Senior Commercial Manager

Network Rail; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 56,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Privileged staff travel

Rail/underground season ticket subsidy

Discounted GWR passes

Healthcare offers

Pension schemes

Hybrid working

Volunteer leave

Support for family and wellbeing

Job summary

Network Rail is seeking a Senior Commercial Manager to oversee major infrastructure contracts in the Enhancements portfolio for the East of Wales and Western Region. Base location Swindon Western House with site access in Oxford, offering hybrid working.

You will lead commercial strategy, contract management, risk handling and final account settlements across multi-year frameworks, ensuring governance and compliance throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of railway industry conditions of contract.
• Proven experience as negotiator on large infra projects.
• Experience with major/complex construction contracts and disputes.

Responsibilities

• Establish and implement commercial strategies including project cost management.
• Provide commercial management of framework agreements and contracts; attend reviews and meetings.
• Lead estimating, risk and value management through the project lifecycle.
• Negotiate prices under existing contracts and participate in risk/value workshops.
• Monitor project reporting and explain variances to Commercial Director.
• Lead the commercial team and ensure resources are adequate.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract management

Commercial management

Cost management

Risk management

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree level or equivalent; professional qualification

Job description

Who We Are

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. Now Is a Fantastic Time And Join Our Team In Wales And Western Region As We Finalise The Reforms To Our Maintenance Organisation Which Will Deliver

• A safer and more reliable and punctual service for passengers and employees - quicker fault fixes by more agile multi-disciplined response teams.
• Individual rostering - enabling us to send the right number or people to fix a fault.
• Multi-skilling - investing in the knowledge and skills of our people so they are better equipped to fix the most common faults themselves.
• Accelerated and improved technology deployment - we have a raft of labour and life-saving technology ready to be rolled out.

Our passengers and freight users are at the heart of everything we do. We help connect people to their friends and families and get goods to their destination safely and efficiently. We're an organisation where people matter. When your part of our team, you matter to us and you matter to millions. Watch our video to find out more!

About our people and the recruitment process

We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We look for opportunities to offer great opportunities to learn and grow through personal and professional development. And, if you make the grade then you can look forward to a rewarding and fulfilling career with a company that joined the top 50 in the Glassdoor's 2021 Best Places to Work.

We want to help deliver a railway which is safe, reliable, affordable and that provides great customer service to everyone. For more information about Network Rail click here

Overview

About the role

To manage the pre and post contract/commercial contract management, of all frameworks and contracts related to the programme of works in Enhancement in the East of Wales and Western Region.

The Senior Commercial Manager (SCM) will be responsible for overseeing major infrastructure contracts. The Enhancements Portfolio requires a demonstratable level of experience in managing high-value, high-profile, and complex projects, operating within challenging stakeholder environments and demanding delivery programmes. The role requires a proven track record in commercial leadership, contract strategy, risk management, and the administration of complex contractual arrangements throughout the project lifecycle.

Base location: Swindon Western House

Site location - Oxford

Your Main Responsibilities Will Be To

• Establish and implement appropriate commercial strategies including effective project cost management and provide feedback into subsequent procurement processes.
• Provide commercial management of framework agreements and supporting contracts leading the commercial review of contractor delivery, attending valuation and progress meetings as necessary.
• Initiate estimating and risk and value management of projects in a timely manner during the project life cycle, recommending appropriate mitigating actions on commercial/risk events at the earliest opportunity.
• Lead the negotiation of all prices under existing contracts/framework agreements (including the negotiation of target costs) and fully participate in the associated Quantitative Risk Assessment and Value Management Workshops.
• Monitor and manage all project/programme reporting such that it is accurately maintained and recorded in accordance with company reporting systems. Explain all variances to outturns, period forecasts, AFCs and budget/authority to Commercial Director, proposing mitigating actions at the earliest opportunity.
• Lead and deploy the commercial team in the management of all live projects ensuring they are adequately resourced from a commercial perspective.
• Provide pro‑active expertise, advice and governance on all contract/scope changes in accordance with change control systems, recommending or authorising appropriate action within delegated authority and progressing the timely resolution of contract variations.
• Manage all commercial correspondence and contractual notices issued in accordance with contractual conditions to confirm whether Network Rail's contractual position is clearly defined.
• Identify emerging problems, report contractual claims and support in the management and resolution of legal and/or commercial disputes in conjunction with Functional management as appropriate.
• Establish appropriate compliance controls and audit regimes to achieve adherence to Network Rail's relevant procedures, Group and company standards.
• Lead the final account settlements on all projects to manage close out as per the project authority, project plan and within agreed timescales. Monitor all multi‑year framework agreements, to agreement and reconciled annual accounts within 6 months of each year‑end.
• Support demonstration of efficiencies and continual improvement of estimating by undertaking cost analysis of completed projects and feedback as per Cost Allocation Feedback process.
• Support with pre and post contract procurement activities as appropriate acting as role model for commercial staff, providing coaching and development as appropriate.

Pay and Rewards

Salary to be benchmarked upon appointment. Advertised in Zone 1 of Band 3C: the range £55,596 - £67,813

As a Network Rail employee, you will enjoy a wide range of benefits!

• Privileged staff travel - Leisure travel discount of 75% on all leisure travel and includes family members.
• A subsidy of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets if you travel to work on the train.
• GWR ticket alliance, Heavily discounted all day passes for you and up to 3 friends and family to use across the GWR network (48 passes per year)
• Benefits package including healthcare offers, a cycle to work scheme, discounted healthcare club membership, and a discounted offers and benefits including childcare, healthcare and online shopping site.
• A range of Pension schemes to choose from
• Effectively manage work‑life balance with a 35hrs per week contract, hybrid working, flexible working, and enhanced family friendly support.
• 5 days paid volunteering leave.
• 2 weeks paid reserve leave for the Armed Forces community.
• In Wales and Western region, you will have the opportunity to join PROUD, our reward and recognition scheme where you can say thanks and recognise colleagues across the region who have demonstrated outstanding values and behaviours.

To find out more about the benefits at Network Rail, click here.

More About The Role And Your Application

Closing date

24th November 2026. Late applications will not be accepted.

This role requires working in the office for a least 60% of the working week

We want to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity. Therefore, should you require any reasonable adjustments/modifications, please include within your application.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre‑employment checks. Click here for more information

Our Drugs and Alcohol Standard has changed. All prospective candidates 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.

Your Experience And Skills

You will ideally have

• Knowledge of railway and construction industry conditions of contract
• Educated to degree level or equivalent, and professional qualification
• Experienced negotiator
• Demonstratable experience of working on major/complex construction/infrastructure projects
• Experience of resolution of construction contract disputes
• Extensive relevant railway and/or construction experience
• Knowledge of railway commercial contract management
• 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 demonstrate your personal dedication to safety within your application.

What Could Set You Apart

• Experience of managing and developing a team of staff
• Good communication skills both written and oral
• Experience of contractors accounts

Not sure if you meet all the requirements? Let us decide. Some of these criteria may be learnt in role. Therefore, if you do not meet all the criteria, please submit your application. We will screen your application against these criteria to assess the best match.