Strategic Fleet Asset Manager

About the Role

Route Services is a division of Network Rail that provides essential services to the Routes, enabling them to deliver a better railway for Britain. This role sits within Supply Chain Operations (SCO), responsible for the logistics, materials, components, and fleet that support railway maintenance and renewal. SCO ensures that necessary items are available on-site when needed to keep projects on schedule.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and direct the development and implementation of asset management policies and engineering competencies for the overhaul, renewal, and enhancement of fleet and plant assets.
• Direct the strategic asset management of rail fleet to optimize heavy overhaul capacity and fleet renewals in line with company policies, standards, and specifications.
• Plan and monitor the delivery of overhaul portfolios, including contract management, KPI monitoring, corrective actions, and reporting to meet budget and programme targets.
• Establish the fleet asset management strategy for technical innovation, mobilization, and introduction of new systems to ensure operational availability and maintenance standards for new railway systems.
• Provide professional asset management leadership to engineers within Supply Chain Operations (SCO) to enhance decision-making, design, and execution.
• Develop technical standards, specifications, work instructions, and best practice guides for heavy maintenance activities, applying industry best practices to the Network Rail fleet.
• Develop continuous improvement programmes and initiatives to enhance efficiency and service delivery, including leading business case development and securing funding.
• Direct assurance activities for fleet heavy maintenance across SCO to ensure compliance with relevant legislation and standards.
• Lead on safety for all overhaul activities, including thorough investigation of incidents affecting engineering asset safety and performance, and implementing recommendations.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Chartered or Incorporated Engineer with membership to a relevant professional body.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Substantial experience in whole-life asset management, with demonstrable expertise in ISO55001.
• Sound knowledge of technical, safety, and performance standards relating to high-value engineering assets.
• Ability to evaluate complex engineering systems and make decisions to maximize benefit to Network Rail.
• Proven ability to manage engineering activities in a business environment with safety-critical accountability.
• Recognized project management qualification or demonstrable experience managing complex engineering projects.
• Experience of contract and supplier management with strong commercial negotiation skills.
• Competent investigator.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing, organizational, and communication skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Relevant management qualification.
• Expertise in engineering management within a safety-critical industry.