Contracts Assistant in Milton Keynes

Join Network Rail - Where People and Connections Matter. At Network Rail, we are dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. When you join us, you are not just part of a team - you are part of something that matters to millions. We believe that our people are at the heart of what we do, and every role plays a vital part in building a better, more connected railway.

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 will do everything we can to accommodate any needs throughout the recruitment process.

Some of our great benefits:

• Generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave to support our employees during significant life moments
• Flexible/hybrid working arrangements considered
• Generous annual leave up to 28 days plus statutory days (role dependant), with the option to buy/sell days
• Discounts at selected stations with your Network Rail pass
• Defined benefit pension scheme
• 75% off leisure train tickets for you and your dependents (subject to T&Cs)
• Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets
• Volunteer leave to make a positive impact

About the role:

Duration: 12 month fixed term contract with the potential to be extended or made permanent. Location: This role is based in The Quadrant: Milton Keynes. This role is a full-time opportunity, flexible working patterns will be considered. For this role, you must live within 75 minutes.

Band & Salary: Band 5 - £26,842.00 to £32,000 depending on skills and experience (Pro Rata)

Your experience and skills:

Engineering Services is a function within Route Services. We sit as a central team to provide national skills and activities which enable regions and industry partners to deliver the railway for our customers. As a large central functional team which focus on engineering delivery, we have many roles, ranging from pure engineering to project management. We design and influence every part of the railway, including structures, track, traction power, level crossings, signalling and accessibility schemes which are essential to keep our stations moving.

What does the average day look like?

No two days are the same, but you can expect to work closely with colleagues, customers and suppliers to help ensure goods and services are delivered efficiently and cost effectively. You'll spend time reviewing and reconciling transaction data, investigating queries, and maintaining strong supplier relationships to keep contracts running smoothly. A typical day could involve analysing data and producing reports for management, supporting the timely payment of suppliers, and helping business areas with commercial information. You'll also collaborate with the wider team to resolve issues, improve processes, and identify opportunities to increase quality, efficiency and value across the supply chain. This is a varied role that combines data analysis, stakeholder management and continuous improvement, offering the chance to make a real impact on day-to-day business operations.

Who are we looking for?

We're looking for someone who is organised, detail-oriented and customer-focused, with strong administrative and analytical skills. You'll be confident working to deadlines, building positive relationships with a range of stakeholders, and using your commercial awareness to support effective business decisions.

Your experience and skills:

• Proven ability to work to tight deadlines and mandated processes with a high level of accuracy
• Good administration and analytical skills
• Good Microsoft Excel skills
• Stakeholder management skills
• A customer focussed approach

Desirable:

• Contract support understanding
• Awareness of supply chain processes
• Compliance reporting
• Knowledge of internal auditing process ISO 9001

Please see attached job description for full details including essential criteria.

Contact: If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments, please contact RSResourcing@networkrail.co.uk

Closing date: Friday 21st August 2026. On occasions, we may need to close the advert early based upon application volumes. Late applications may not be accepted.

Next Steps: Interviews will be held W/C 07/09/2026, depending on business requirements. Safe behaviour is a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their awareness of our Safety Vision.