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Signaller Grade 7 8 & 9 Thames Valley Signalling Centre

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

Job Introduction

Our Thames Valley Signalling Centre (TVSC) is one of the UK’s most sophisticated centres, and we are looking for talented people to join our team of signallers in Didcot. Although you won’t need rail experience, you’ll have an excellent background in responding to operational and safety-critical situations, often balancing multiple tasks at any time.

You’ll join a team responsible for signalling the railway from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads. This includes some of the country’s busiest mixed traffic railway with 125mph passenger trains, large quantities of freight trains, and the introduction of high frequency Elizabeth Line services which will cross London once fully open.

With some of the most advanced signalling technology in the UK you can share our journey in shaping how our passengers travel.

Main Responsibility

This role comes with a high level of responsibility. Your decisions matter and every day you’ll use your planning and problem-solving skills to take care of a vast array of tasks that come with operating across a complex network. You’ll often be taking care of multiple problems, where every minute of delay impacts the lives of our passengers and freight customers. How you respond really does matter.

You’ll need to be safety-focused, with an outstanding customer service attitude and a calm but assured approach to dealing with multiple time-critical problems. In return, you’ll be joining a company that recently joined the top 50 in the Glassdoor's 2021 Best Places to Work awards!

You will be responsible for the safety of trains and delivering a high-quality train service. Using your transferrable skills, we’ll equip you with the relevant training and knowledge to work in one of the most important jobs on Britain’s Railway.

Maintaining the highest standards in every action you take, you’ll make sure each decision is thought through, following clear, calm and methodical analysis. Even under pressure, your standards will never slip.

As the focal point of railway operations during your shift, you will take the lead, showing an assertive approach and clear communication. A dependable part of the team within the signalling centre and the wider network, you’ll care knowing that every action you take impacts others.

Your comfort with technical concepts and technology will match with the demands of this sophisticated working environment.

The Ideal Candidate

Our signalling community comes from a variety of different backgrounds, and so we’re passionate about your transferrable skills and behaviours. No formal rail experience is required, though any work you’ve done which has required concentration, is safety critical and involves communicating with others would stand you in good stead. 

You don’t need rail experience, but you do need to show how your transferrable skills meet the following,  

  • Communication – A variety of clear communication skills are essential in the signalling role. You will be required to deliver safety critical communications with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure processes and safety standards are adhered to at all times.  
  • Ability to learn – Due to its safety critical nature, there is a lot to learn to become a competent signaller.  
  • Ability to work alone – Every signaller requires the ability to operate efficiently and make safety critical decisions confidently on an individual basis.  
  • Ability to work as part of a team – Despite being able to work confidently alone, it is important you are a team player.  
  • Attention to detail – The signaller role requires consistent high levels of attention but varying levels of concentration.  
  • Multi-Tasking – You will be expected to deal with phone calls, signal trains, block lines for maintenance work and complete administration tasks.  
  • Working Under Pressure – Due to the intense and challenging events that can occur on the railway, it is crucial you are able to remain calm whilst working under pressure.  
  • Decision Making - By its nature, the signaller roles requires you to make safety critical decisions throughout the course of your shift. 

You’ll also need to be within a 60-minute commute of the location you’re applying to work at and will need access to your own transport to allow for the different shift work. 

This role involves days, nights and weekend working and the job is safety critical. Offers of employment are subject to drug and alcohol testing and passing of the relevant medical assessment and BPSS pre-employment checks.

In order for your application to proceed to interview stage, you'll need to achieve a passing score on the application screening questions, as well as meeting the minimum pass benchmarks in our psychometric testing

Package Description

Signalling matters to millions by keeping trains moving and people safe!

What is signalling?

If you’ve never considered working in signalling before, you might be wondering what it’s all about. So, here’s a quick introduction to what signalling is and why it matters to millions.

Signalling is essentially a sophisticated traffic light system for the railway. It gives us a simple way to keep a huge number of trains moving safely across the various routes in our network. 

Without expert signallers, the railway simply couldn’t function, and passengers all over the country would be affected.

For  more information on signalling please take a look at the web page linked below - 

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/campaigns/signalling-opportunities

These Signalling positions are based in Thames Valley Signalling Centre, Didcot (OX11 7HE)

Grade 7 salary: £43,831 salary in training £40,635

Grade 8 Salary: £46,569 salary in training  £43,831

Grade 9 Salary £48,398 salary in training £46,569

Note on early closing - Signaller vacancies often receive high numbers of applications and we may close the vacancy early when we have reached a maximum number of applications. Please do submit your application as early as possible.

Click ‘apply for this job’ to apply.

About the Company

We’re an organisation where people matter. We matter to millions.

Our role is to run a safe, reliable and efficient railway, serving customers and communities. We exist to get people and goods where they need to be and to support our country’s economic prosperity. Safety is our number one priority. 

We're undertaking an ambitious change. Our vision is Putting Passengers First – becoming a company that is on the side of passengers and freight users; that is easy to engage with and is an efficient and dependable partner; a company people are proud to work for; instinctively recognised as an industry leader. 

Your Signaller recruitment journey

Here’s a short video explaining what to expect and how to prepare for your Signalling recruitment journey 

  • Application - completed on our career's portal, you'll need an up to date CV and 1around 20 minutes in a safe, quiet spot where you’re comfortable typing answers to a number of questions about your interest and understanding of the Signaller role.
  • Identification documents - You'll need to provide your identification documents virtually; we will provide more guidance on this and how to prepare closer to the time.
  • Virtual assessment - All interviews & assessments will be held virtually. You'll take part in in two online assessments which will include a psychometric test and a Scenario assessment along with attending a live interview to explore your skills and experiences in more detail.
  • Offer - you'll receive a call from our Careers Team to discuss further details including salary, benefits and your medical assessment. Offers of employment are subject to drug and alcohol testing and passing of the relevant medical assessments.
  • Pre-employment Screening - you'll need to provide some documents to prove your identity and right to work in the UK
  • Medical assessment – Signalling is a safety critical role, so you’ll take a medical assessment before starting in the position. This will include a hearing and eye sight examination
  • Induction - you'll receive more information about your Signaller training.

We’re happy to help you with any queries you may have regarding the recruitment and selection process and to listen to any reasonable adjustments you require to make you feel more comfortable. To contact us please email: support@networkrail.zendesk.com

Everyone matters is our diversity strategy. By 2024 we will be an even more open, diverse and inclusive organisation that is better at reflecting the communities that we serve. By putting our passengers first, our strategy will help us to provide a more accessible and more inclusive experience for you.

Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd

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