Who We Are

North West & Central (NW&C), one of Network Rail's largest devolved regions, is strengthening its Commercial team at a pivotal time for the railway. Spanning the West Coast mainline, NW&C region plays a leading role in shaping, managing and delivering some of the most high-profile infrastructure projects across England.

You can learn more about North West & Central Region here: North West & Central region - Network Rail.

We're proud to be building a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We know that inclusive teams make better decisions, drive innovation, and help us create a safer, more accessible railway for everyone.  Even if you don't meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. If you're passionate about making a difference and believe you have the skills or potential to thrive in this role, we'd love to hear from you. We're committed to creating an open, supportive environment where everyone feels they belong. Your unique perspective and experience could be exactly what we need to keep Britain moving safely and sustainably. Discover more about our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail Equity, diversity and inclusion - Network Rail.

We're also a Disability Confident Leader employer and we'll try our best to adapt the process and offer a reasonable alternative to help support people with disabilities access, apply and interview for roles.

About the role

Your experience and skills

What you'll be doing:

While there may be specific role-related duties not listed here, in general, you'll provide commercial support throughout the project lifecycle, managing forecasting, reporting, valuations, contract administration, change control and final account settlement activities.

Working closely with project teams, contractors and procurement colleagues, you'll help identify risks and opportunities, challenge assumptions, support commercial decision-making and ensure strong governance and compliance standards are maintained.

You'll also contribute to negotiations, contractor performance reviews and continuous improvement initiatives that drive efficiency and value across the business.

Some roles are based within our Capital Delivery Programmes functions and require experience of managing NEC and rail supply chain contracts. These roles provide commercial leadership across the full contract lifecycle, including procurement, NEC4 contract administration and commercial governance.

What You'll Have

• Demonstrable experience in commercially managing investment projects
• Demonstrable relevant experience
• Good understanding of railway and construction industry forms of contract
• Good understanding of the construction/railway industry
• Good negotiation skills

As part of your application, you'll be asked to explain how your skills, experience, knowledge and qualifications meet the essential criteria. Please also upload your latest CV if prompted.

We would also like but it isn't crucial to have/to be:

• Educated to degree standard in related subject
• Membership of a relevant professional institute, chartered status
• Significant experience of working within a generalist commercial environment
• Awareness of industry issues

Ideal For

The ideal Commercial Manager will be a highly capable commercial professional with experience in contract management, procurement, commercial strategy and risk management within a project or programme environment. They will possess strong commercial acumen, excellent negotiation skills and the ability to provide confident leadership across all aspects of the commercial lifecycle to ensure value for money while protecting and enhancing the organisation's commercial position. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker who can analyse complex issues, make informed decisions and influence stakeholders at all levels. They will have a proven track record of managing contractual performance, driving cost efficiency, resolving commercial challenges and delivering successful outcomes in a collaborative manner.