Data Assistant (Materials & Logistics) - 12 month secondment at Network Rail

Network Rail; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Network Rail in Milton Keynes is seeking a Data Assistant (Materials & Logistics) for a 12-month secondment. You will maintain the I-Store catalogue, manage product descriptions and relationships, and support supply chain data accuracy across Oracle PLM, PADS and related systems.

The role requires strong Excel and Office skills, good analytics, data cleansing, and collaboration with stakeholders to improve data quality and reporting; a degree or equivalent experience is expected.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant work experience.
• Excellent Excel and Office skills with strong data handling.
• Good analytical and numerical problem solving abilities.
• Able to communicate clearly, both written and verbal.
• Experience with product lifecycle processes and data governance.

Responsibilities

• Maintain the accuracy of the I‑Store catalogue (>160,000 products) ensuring data consistency with master rules.
• Create and amend catalogue item descriptions, part numbers and relationships.
• Upload product images and manage data in Oracle applications.
• Build effective relationships with stakeholders to resolve data issues.
• Support lifecycle management and catalogue rationalisation efforts.
• Develop reports for operational management and performance analysis.
• Analyze data to identify actions to improve performance.
• Maintain processes to improve team efficiency and ISO9001 compliance.
• Lead data improvement initiatives and collaborate with data teams.

Skills

Excel

Microsoft Office

Analytical skills

Communication

Attention to detail

Product Life Cycle

Supply chain

Interpersonal skills

Degree level

Rail parts knowledge

BOM concepts

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Oracle PLM

iStore

PADS

ERP knowledge

Job description

Apply for Data Assistant (Materials & Logistics) - 12 month secondment at Network Rail in Milton Keynes, ENG, GB. This Full time on site position offers great opportunities for career growth.

About us

Who We Are 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.

We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve.

We value flexibility and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we’ll do everything we can to accommodate any needs throughout the recruitment process.

We are 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.

About the role

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.

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.

This role is a 12 month secondment with the potential to extend or become permanent (unless a suitable redeployee is identified). Please note that secondments are subject to your line managers approval. Please discuss this opportunity with them before applying to avoid disappointment.

Location: The Quadrant, Milton Keynes (3 days per week in the office).

Hours: up to 35 hours per week with hybrid working.

Salary range: £28,545 - £30,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.

Closing date: 1 October 2026. Late applicants will not be accepted.

Responsibilities

• Maintain the accuracy of the I‑Store catalogue (>160,000 products) by delivering consistency with ORACLE PLM & PADS (the rail industry operational & safety critical products approval system).
• Create and amend catalogue item descriptions, part numbers, drawing numbers and set up appropriate product relationships to improve ease of use for customers and data consistency with agreed master data rules for the supply chain.
• Upload and amend product images through Oracle Administrator to make the catalogue easier to use.
• Develop effective relationships with all supply chain stakeholders (customers, suppliers, buyers) as needed to resolve accuracy and ease of use issues effectively, delivering updates to the catalogue which meet the overall requirements of supply chain, not just one stakeholder.
• Implement product life cycle stage to deliver a catalogue which reduces operational risk and costs, this includes support to implementation of range rationalisations proposed by the Asset Teams.
• Work with Materials & Logistics stakeholders to develop and produce reports to support operational management of the department.
• Analyse data to assist with identification of actions to improve performance.
• Develop and maintain processes for areas of activity to improve team performance and maintain the ISO9001 accreditation.
• Propose and implement data improvement activities and plans through the provision of data analysis and other subject matter expertise; report on data improvement activities as required.
• Develop value add relationships with other report and data specialist teams to provide a central point of contact for Materials and access their support, skills and information efficiently.

Essential skills and experience

• Highly competent Excel user
• Experienced Microsoft Office user
• Good analytic, numeric & problem solving skills
• Good oral & written communication skills
• High attention to detail & accuracy
• Experience of Product Life Cycle processes (e.g. product Sourcing, Discontinuation)
• Awareness of supply chain processes
• Good interpersonal and relationship building skills
• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant work experience e.g. Business Administration, Supply Chain or Business Management
• Expert user level in report and spreadsheet construction, analysis and maintenance.
• Rail Industry parts knowledge
• Ability to understand Bill of Materials concepts.

Desirable skills and experience

• Knowledge of ERP and Catalogue Management systems (ideally ORACLE PLM & iStore and the Rail Industry PADS system)

Additional Information

The recruitment process will consist of shortlisted candidates being invited to take part in the following: Competency Based Interview, Tour of workplace, Meet the team, Task based test.

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

We have a range of reasonable adjustments we can provide. We can give candidates extra time to complete online tasks or interviews as needed, adapt office layout, provide sign language interpreters and support workers where needed, and offer alternative document formats.

Vacancy Details

• Number of Positions: 1
• Contract Type: Fixed-Term
• Hours: Full Time
• Salary: £28,545 - £30,000
• Location: The Quadrant: MK, Milton Keynes
• Geographical Area: South East England (Not inside M25)
• Closing Date: 01-OCT-2026
• Job Category: Business, Commercial and Project Management
• Function: Route Services
• Asset: SCO - Supply Chain Services
• Organisation: NJ Infrastructure Materials & Operations (618714)