Contracts Assistant

ENGINEERINGUK; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in transport and logistics is seeking an Assistant to support supply chain management. This role involves data analysis, contract management, and building relationships with stakeholders to ensure efficient operations. Ideal candidates will have strong analytical and interpersonal skills, and a customer-focused approach.

Benefits

28 days annual leave

Rail travel subsidies

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Proven ability to work to tight deadlines with high accuracy.
• Good administration skills.
• Experience in a customer service role is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support management of supply chain contracts for cost-effective delivery.
• Collate and analyze data for management information.
• Develop relationships with customers and suppliers.

Skills

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Commercial awareness

Customer focused approach

Job description

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View more categories View less categories Sector Transport and Logistics Role Assistant Contract Type Permanent Hours Full Time

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!

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.

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. See the diagram for a breakdown of our services. 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.

You'll be required to visit depots and offices in Milton Keynes, Coventry and York on a regular basis to carry out your duties. When visiting specific sites at these locations, public transport options may be limited, so a driving license would be beneficial.

Key accountabilities include:

1. Support the management of supply chain contracts to achieve the most cost effective delivery of goods and services.

2. Collate data on all transactions incurred in delivering contracts. Investigate and reconcile transactions and costs as part of an end-to-end process.

3. Develop effective relationships with customers and suppliers. Develop and maintain processes for effective query resolution.

4. Support the team as required, to deliver a comprehensive service to the business areas.

5. Provide data, analysis and commentary for management reports.

6. Assist in supporting the timely collection of business unit commercial information and payment of business unit creditors.

7. 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.

• 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 role is permanent .

Location: York, Coventry OR Milton Keynes (please note: applicants must live within 75 minutes of The Quadrant in Milton Keynes) if that is your office location.

You'll be required to visit depots and offices in Milton Keynes, Coventry and York on a regular basis to carry out your duties.

Hours: 35 hours per week with hybrid working and travel as required.

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

Closing date: 3 June 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 [e-mail] and we will send you a copy.

At Network Rail you will have a clear development path, access to training and enjoy a range of employee benefits, such as; up to 28 days annual leave, rail travel subsidies, a range of pension options, flexible and agile working arrangements, discounts on shopping, gym memberships and much more. Find out more about our benefit s.

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: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/careers/how-we-recruit/

Drugs and Alcohol Standard:

For some of our roles, prospective external candidates who are made a conditional offer 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.

Company

Every day, 4.8 million people use our network. Keeping Britain moving and building a better railway for the future is full of challenges – but also tremendous opportunities.

From our commitments to your development, our range of benefits and our approach to Diversity & Inclusion, we believe there are many reasons to join the team at Network Rail.

We’re proactive in empowering employees with the knowledge to help them progress. We encourage all our employees to be ambitious, and offer great training and career development opportunities. As the railway becomes bigger and more technologically advanced, it’s crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead.

We believe that investing in our people is one of the most effective ways of improving the safety, reliability and efficiency of the railway.

We also know that it’s vital to get each individual’s training programme just right. As well as helping us to meet our immediate needs, we believe this is an approach that encourages people to stay with us and develop their careers.

Your health, wellbeing and benefits

We believe that safety and performance go hand in hand and this doesn’t just mean safety on the railway! We are committed to the wellbeing of our employees and believe, that should come first.

We provide access to support services such as our employee assistance program to help you with finances, family, health and wellbeing. In addition to this, we offer excellent benefits, are sensitive to work-life balance and encourage our employees to use their 5 volunteer days for their favourite causes.

We have a range of benefits including:

• 28 days annual leave entitlement.
• My benefits – Our discounted online shopping site.
• A range of discounted offers including, childcare vouchers, Healthcare offers – cycle to work, healthcare club discounted membership and other benefits.
• Subsidies of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets.
• A range of pension schemes.
• 2 weeks paid reserve leave for our Armed Forces community.

What Diversity and Inclusion means to us

‘Diversity’ means recognising differences between people while valuing the contribution they make. ‘Inclusion’ means creating safe and welcoming workplaces with fair cultures that encourages innovative and fresh ways of thinking.

Our aspiration is that the behaviours and actions that support diversity and inclusion will come from the conviction of everyone here at Network Rail – making diversity and inclusion a conscious part of how we run our business throughout Britain.

Disability Confident Leader

Network Rail is an accreditedDisability Confident Leader . This means, where a disabled applicant meets the essential criteria for any of our vacancies, they will receive an interview.

Find out more about our recruitment processhere

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