Strategic Fleet Asset Manager

Network Rail; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 71,000 - 87,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Rail travel subsidies

Pension options

Flexible working arrangements

Annual leave up to 28 days

Discounts on shopping

Job summary

Network Rail is recruiting for a role within Route Services, specifically in Supply Chain Operations, to lead asset management for the rail fleet and heavy maintenance. The post sits across multiple UK locations with hybrid work and required travel between sites.

The role emphasizes strategic asset management, safety performance, and continuous improvement, with a salary in the £71k–£86k band and flexible working arrangements to support a healthy work-life balance.

Qualifications

• Chartered or Incorporated engineer with relevant professional membership.
• Degree level in engineering or equivalent.
• Experience in whole life asset management, ISO55001.
• Knowledge of technical, safety and performance standards for high value assets.
• Ability to evaluate complex engineering systems for Network Rail benefits.
• Experience managing engineering activities with safety-critical accountability.
• Project management qualification or equivalent depth of experience.
• Experience contracting and supplier management with strong commercial negotiation.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing, organisational and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct the development and implementation of asset management policies and engineering competencies for fleet and plant assets.
• Direct strategic asset management of rail fleet to optimise overhaul capacity and renewals.
• Plan and monitor overhaul portfolio delivery, contract management and KPI reporting.
• Establish fleet asset management strategy for new systems and services.
• Provide professional asset management leadership to engineers across SCO.
• Develop technical standards, work instructions and best practice guides for heavy maintenance.
• Drive continuous improvement programmes and business case development for funding.
• Direct assurance activities for fleet heavy maintenance to ensure compliance.
• Lead on safety for all overhaul activities and investigate incidents.

Skills

Chartered or Incorporated engineer

Degree in engineering

Asset management IAM/ISO55001

Engineering standards knowledge

Complex systems evaluation

Safety-critical accountability

Project management qualification

Contract & supplier management

Interpersonal and communication skills

Education

Engineering degree (Bachelors/Masters)

Job description

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're 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.

About our people and the recruitment process -

We're 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.

Investing in our people is key to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our railway system. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact, then this opportunity is for you!

If you're ready to make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you!

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.

Location: This position can be based in York, Derby, Birmingham, Crewe, Milton Keynes or London. The role requires the post holder to be office based three days per week, with one or two days of those days being at our York Holgate Depot.

Hours:35 hours per week with hybrid working and travel between UK sites as required.

Salary range:Band 2B, £71,163 - £86,801per annum,depending on skills and experience.

Closing date:16 September 2026. Late applicants will not be accepted. This role is being advertised internally and externally.

You will need to complete a supporting statement addressing how you meet the essential criteria, please complete this as part of the application process and add this to your CV in one document. Applicants who do not complete this statement will not be shortlisted.

At Network Rail you will have a clear development path, access to training and enjoy a range of employee benefits, such as; up to 28 days annual leave, rail travel subsidies, a range of pension options, flexible and agile working arrangements, discounts on shopping, gym memberships and much more.

• Changing a provision, practice or 'the way things are done'
  For example, we can give candidates extra time to complete online, tasks or interviews as needed.
• Changing a physical feature of our workplace
  For example, office/room layout can be adapted to accommodate individual needs.
• Providing extra equipment or assistance
  For example, we can provide sign language interpreters and support workers where needed. Alternative document formats can be made available.

There are lots of other adjustments we can consider - please just ask!

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 - insert specific info on what this will be

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

***Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. Further details will be shared with you as part of your formal offer.****

Your experience and skills

What are the key accountabilities in this role?

• Lead and direct the development and implementation of the asset management policies and engineering competencies needed to overhaul, renew and enhance the fleet and plant assets to deliver the level of business performance required.
• Direct the strategic asset management of rail fleet to optimise heavy overhaul capacity and fleet renewals in accordance with company policies, standards, and specifications.
• Plan and monitor the delivery of overhaul portfolio, including contract management, monitoring of Key Performance Indicator's (KPIs), implementation of corrective actions and reporting to deliver in line with budget and programme.
• Establish the fleet asset management strategy for the technical innovation, mobilisation and introduction of new systems to deliver operational availability and maintenance standards for new railway systems including introduction to service and maintenance for new assets.
• Provide professional asset management leadership to engineers throughout Supply Chain Operations (SCO) to improve decision making, design, and execution.
• Develop the technical standards, specifications, work instructions and good practice guides for heavy maintenance activities to apply industry best practice to the Network Rail fleet.
• Develop continuous improvement programmes and initiatives to improve efficiency and service delivery, leading the development of business cases and obtaining funding to complete improvements.
• Direct assurance activities for fleet heavy maintenance across SCO to confirm that work is undertaken in accordance with relevant legislation and standards.
• Lead on safety for all overhaul activities fully investigating all incidents that adversely affect the safety and performance of engineering assets and implementing recommendations.

What are the essential skills and experience we're looking for?

• Chartered or Incorporated engineer with membership to a relevant professional body.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent in relevant engineering discipline.
• Substantial experience in development of whole life asset management including demonstrable expertise in ISO55001.
• A sound knowledge of technical, safety and performance standards relating to high value engineering assets.
• Able to evaluate complex engineering systems and make decisions to maximise benefit to Network Rail.
• Proven ability to manage engineering activities in a business environment with safety critical accountability.
• Recognised project management qualification relevant to or demonstrable depth of experience managing complex engineering projects.
• Experience of contract and supplier management with strong commercial negotiation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing, organisational and communication skills.

We would also like, but it's not essential:

• Expertise in engineering management in a safety critical industry.