Network Rail
Head of Industry Performance Narrative
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Who We Are
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
- Salary: £85,395 - £101,323
Contact: If you require any support with your application, please click here for contact details.
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
What does the average day look like?
Step into a role where your insight and influence help shape the future of rail performance across the UK. As a leader in train service performance, you'll be at the centre of the industry, bringing together data, insight and expertise to tell a clear, consistent story about how the network is performing. You'll turn complex information into meaningful, easy-to-understand narratives that support confident decision-making at senior levels, including across executive teams and with Government stakeholders. Your work will ensure there is a shared understanding of what's driving performance, where the risks are, and what actions will make the biggest difference.
Reasons to use Rodeo
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.
It 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.
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.
In this role, you'll work closely with colleagues across Network Rail and the wider industry, building strong relationships and helping to align priorities on key performance challenges. From shaping senior-level reports to working with analytics teams to improve how we understand performance, your focus will be on making sure insight leads to action. You'll also support and grow a team, encouraging open thinking, collaboration and a genuine focus on outcomes. If you enjoy making sense of complex issues, influencing at senior levels and seeing the real-world impact of your work, this is a great opportunity to make a meaningful difference for passengers and freight users.
A Little Bit About The Team...
You'll be part of a supportive and high-performing team that sits at the heart of Network Rail's performance function. The team brings together a mix of expertise across performance analysis, reporting and stakeholder engagement, all focused on building a clear, shared view of how the network is operating and where improvements can be made. It's a collaborative environment where people work closely with colleagues across the business and the wider industry, sharing insight and challenging thinking to get to the root of issues.
The team takes pride in producing work that genuinely influences decisions at the highest levels, and there's a strong sense of purpose in the impact this has on passengers and freight users. You'll be joining a group that values openness, curiosity and practical thinking, where people are encouraged to contribute ideas, learn from each other and develop their skills while working on meaningful, visible priorities.
Next Steps
CV shortlisting will take place after the advert closes, with interviews planned from the week commencing [date], subject to business needs. Early applications are encouraged, as we may close the advert early due to high application volumes.
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
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Your Experience And Skills
Who are we looking for?
We're looking for a confident and engaging communicator who can bring complex information to life. You'll be comfortable working with data, using your strong analytical and numerical skills to draw out meaningful insights and build clear frameworks that support decision-making. Just as importantly, you'll be able to translate that insight into compelling written and verbal communication, whether that's shaping executive-level reports or guiding conversations with senior stakeholders across Network Rail and the wider industry.
You'll bring experience of leading and developing teams, with a collaborative and supportive approach that helps others perform at their best. With a strong understanding of performance reporting and visualisation techniques, you'll know how to present information in a way that cuts through and drives action. Your background will include experience of board or executive reporting, developing performance strategies and working with railway data and systems, alongside a broad understanding of the rail industry. Whether through formal qualifications or equivalent experience, you'll combine technical expertise with the ability to influence, align and lead at a senior level.
Essential Criteria
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent analytical and numerical skills, and experience of developing analytical frameworks
- The ability to work with and influence people at senior executive levels across Network Rail and the industry
- Proven ability to engage, manage and develop a team
- Significant experience and knowledge of a broad range of performance management visualisation techniques and their application
- Experience of developing train performance strategies and plans
- Significant experience of executive and board reporting
- Knowledge of railway data sources and systems to analyse and understand train operations and performance
- Broad based knowledge of the rail industry, across infrastructure management and train services
- Educated to degree level or relevant equivalent experience.
“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