Job Description

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Location

Blackfriars, GB#

Department Name

Southern Region - Human Resources#

About Network Rail

Join Network Rail - Where People and Connections Matter



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

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Brief Description

Human Resources Business Partner, Vital Services HR Team (Southern Region)

Location:

Blackfriars, City of London (office 3 days / week + regional travel)

Be part of the railway's future

We're proud to be recognised as one of the

Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equity

for the fourth year running.


Network Rail operates and maintains the railway infrastructure 24/7, 365 days a year. Our purpose is to connect people and good with where they need to be, and our vision is for a

simpler, better, greener railway

.


In the Southern Region we carry over 7,000 daily passengers and freight services, serving 544 stations. With

Great British Railways (GBR)

on the horizon and the

Southern Renewals Enterprise (SRE)

delivering a 9 billion portfolio of renewals through a new enterprise model, we are reshaping how Britain's busiest and most complex region operates.


As an HR Business Partner within our

Vital Services HR Team

, you'll play a role in enabling that change. Our team partners across some of Southern's most critical business areas:

Engineering & Asset Management (DEAM), Finance (Capital, Route, Strategic Planning, GRAI), Legal, Property, Commercial, Works Delivery, and SRE

. Together, these client groups make up around

1,650 colleagues

driving the future of the railway.

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About the role (External)

Every day will be different, but you can expect to be involved in a broad range of activities. You'll partner with a specific client group of circa. 500 colleagues to deliver its People Plan, while working alongside your colleagues to share best practice and support wider priorities. Reporting to the Senior HRBP, you'll balance operational delivery with strategic projects, one day presenting insights at a Periodic Business Review or advising on complex ER cases, the next driving succession planning or supporting a culture change programme.

Key responsibilities include:

Coaching, influencing and challenging senior leaders to drive accountability for people leadership and create inclusive, high-performing teams. Managing complex employee relations issues providing clear, pragmatic guidance in a unionised, safety-critical environment. Leading and supporting organisational change, restructures and workforce planning. Taking ownership with the business to deliver client group People Plan priorities - from culture change and line manager capability in Works Delivery, to leadership visibility and talent mobility in the Finance Directorate, to investing in technical capability in DEAM. Using data, insights, and evidence-based HR (retention, sickness, engagement, talent metrics, case timelines, best practice) to influence decisions, track progress and demonstrate impact. Collaborating across HR and Centres of Expertise (Talent, Reward, ER, OD) to deliver integrated, cost-effective people solutions. Working with other HRBPs across the organisation to address cross-business and regional priorities.

Work pattern & travel

Based at our Blackfriars, City of London office 3 days per week. Regular visits to client locations across Southern, from London Bridge to Ashford and Basingstoke, so you're truly embedded with the people you support.

What we're looking for

We're looking for a credible, ambitious HR professional who thrives in complexity and enjoys switching between operational delivery and strategic impact.

Essential

:

Strong generalist HR knowledge and experience across the full HR spectrum - ER casework, change, talent and succession, workforce planning, culture and engagement. Proven ability to influence and coach senior leaders with confidence and impact. A commercial approach and ability to link people solutions to business outcomes. A track record of using data and evidence-based HR to inform decisions and measure outcomes. Readiness to operate in a complex, unionised and safety-critical environment, and a genuine passion for using HR to drive performance and inclusion. Curiosity, pace, and ambition - we're a team that supports and challenges each other. Most importantly, you'll be someone who wants to

grow

, we'll give you the opportunity, support and scope to build your career.

Desirable:

MCIPD or postgraduate HR qualification. Experience delivering organisation change programmes (e.g., TUPE, organisation re-design, redundancy etc.) Experience working in a unionised and / or safety critical environment.
Understanding of project management principles and experience of managing projects to successful conclusion. #

How to apply (External)

What's in it for you?

We know attracting and growing talent takes more than just a salary. That's why we offer:

75% season ticket discount

- one of the most generous travel benefits in the UK.

35-hour working week

and flexible arrangements - this role requires working in the office three days a week

Competitive pension

scheme, with access to one of Britain's leading defined contribution schemes after five years.

28 days annual leave + bank holidays.

Salary Range:

43,588 - 51,719 + 3,270 London Allowance.

A wide range of

retail discounts

and wellbeing benefits.

Ongoing

professional development -

we'll sponsor CIPD, leadership programmes and specialist training.

Clear career pathways: progression to

Senior HRBP, Head of HR, or specialist areas

such as ER, Talent, Reward or Projects.

Our culture

We believe a great place to work is built on strong values. Our three Southern culture principles guide everything we do:

Show you care

Listen, learn & improve

Keep it simple

You'll help us build a workplace where diversity is celebrated, inclusion is expected, and everyone feels they belong.

Why join us?

This is more than a HR role. It's a chance to shape how HR drives change in the most exciting and complex part of the railway, at a time when the industry itself is transforming through GBR.


If you're ambitious, collaborative and ready to make an impact, we'd love to hear from you.

Closing date

: 17 October 2025 - Late applications will not be accepted.



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