
• Good understanding of railway and construction industry forms of contract
• Good understanding of the construction/railway industry

We would also like but it isn't crucial to have/to be

• Educated to degree standard in related subject
• Membership of a relevant professional institute, chartered status
• Significant experience of working within a generalist commercial environment
• Awareness of industry issues

Ideal For

The ideal Commercial Manager will be a highly capable commercial professional with experience in contract management, procurement, commercial strategy and risk management within a project or programme environment. They will possess strong commercial acumen, excellent negotiation skills and the ability to provide confident leadership across all aspects of the commercial lifecycle to ensure value for money while protecting and enhancing the organisation's commercial position. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker who can analyse complex issues, make informed decisions and influence stakeholders at all levels. They will have a proven track record of managing contractual performance, driving cost efficiency, resolving commercial challenges and delivering successful outcomes in a collaborative manner.

Key Information

Number of Positions:

1

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hours:

Full Time

Location:

Various Locations - Recruitment

Geographical Area:

Multiple Locations

Closing Date:

31-MAR-2027

Job Category:

Business, Commercial and Project Management