Supply Chain Assistant in Milton Keynes

About Network Rail
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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. Click here to watch our inspiring video to learn more about us!
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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!
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 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.
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. See the diagram for a breakdown of our services. To learn more, please click here 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 in Supply Chain Operations
Working with us is More than a Salary
About the role (External)
In this role, you\'ll help manage the supply chain to ensure materials are delivered on time and in line with standards. You\'ll work with the Materials and Logistics teams to meet customer needs by handling orders and resolving any issues. You\'ll also collect and review data to support reporting and decision-making.
Key accountabilities include:
1. Develop and maintain effective relationships with all supply chain stakeholders (customers, suppliers, buyers) as needed to resolve customer and supplier queries, delivering supply chain KPIs.
2. Support the wider operations team as required, to deliver a comprehensive service to customers as detailed in the service catalogue.
3. Provide data, analysis and commentary for management reports.
4. Propose and implement improvement activities and plans through the provision of data analysis and other subject matter expertise; report on improvement activities as required.
5. Action and fully resolve customer and supplier queries to agreed processes and within SLA, monitor trends and collate data to support and identify supply chain improvements.
6. Develop and maintain processes for areas of activity to improve team performance and maintain the ISO9001 accreditation.
7. Using supply chain expertise and knowledge resolve complex queries by evaluating information and identifying the root cause.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following criteria:
Essential
• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant work experience e.g. Supply Chain, Business Management.
• Experience of Internal Sales, and Experience of ERP systems (e.g. ORACLE, SAP).
• Experienced Microsoft Office user.
• Experience within a customer service role.
• Proven ability to work to tight deadlines, maintaining high levels of accuracy.
• Good analytical and problem solving skills.
• Good interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Good commercial awareness.
• A customer focussed approach.
• Ability to work under pressure and a desire to improve processes and produce efficiencies.
• Good oral & written communication skills.
• Awareness of supply chain processes.
Desirable
• Railway knowledge.
How to apply (External)
Vacancy type: This role is permanent.
Location: This position is based at The Quadrant: MK, and there will be a requirement to be office based at least 60% of the working week. Limited travel may be required.
Hours: 35 hours per week.
Salary range: Band 5,£27,985 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
Closing date: 14 July 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 RSResourcing@networkrail.co.uk and we will send you a copy.
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. Find out more about our benefit s.
Click \'Apply now\' to submit your application. If you would like to speak the Resourcing Team, please contact us using the email address above.
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:

1. 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.
2. Changing a physical feature of our workplace
   For example, office/room layout can be adapted to accommodate individual needs.
3. 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
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by phone or email.
For further information about how we recruit, please visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/careers/how-we-recruit/
Drugs and Alcohol Standard:
For some of our roles, prospective external candidates who are made a conditional offer 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr