Operative Track Maintenance

TN United Kingdom; Guildford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as a Railway Operative, where your role is vital for maintaining the safety and efficiency of the rail network. This hands-on position involves working outdoors in all weather conditions, ensuring the smooth operation of trains for passengers and freight. With a strong emphasis on teamwork, communication, and adherence to safety protocols, you'll receive comprehensive training to develop your skills. This is an exciting opportunity to build a rewarding career in the rail industry, with a clear path for advancement into technical roles.

Qualifications

• No rail experience needed, but transferrable skills are essential.
• Willingness to learn and adapt to new standards is crucial.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, inspect, and repair the track network to ensure safety.
• Work outdoors in various weather conditions, often at night.

Skills

Team working

Good Communication Skills

Proactive planning

Thriving in high-pressure situations

Following rules and instructions

Willingness to learn

Job description

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We welcome individuals from diverse backgrounds, even if you've never considered a rail career before. Your role will be critical for ensuring railway safety and efficiency through adherence to safety procedures, alignment with Network Rail's safety vision, and engaging in practical problem-solving with your team.

We prioritize transferrable skills and behaviours, and we are committed to providing the training required for you to work safely and competently on the network. Our workplace is diverse, and we strive to make it as welcoming as possible to everyone. You'll be a member of a small team responsible for daily rail network maintenance, contributing to the safe and smooth operation for passengers and freight users.

Joining us means an exciting career with a company recognized in Glassdoor's top 50 Best Places to Work in 2021. You will play a meaningful role in keeping our nation in motion every day.

About the role (External)

If working outdoors in any weather, day or night, and engaging in fulfilling manual tasks sounds exciting to you, the role of Railway Operative might be for you. Your focus on safety, respect for rules, and teamwork are essential whilst working in a safety-critical environment.

Operatives specialise in a range of fields but for this role, you'll become a specialist in Track: Your responsibility will involve maintaining, inspecting, and repairing the track network (also known as the Permanent Way or P-Way) to keep the railway safe and efficient. This is a very manual role as you'll be working with rails, sleepers, and ballast that support the trains, together with their associated drainage and ancillary structures. This position requires availability for night shifts, as the majority of work hours will be overnight.

You're important to us!

Your dedication to self-development is highly valued. We provide comprehensive training for both technical and non-technical skills. Whether you're new to the industry or transitioning from another field, our structured training prepares you for a rewarding career in rail. Today's operatives are tomorrow's Technicians and Team Leaders, and we offer a clear career path for your advancement. Your dedication matters to both your team and us, and we pride ourselves on tailoring our support to our employees' needs. For example, we actively encourage members of our team to seek accommodations that will make their lives at work easier.

Your Skills Matter to us!

Our Operatives play a key role in our maintenance teams. You don't necessarily need rail experience, but you do need to show how your transferrable skills meet the following Essential Criteria required for this role:

• Team working - our maintenance teams depend on each other, and you will be required to work closely with the team to deliver safe and efficient work delivery.
• Good Communication Skills - so you can work safely and effectively within a team.
• Proactive planning - being punctual, having equipment ready in preparation for the needs of the team.
• Thriving in high-pressure situations - working outdoors in all conditions, and with situations where trains will be passing close by, so you'll need to remain competent in a fast-paced environment.
• Following rules and instructions - it is important that you understand and respect the rules, but also feel confident to challenge if you see a situation is unsafe.
• Willingness to learn - consistently develop your skills and competencies relevant to your team, keeping up to date with new standards, procedures, and instructions.

Here's some additional information which might help you.

• Shifts - Operative roles involve a changing shift pattern including days, nights, and weekends.
• Outdoor working - Our operatives operate outdoors in all kinds of weather, and you'll be equipped with the necessary Personal Protective Equipment to handle various weather conditions.
• Safe working - offers of employment are subject to drug and alcohol testing and passing of the relevant medical assessment and BPSS pre-employment checks. This will include a hearing and eyesight examination.
• Driving - A driving license (category B) will be required so you can drive Network Rail vehicles.
• Commute times – You will need to be within a 60-minute commute of the location.