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. to watch our inspiring video to learn more about us!
We're dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the passengers we serve. To achieve this, we're committed to becoming an open, diverse, and inclusive workplace, leveraging the skills and expertise of our talented workforce. Together, we strive to create a safe and accessible railway for everyone. Discover more about the importance of Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail by .
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! to learn about our vision for a simpler, better, greener railway, and to learn about our approach to safety and how it's at the heart of everything we do.
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.
We're also a 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.
If you're ready to make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you!
Brief Description
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 To learn more, please to watch our video.
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. Watch our video
Working with us is
About the role (External)
Join Our Team as a Materials Recovery Specialist!
Are you passionate about sustainability and resource management?
Do you have a keen eye for detail and a commitment to safety?
This role will be working within the Production Services team within Route Services. Production Services are responsible for critical railway activities involving the Lineside Recovery Team, who focus on clearing the railway to keep our infrastructure clear for our staff and passengers.
As a Materials Recovery Specialist, you will play a crucial role in assessing materials produced by lineside renewals and improvements. Your primary responsibility will be to establish the quantities and quality of materials for recovery and supervise safe handling methods. You will work closely with other contractors and protection personnel to ensure compliance with statutory rail guidelines and company policies.
In this key role you will be travelling between areas such as Wiltshire, Wales, Birmingham (and more) to visit various sites, depots and lineside locations. This will be to assess and book in the haulage for removing rail, sleepers and S&C materials. This is a varied opportunity and will require the candidate to be self-motivated, a problem solver and customer focused.
You will be involved in the following:

• Assess and supervise the recovery of materials from lineside renewals and improvements.
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and company policies.
• Maintain a clean and environmentally friendly site.
• Report defects and damages to plant, tools, materials, and equipment.
• Attend training courses and briefing sessions as instructed by management.
• Provide support and advice related to the recovery and use of serviceable materials.

Key Responsibilities
1. Co-operate with other contractors and protection personnel to ensure that site activities are completed to ensure compliance with Statutory Rail guidelines in addition to company policy and procedures and to protect the health and safety of all
2. Follow reasonable work instructions from managers and customer representatives
3. Maintain inducted skills, manual handling and small tool competencies and to bring the attention to Management any skill or competency that is nearing expiry
4. Maintain an environmentally friendly, clean and tidy site in accordance with company policy and procedures.
5. Assume responsibility for the proper use and maintenance of appropriate P.P.E.
6. Report plant, tools, material and equipment defects and damage to customer assets.
7. Report any accidents, near misses or safety / environmentally related incidents to management
8. Attend training courses, briefing sessions etc as instructed by management.
9. Ensure familiarity with company health and safety policy and relevant key health, safety, environmental and quality practices and procedures relating to work on the rail network.
10. Undertake other duties, with personal competency, from time to time as may be reasonably requested by the company
11. Work closely with local delivery units and customer HQ's to gain foresight of potential serviceable materials generated during maintenance and renewals activities
12. Attend local delivery units and customer HQ's to give support and advice related to the recovery and use of serviceable materials.
13. Employees are expected to constantly develop and innovate in all aspects of their work in order to ensure improvements in efficiency and to keep abreast of changes to the Company's procedures, work instructions, safety notices etc. and apply them to the work situation.
14. Employees are also expected to maintain a general knowledge of the industry in which we operate and to be aware of changes in legislation, regulations, working practices, technical innovations etc
Essential Criteria:

• Possession of a Personal Track Safety (PTS) certification.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• Knowledge of safety rules and regulations
• Working knowledge of relevant railway geography and network capability.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills
• Commercial and negotiation skills
• Excellent administration skills.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Good communication skills.
• A customer-focused approach

Desirable Criteria:

• Additional knowledge of relevant railway geography, equipment, and facilities.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a team dedicated to sustainability and resource management.
• Engage in a role that offers variety and the opportunity to make a tangible impact.
• Work in a supportive environment that values continuous development and innovation.

If you are ready to take on this challenging and rewarding role, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to become a Materials Recovery Specialist and contribute to our mission of sustainable resource management!
How to apply (External)
Vacancy type: This role is permanent,
Location: This position is homebased but will require extensive travel for which a company vehicle will be provided and in line with our fatigue management process.
Hours: 48 hours per week and travel as required to visit various sites, depots and lineside locations
Salary range: xc2xa337,500 - xc2xa339,500 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
Closing date: 1 May 2025. 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. Please see attached guide - How to complete Supporting Statement.
If you cannot access the guide, please contact and we will send you a copy.
Click 'Apply now' to submit your application.
If you would like to speak to the Resourcing Team, please contact
If you would like to know more about the role, please contact Victoria Patterson at victoria.patterson@networkrail.co.uk
If you would like any reasonable adjustments support during your application or throughout the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to contact the Resourcing Team who will happily assist.
Below are some examples of adjustments we can make: * 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;
xc2xb7 Competency Based Interview
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Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by phone or email.
For further information about how we recruit, please visit:
This role is safety critical and will require a medical and/or Personal Track Safety Competence.
Personal Track Safety (PTS) is a set of safety regulations and procedures that individuals must adhere to when working on or near the tracks of the UK rail network.
Drugs and Alcohol Standard:
For some of our roles all prospective external candidates offered a conditional role 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 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.
More information can be found in our document.
You can visit for advice on accessibility support if you're unsure of the options available. Should you require any reasonable adjustments/modifications, please add a note to your application.
Network Rail Benefits -
All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.
***Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. Further details will be shared with you as part of your formal offer.****