Chief Regional Engineer – Network Rail

Location:

Multiple locations, GB
Department Name:
North West & Central Region (NW&C)

We’re looking for an inspiring engineering leader to drive the Region’s technical capability and ensure our assets are safe, reliable, and performing at their best. In this role, you’ll lead a multidisciplinary engineering team and champion excellence across all engineering activities, shaping how we deliver for our customers and how we meet our route and network targets.

You’ll play a key role in strengthening system safety and reliability, guiding project approvals, and embedding strong quality assurance and systems engineering practices across the Region. This is a chance to influence long‑term asset performance, support sustainable improvements, and set the standard for engineering leadership.

Location
:
The successful candidate can be based from Birmingham (Baskerville House), London (Eversholt Street, Euston), Manchester (Square One), or Milton Keynes (The Quadrant).

Package
:
We have a flexible benefits package but the basic for this role will be in the region of £116,753 – 146,000 & Performance related pay
.

What you’ll be doing:

In this influential leadership role, you’ll shape the technical direction and engineering excellence of the region, ensuring our assets are safe, reliable and delivering maximum value both now and in the future. You’ll take ownership of developing and embedding robust assurance and verification processes across maintenance, asset management and capital delivery, helping to identify, manage and reduce long‑term risks while continually improving asset performance.

Leading a team of Heads of Asset and supporting wider engineering communities, you’ll champion professional development, build capability and strengthen technical expertise across the region. You’ll play a key role in setting and evolving technical standards and policies, working closely with colleagues across the business to capture insights, share best practice and translate learning into meaningful improvements.

With a strong focus on systems thinking and innovation, you’ll drive excellence in systems engineering, overseeing integration, change management and safety‑by‑design principles across all projects. You’ll also act as a vital link to the wider organisation, collaborating with the Technical Authority to influence national strategy, shape research and development, and share knowledge across the industry.

As a trusted advisor to the regional executive, you’ll provide expert guidance on engineering strategy, asset performance and future investment, helping to inform business planning and long‑term decision‑making. From improving processes and embedding lessons learned to championing new technologies and benchmarking against best practice, you’ll be at the forefront of driving continuous improvement.

Ultimately, this is a high‑impact role where you’ll lead with expertise and vision, supporting teams, strengthening technical capability and ensuring the region delivers a safe, efficient and forward‑looking railway for our customers.

• Chartered Engineer
• Recognised leadership capability of engineering activities within the railway industry with demonstrable technical leadership of a large function / department and / or major project
• Experience of negotiating at the most senior level and balancing the views of a range of stakeholders both internal and external
• Demonstrable experience in the railway asset system lifecycle and industry best practice in systems engineering, engineering safety management systems and system/product safety, reliability and availability
• Demonstrable absolute integrity in protecting the organisation from unsafe practice, lack of quality and / or lack of compliance with legislation
• Demonstrable ability to chair critical and high‑risk project reviews with senior stakeholders from across the organisation
• Demonstrable experience at effectively communicating and influencing at different levels of organisational hierarchy utilising knowledge of the railway asset system process and procedure
• Substantial experience in leading a virtual multi‑discipline engineering team
• Strong commercial awareness and financially astute

We would also like but it isn’t crucial to have/to be:

• Fellow of an appropriate institution
• Member of the institute of Asset Management
• Experience of developing technical strategy
• Experience in business management or a business management qualification

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 in applying and interviewing for roles.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: The North West & Central Region is committed to building a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. Inclusive teams drive better decisions, innovation, and a safer, more accessible railway.