Project Engineer (CDE)

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.

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.

Safe behaviour is a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their awareness of our safety vision.

About the role

Eastern Routes Capital Programmes sits at the heart of Network Rail's ambition to deliver a simpler, better, greener railway. We are responsible for developing, planning and delivering major investment across the Eastern Region, one of the UK's busiest and most complex rail networks, covering key routes from London across the East and into the most northern areas of England.

We turn strategic investment into tangible outcomes. Modernising infrastructure, improving reliability, and supporting passenger growth and freight capability. Our work directly impacts millions of journeys every year and plays a critical role in supporting economic growth across the region.

We manage and deliver a multi-billion-pound portfolio of investment, spanning renewals and enhancements across track, structures, signalling, electrification and major station programmes. Our teams work closely with route businesses, integrated railways, suppliers, and government to ensure that investment delivers safely, efficiently, and with long-term value for the railway.

Our people are based across the Eastern Region footprint, with offices in London, Derby and York, as well as key delivery locations across the entire patch. We operate in a client model, providing clear governance, financial and delivery oversight while working in partnership with our supply chain.

What makes us unique is the scale, complexity and visibility of the work. You'll be part of a team that:

• Delivers some of the most high-profile and technically challenging projects in the UK rail industry
• Influences how billions of pounds of public investment are spent
• Works at the interface between strategy, policy, and delivery
• Plays a critical role in improving safety, reliability and customer experience across the network

Above all, this is a place where you can see the real-world impact of what you do, from safer infrastructure to improving performance. As we transition into Great British Railways, we play a key part in supporting the integrated railway across the region, being a more joined up system led team for passengers and freight.

The Eastern Routes Capital Programmes (ERCP) Engineering team oversee the management of engineering projects across all Eastern Buildings & Civils renewals. The CP7 portfolio comprises circa. 400 exciting and challenging projects, totalling over £500m worth of investment.

There are 2 opportunities available, these roles are based in London.

Job Purpose

To oversee the use of appropriate engineering standards in relation to design and construction on the Buildings, Structures and Geotechnical Renewals portfolio, ensuring they comply with legislation, Railway Group and Network Rail company standards. The role oversees all engineering exercises to ensure all projects meet the Client requirements in the most economical and effective way.

In the Project Engineer (CDE) role, you will manage Buildings & Civils design and construction activities for allocated projects.

The role will role model and embed Eastern Region's culture principles - Show We Care, Listen Learn Improve, Better Together and Keep It Simple - by:

• Creating an environment of psychological safety and accountability where people can challenge and improve working practices
• Driving collaboration across teams and partners to deliver whole-system outcomes
• Promoting continuous improvement and learning from performance output
• Ensuring clear, simple and focused governance and decision-making

Key Accountabilities

1. Implement Network Rail systems and procedures to maintain a cost effective, high quality, safe and environmentally responsible approach to design, construction, commissioning and other technical activities on relevant projects, compliant with all relevant legislation. Liaise with regulators and others as appropriate.
2. Engineer Projects to the standards and specification of Network Rail, allocated design and construction contracts include reference to and are compliant with appropriate Railway Group and Network Rail Company standards, formal specifications and procedures.
3. Manage all engineering activities so that they result in schemes that are affordable and meet programme requirements in a safe and environmentally responsible manner for time, cost and quality.
4. Maintain the use of relevant techniques and procedures of quantified and qualitative risk assessment and HAZOP analysis to allocated projects and manage the environmental aspects of allocated projects in accordance with Network Rail's environmental policy.
5. Monitor design and specialist consultants and contractors to assure the quality of supply chain outputs.
6. Provide project management advice in respect of all construction activities, including testing and commissioning and site supervision. Manage the design and/or construction elements of relevant projects meet the requirements of current legislation, including construction design management (CDM) regulations.
7. Monitor the competency of both internal and contractor's design/construction/specialists personnel are competent to assure the quality of supply chain outputs.
8. Undertake reviews of [Discipline] design and/or construction activities. Arrange audits of contractors monitoring safety, environment and quality of design, construction, testing and commissioning and management systems is adequate.
9. Carry out the duties of designated project engineer (DPE) to fulfil the requirements of Network Rail engineering management standards and procedures.
10. Identify and share best practice across the various project teams.

Essential Criteria

• Successful relevant experience within a B&C Discipline, ideally with involvement in construction and design projects across multi-discipline areas.
• Technical qualifications to HNC/HND or equivalent GNVQ level in Civil, Structural or Mechanical Engineering.
• Knowledge of quality assurance
• An understanding of the arrangements required for the independent assessment of work
• CDM, risk assessment, engineering management competency
• Demonstrable skills in initiating and building positive working relationships with customers, their team and stakeholders
• Demonstrable experience of effective team working, helping and supporting others and sharing knowledge skills and experience
• Demonstrable ability to make timely decisions and to think ahead
• Demonstrable experience in problem solving and value engineering to meet complex project requirements
• Demonstrable experience of being focussed on their own and others safety and in understanding the implications of their behaviour and the safety rules
• Demonstrable experience of seeking ways to improve ways of working, being open to change and doing things differently

Desirable Criteria

• Membership of a relevant professional body (ICE, IMechE, IET) with chartered status and/or educated to degree level
• Knowledge of structuring safety cases in support of projects
• An appreciation of environmental issues in engineering works
• Effective stakeholder management.
• Six Sigma Yellow Belt.
• Project safety management experience

Please note: Applicants must provide proof of essential qualifications and/or competencies where required, or demonstrate active progress toward obtaining them, or evidence their applicable experience as a condition of employment.

External how to apply

Network Rail welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender status, sex (or gender), employment status, trade union affiliation, or other irrelevant factor.

We are a Disability Confident Leader employer! We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.

We are here to support you through every step of the recruitment process and to enable you to perform to the best of your ability. If you require any adjustments or modifications please contact Mark Holt (Resourcing Business Partner) at mark.holt@networkrail.co.uk. You can also visit Evenbreak's Career Hive for advice on accessibility support if you're unsure of the options available.

We positively embrace flexible working, recognising that employees may wish to balance work with their family and home life.

Network Rail Benefits - To find out about what benefits we offer, click here

Network Rail is required to comply with UK Government standards when carrying out pre-employment checks for all new starters; this includes a basic criminal record check. In addition to the basic criminal record check, in accordance with the UK Government we are also required to verify your identity, right to work in the UK and previous three years employment history.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information. Please ensure you have the appropriate Right to Work status when applying for this role."

Keeping people safe on the railway is at the heart of everything we do, safe behaviour is therefore a requirement of working for Network Rail. You should be able to demonstrate your personal commitment to safety and awareness of our safety vision.

Network Rail can offer you a rewarding career with competitive pay and excellent benefits including a choice of contributory pension schemes, a generous annual leave package, a bonus scheme and an annual 75% subsidy on season tickets costing up to £3,333 (to a maximum amount of £2,500). You will also be entitled to 28 days annual leave

Salary: £43,588 to £53,167 per annum (plus an inner London allowance of £3,270 per annum for London based roles).

*Employees will be entitled to a 75% discount off leisure travel, this includes off peak and super off peak tickets*

***Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. Further details will be shared with you as part of your formal offer.****

Closing date: 3rd November 2026. Late applications will not be accepted. We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes.

What's in it for you

Here are a few of the benefits we offer

• 28-day annual leave with the option to buy and sell days
• Choice of pension schemes
• 75% discount of leisure travel for you and your family
• Private Healthcare
• 5 days paid volunteer or carers leave
• Up to 75% subsidised Rail and Underground travel
• Gym Pass -access to gyms across UK
• My Benefits platform- giving national and local retail discount

Our aim is to ensure your candidate experience is as positive as possible. If you require reasonable adjustments at any point, simply let us know and we'll do our best to assist you.

Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. We will share further details with you as part of your formal offer.

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

Your experience and skills

The ideal candidate will have circa. 2+ years' experience of managing Engineering Projects (either design or assurance), ensuring compliance with relevant standards and working practices. They will have an appreciation of the ERCP "ACE" Disposition model, as well as the Engineering & Construction Management Plan (ECMP). They will possess excellent problem-solving skills and be able to provide engineering advice and insight to navigate complex engineering issues within the laws of the relevant standards, to achieve value for money across a wide variety of engineering projects.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrable skills of managing a wide range of stakeholders, as well as being able to work as part of a team and build successful relationships across project teams.