Portfolio Manager

Network Rail; York and North Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28-day annual leave

Pension schemes

75% travel discount for leisure travel

Private Healthcare

Volunteer or carers leave (5 days)

Rail travel subsidy (up to 75%)

Gym access across UK

Job summary

Network Rail is seeking a Portfolio Manager to lead the development and delivery of small to medium asset renewal projects within the E&P Renewals portfolio. You will oversee output specifications, procurement, and assurance in a safe, environmentally responsible manner, aligning with legislation, standards, and the PACE framework.

You will engage with internal and external stakeholders, monitor progress, and drive value for money while balancing sustainability and MVP outcomes across the

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience.
• Membership (or working towards membership) of the Association for Project Management.
• Achieved PRINCE2 Foundation or equivalent.
• Successful relevant experience including experience of contracting and project delivery.
• Knowledge and experience of project budget management.
• Project safety management and Health and Safety legislation knowledge.
• Knowledge of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
• Understanding of procurement principles and processes.
• Understanding and previous application of assurance principles and processes.
• Knowledge of the Three Lines of Defence Assurance Model.

Responsibilities

• Manage the production of a robust development and approval in principle for assigned projects, focusing on specific measurable outcomes and requirements.
• Identify optimum options for clients and funders; analyse schedule and cost options and contribute to planning and delivery.
• Identify access strategies to balance affordability, deliverability and minimal passenger impact.
• Implement funding mechanisms ensuring project SPEED and PACE principles in investment proposals.
• Specify measurable KPI/KRA in pre-contract documentation for active monitoring.
• Apply established contracting and procurement strategies within governance and Agile Client Principles.
• Evaluate supplier proposals to support timely contract award aligned with programme objectives.
• Manage contracting and financial authorisation processes for timely, risk-managed contract awards.
• Monitor core systems compliance and readiness; ensure safety, time, cost and quality constraints.
• Maintain assurance framework across project stages with internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Degree-level understanding

PRINCE2 Foundation

Project management

Budget management

Procurement principles

Quality & governance

Safety compliance

Team collaboration

Continuous improvement

Education

Degree level in a relevant discipline

APM membership or working towards

PRINCE2 Foundation or equivalent

Job description

Who We Are

Join Network Rail ! Where People and Connections Matter

At Network Rail, we're dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. When you join us, you're not just part of a team- you're part of something that matters to millions. We believe that our people are at the heart of what we do, and every role plays a vital part in building a better, more connected railway.

We're committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To discover more about our ED&I commitments click here. 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.

Safe behaviour is a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their awareness of our safety vision.

About The Role

Network Rail's Capital Programmes Eastern (Renewals & Minor Enhancements) organisation are offering opportunities for driven, conscientious, and ambitious individuals to join the Electrification & Plant (E&P) Renewals team based in York. It is an exciting time to join the E&P Renewals team as we enter a busy period of delivery, with £160m allocated for the renewal of E&P assets over the remaining 3 years of Control Period 7 and start the development of Control Period 8 work banks in conjunction with our wider route teams.

The successful candidate will be accountable for the development and delivery of small and medium-sized asset renewal projects and providing support to the wider E&P Renewals portfolio across the North East, East Coast, and East Midlands Routes.

Role

The role will role model and embed Eastern Region's culture principles - Show We Care, Listen Learn Improve, Better Together and Keep It Simple - by:

• Creating an environment of psychological safety and accountability where people can challenge and improve working practices
• Driving collaboration across teams and partners to deliver whole-system outcomes
• Promoting continuous improvement and learning from performance output
• Ensuring clear, simple and focused governance and decision-making

In the Portfolio Manager role, you will develop and manage the output specification, procurement and assurance for the assigned projects in a safe and environmentally responsible manner to cost, time and quality in line with Legislation, Company Standards, procedures, corporate governance and the Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment (PACE) Framework.

Assurance is a big part of the Portfolio Manager role - you will be responsible for maintaining compliance with Legislation, Company Standards, procedures, corporate governance, and the Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment (PACE) Framework across your portfolio. You will be working with key internal and external stakeholders to monitor progress of key activities, taking decisive action where required to facilitate smooth delivery of projects to time, cost, and quality constraints. With support from the wider team, you will be gathering, preparing, and disseminating information on project commercial information, critical milestones, and issues for escalation. You will be agreeing and managing the performance of supplier contracts, with a focus on Value for Money for the taxpayer, whilst balancing sustainability needs to achieve Minimum Viable Product (MVP) solutions.

This role will be primarily based in York George Stephenson House, with additional scope for flexible/home working in line with Network Rail policies. This role also has a requirement for site-based activities such as inspections and audits.

Please note, there are 2 opportunities available.

Key Accountabilities

• Manage the production of a robust development and approval in principle for assigned projects, focussing on specific and measurable outcomes, benefits and requirements, to allow an unambiguous procurement exercise and efficient contract award.
• Identify and contribute to the securing of optimum options for clients and funders. Analyse various schedule and cost options, contribute to the planning, alignment and delivery of the assigned projects.
• Identify access strategies for assigned projects to achieve optimum balance between affordable, deliverable and of minimal impact to passenger and freight colleagues in alignment with Putting Passenger First Principles.
• Implement funding mechanisms for assigned projects to secure optimum incremental funding, embodying and promoting project SPEED and PACE Principles in the approach to investment proposals and decisions.
• Specify appropriate, specific and measurable KPI / KRA into the pre-contract documentation for assigned projects to provide a foundation for active monitoring and measurement throughout the contract phase.
• Implement established contracting and procurement strategies for assigned projects within Legislative, Corporate Governance and procurement guidelines, adopting Agile Client Principles to transfer delivery and integration responsibility to the supply chain wherever appropriate.
• Undertake evaluation of supplier proposals to support timely contract award for assigned projects, in alignment with the overall programme objectives and strategic objectives of the Portfolio or Major Project.
• Implement the strategy for the contracting and financial authorisation processes of assigned projects to support a timely, risk managed approach to contract award, embodying Agile Client and PACE principles.
• Maintain the measurement and monitoring of discharged and delegated responsibilities for assigned projects, generally for core systems and processes compliance, with particular focus on responsibilities under the Construction Design Management 2015 regulations.
• Monitor the assurance framework appropriate to the stages of assigned projects, review the supply chain compliance with standard requirements and those identified in the specification stage and also the core requirements of delivering safely to time, cost and quality.

Essential Criteria

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience.
• Membership (or working towards membership) of the Association for Project Management.
• Achieved PRINCE2 Foundation or equivalent.
• Successful relevant experience including experience of contracting and project delivery.
• Knowledge and experience of project budget management.
• Project safety management and Health and Safety legislation knowledge.
• Knowledge of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
• Understanding of procurement principles and processes.
• Understanding and previous application of assurance principles and processes.
• Knowledge of the Three Lines of Defence Assurance Model.
• Demonstrable experience of effective team working, helping and supporting others and sharing knowledge skills and experience.
• Demonstrable experience of seeking ways to improve ways of working, being open to change and doing things differently.
• Demonstrable experience of being focussed on their own and others safety and in understanding the implications of their behaviour and the safety rules.
• Demonstratable understanding of how the role influences the customers' experience.
• Demonstrable experience of having a positive attitude about work and change and demonstrating positive working behaviours.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of the PACE Framework
• Experience of application of GRIP, and Construction Design Management (CDM) on simple projects).
• Knowledge of Network Rail's Project, Investment, Commercial and Procurement practices.
• Experience in risk identification, assessment and mitigation.
• Knowledge of Network Rail's assets and how they are managed.
• Knowledge of Electrification & Plant railway systems (including but no limited to Contact systems, AC/DC Power Distribution and Signalling Power).
• Experience of application of Construction Design Management (CDM) on simple projects).
• Experience with NEC4 contracts.

Please note: Applicants must provide proof of essential qualifications and/or competencies where required, or demonstrate active progress toward obtaining them, or evidence their applicable experience as a condition of employment.

External How To Apply

Network Rail welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender status, sex (or gender), employment status, trade union affiliation, or other irrelevant factor. We are a Disability Confident Leader employer! We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. We are here to support you through every step of the recruitment process and to enable you to perform to the best of your ability. If you require any adjustments or modifications please contact Mark Holt (Resourcing Business Partner) at [e-mail]. You can also visit Evenbreak's Career Hive for advice on accessibility support if you're unsure of the options available. We positively embrace flexible working, recognising that employees may wish to balance work with their family and home life.

Network Rail Benefits - To find out about what benefits we offer, click here

Network Rail is required to comply with UK Government standards when carrying out pre-employment checks for all new starters; this includes a basic criminal record check. In addition to the basic criminal record check, in accordance with the UK Government we are also required to verify your identity, right to work in the UK and previous three years employment history. All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Please ensure you have the appropriate Right to Work status when applying for this role.

Keeping people safe on the railway is at the heart of everything we do, safe behaviour is therefore a requirement of working for Network Rail. You should be able to demonstrate your personal commitment to safety and awareness of our safety vision.

Network Rail can offer you a rewarding career with competitive pay and excellent benefits including a choice of contributory pension schemes, a generous annual leave package, a bonus scheme and an annual 75% subsidy on season tickets costing up to £3,333 (to a maximum amount of £2,500). You will also be entitled to 28 days annual leave.

Salary: £43,588 to £53,167 per annum.

• Employees will be entitled to a 75% discount off leisure travel, this includes off peak and super off peak tickets*
• Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. Further details will be shared with you as part of your formal offer.

Closing date: 24th November 2026. Late applications will not be accepted. We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes.

What's In It For You

Here are a few of the benefits we offer

• 28-day annual leave with the option to buy and sell days
• Choice of pension schemes
• 75% discount of leisure travel for you and your family
• Private Healthcare
• 5 days paid volunteer or carers leave
• Up to 75% subsidised Rail and Underground travel
• Gym Pass -access to gyms across UK
• My Benefits platform- giving national and local retail discount

Our aim is to ensure your candidate experience is as positive as possible. If you require reasonable adjustments at any point, simply let us know and we'll do our best to assist you.

Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. We will share further details with you as part of your formal offer.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Please ensure you have the appropriate Right to Work status when applying for this role.

Your Experience And Skills

The ideal candidate shall hold demonstrable delivery experience with proven project management leadership and delivery capabilities for railway engineering projects. Experience of managing and developing a team would be advantageous along with practical recent experience of delivering renewals projects on Network Rail infrastructure.