Sourcing Manager - C&P

  • Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)
  • Jan 12, 2026
Full time Logistics

Job Description

About Network Rail

About Network Rail

Join Network Rail - Where People and Connections Matter

At Network Rail, we're dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. When you join us, you're not just part of a team - you're 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. Click here to learn more.

We're committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To discover more about our ED&I commitments click here. We value flexibility and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. As a Disability Confident Leader, we'll do everything we can to accommodate any needs throughout the recruitment process. You can visit Evenbreaks Career Hive for advice on accessibility support.

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

Vacancy Details

Duration: Permanent, 2 positions available!

Location: This role is based in The Quadrant MK with potential to be based in. This role is a full-time opportunity, flexible working patterns will be considered. For Quadrant:MK, you must live within 90 minutes.

Band & Salary: Band 3C £55,596 - £65,966

Brief Description

Who are we looking for? We are looking for dynamic procurement professionals to join our team, leading high value and complex sourcing projects.

If you love to engage with your customers, thrive on using your own initiative, have great people skills and are passionate about making a difference, please read on.

This role sits in Route Services, a business area that has been created to supply services to the routes in the safest, most cost-efficient, and effective way, enabling them to benefit from economies of scale and optimised national resources.

Network Rail's Commercial & Procurement (C&P) team leads the development and delivery of commercial strategies encompassing the whole lifecycle of category strategies, sourcing, supplier management and procurement operations.

We are passionate about collaborating with our customers and the supply chain to buy and manage great commercial solutions that deliver value for passengers. You will be working in a team that is highly collaborative and where you will be offered excellent training and development opportunities.

About the role (External)

About the team You will join the Corporate Services sourcing team within the Route Services C&P team.

Our team leads exciting, high-profile, professional services sourcing projects for our internal customers, including, HR, Occupational Health, Training, Supplies and Services, Facilities, Retail Property, Professional Services, Insurance and Consultancy.

We are a super friendly team of 20, with an effective team ethos of supporting and developing each other. We enjoy regular team events together combining an element of learning as well as enjoying each other's company!

What does the average day look like?

You will collaborate closely with your customers and our business experts to undertake pre-market engagement with the supply chain, draft sourcing strategies and tender documentation. You will be the expert leading the sourcing project, undertake complex commercial evaluations, including using your professional knowledge to lead negotiations with suppliers. You will have excellent communications skills, both written and verbal, be proactive, have in depth experience of the end-to-end procurement process, be happy to challenge and be challenged and be prepared to go above and beyond to support our customers.

Understanding your customer's needs will put you in the best place to identify the optimum strategic direction and put in place contracting strategies that embrace change, innovation, and creative thinking. We want you to bring us new ideas to help us:

  • improve safety - everyone home safe every day;
  • be more sustainable;
  • be more efficient;
  • introduce innovation from our supply chain; and
  • provide creative contracting strategies.

It would also be nice if you have experience of working in a regulated procurement environment.

To help you find out more about the role we have created a candidate pack, linked below, which gives you an insight into what it's like to work at Network Rail including our purpose, our culture and values, pay and benefits, learning and development and how we create an inclusive environment for all.

And hear what some of our brilliant team members think about Network Rail in this video

Essential Criteria
  • Educated to a Business or Economics degree standard or equivalent business experience
  • Deep level of Sourcing experience, with a demonstrable track record of savings delivery
  • Demonstrable level of negotiation and dispute resolution skill set
  • Demonstrable experience of contract law and financial management
  • Demonstrable experience of driving value from complex sourcing opportunities
  • Experienced with agile cross-functional collaborative working methods
  • Politically savvy, with the proven ability to use direct and indirect influencing strategies at an executive level
  • Demonstrable level of problem-solving experience of complex sourcing specific challenges
  • Completer finisher mindset
Desirable Criteria
  • Line management experience
  • Detailed knowledge of the UK Rail Industry, including procurement processes in a reclassified environment
How to apply (External)

Additional Information

Closing date:

20 th Jan. 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 26 th Jan, 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

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information

Some of our great benefits:
  • Flexible/hybrid working arrangements considered.
  • Generous annual leave (28 days plus statutory days), with the option to buy/sell days.
  • Discounts at stations with your Network Rail pass.
  • Defined benefit pension scheme
  • 75% subsidy on train tickets.
  • Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets.
  • Volunteer leave to make a positive impact.
  • Plus more