Network Rail
Early Careers - Environment and Sustainability Year in Industry Student

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Who We Are
Early Careers - Environment and Sustainability Year In Industry
Vacancy Details
- Duration: 10 Months
- Location: This role is based in the Quadrant:MK, you must live within 90 minutes.
- Salary: £21,840
- Contact: If you require any support with your application, please click here for contact details. Please note, there are two posts available.
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!
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....
About The Role
Why choose this placement?
Network Rail is among the largest users of energy nationally, is the fourth biggest landowner in Britain, and has 22 million lineside neighbours, so the opportunity to make an impact is huge.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
You will be working within the Technical Authority, who are responsible for providing technical expertise to support the wider business and providing strong competence and assurance regimes to make sure that things are done properly.
You will work alongside colleagues across our regions, routes and business functions, gaining a broad understanding of how sustainability is delivered across the organisation. There will also be opportunities to visit sites across the network and see first-hand how this work translates into action on the railway.
About The Role
What will you do during the scheme?
You Will Have The Opportunity To Work Closely Alongside Our Sustainability Professionals To Develop Your Knowledge And Skills To Take Forward In Your Career. Working Alongside Technical Experts In Decarbonisation, Circular Economy, Environmental Management And Social Value, You Will Be Exposed To a Broad Range Of Projects, Initiatives And Campaigns, Supporting The Team To Deliver Against Our Commitments In The Greener Railway Strategy. You'll Be Encouraged To Bring Forward Your Ideas And Help Make Things Happen. You Could Be:
- Researching and writing case studies and guidance notes to support colleagues.
- Reviewing and updating standards against new compliance obligations.
- Running campaigns and events to improve engagement.
- Supporting data reporting, collating and analysing data to inform decision making.
What are the entry requirements?
To join the scheme, you will need to be in your penultimate year at university and looking for a year in industry placement, and on track to achieve at least a 2:2 in a degree which ideally includes at least one of the following areas:


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
- Environmental management / science
- Corporate social responsibility/ sustainable development
- Environment and/or sustainability policy / law
- Geography
- Biodiversity, ecology and/or conservation
- Renewable energy / sustainable resource management
Next Steps
Candidates that pass CV shortlisting will be asked to complete a video interview. Successful candidates will be invited to attend one of our Assessment Centres week commencing the 16th of November. Early applications are encouraged, as we may close the advert early due to high application volumes. Please take a look at our Greener Railway Hub. We encourage you to review our Safety Vision, as safety is an important part of the culture at Network Rail.
All external offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information.
REF:
Your experience and skills
Who are we looking for?
We are seeking two Year in Industry students to join our Environment and Sustainability team in Milton Keynes.
While we would love to see candidates currently studying courses related to environment or sustainability, we warmly welcome all applicants who are passionate about these areas.
Strong written and verbal communication skills are important, along with the ability to influence decision-making and work effectively in a team. Attention to detail and a proactive approach to organising tasks, events, and people are essential. We encourage openness and a willingness to challenge the status quo, as our year in industry students bring valuable new ideas. Familiarity with IT applications like Excel and PowerBI, as well as experience in data analysis and creating communication materials, would be a plus.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills