Operative Track Maintenance

jobs24.co.uk; Yeovil; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company dedicated to ensuring railway safety and efficiency. As a Railway Operative, you'll work in a dynamic outdoor environment, maintaining the track network to support safe train operations. This role offers comprehensive training, a clear career path, and the chance to develop essential skills in a supportive team. If you're ready to embrace challenges and contribute to a vital service, this position could be your gateway to a rewarding career in rail. Your commitment to safety and teamwork will play a key role in keeping the nation moving.

Qualifications

• Essential criteria include teamwork, communication, and proactive planning.
• Willingness to learn and thrive in high-pressure situations is crucial.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, inspect, and repair the track network for safety and efficiency.
• Work outdoors in all weather conditions, often during night shifts.

Skills

Team working

Good Communication Skills

Proactive planning

Thriving in high-pressure situations

Following rules and instructions

Willingness to learn

Tools

Personal Protective Equipment

Driving License (category B)

Job description

At Network Rail, we're part of a large family serving millions of passengers and freight users throughout the UK every day. Our service impacts millions of people, and we strive to become more efficient as we enhance, maintain, and operate our network.

We provide rapid access along busy commuter routes to our seven cities, servicing the varied needs of our business and leisure commuter services, including cross-border services and rural services. We have up to 50 freight services operating every day, and we are steadily building capacity for this to grow. Our ambition to be responsive to passengers and freight users drives us every day, and we're empowered to do the right thing for those who use the rail network. We actively challenge unsafe practices and take responsibility for addressing risks, resolving issues, and protecting safety and wellbeing. 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 prioritise transferable 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 while 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 specific employee's needs. For example, we actively encourage members of our team to seek accommodations that will make their lives at work easier.

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 transferable skills meet the following Essential Criteria required for this role:

1. 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.
2. Good Communication Skills: So you can work safely and effectively within a team.
3. Proactive planning: Being punctual, having equipment ready in preparation for the needs of the team.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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:

1. Shifts: Operative roles involve a changing shift pattern including days, nights, and weekends.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Driving: A driving license (category B) will be required so you can drive Network Rail vehicles.
5. Commute times: You will need to be within a 60-minute commute of the location.