Brief Description
Acting as the primary point of contact for both internal and external stakeholders, this role focuses on security, emergency, and contingency preparedness. Responsibilities include developing and maintaining security, emergency, and contingency plans and procedures to meet statutory requirements, Railway Group and Company Standards. Additionally, the role provides specialist advice and Level 1 assurance in operational security and contingency planning.
The position entails active management of Critical National Infrastructure within the Wales and Borders Route, requiring close collaboration with the Department for Transport and various stakeholders. It combines office-based work with on-site guidance and support for key partners. Engaging with internal teams, external partners, and government bodies to ensure cohesive security and contingency planning efforts. Conducting regular exercises to test emergency and contingency plans, with a strong focus on operational readiness and continuous improvement.
Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records on the Fusion system. Out-of-Hours commitments, occasionally working outside standard hours, including at least four Saturday evening exercises annually, to implement and evaluate contingency plans. Identifying opportunities to improve security strategies, incorporating new technologies and best practices to strengthen the Wales and Borders Route’s resilience.
About the role (External)
Your Main Responsibilities will be to:
1.Assist and advise the region / route function, including stations, on the development (including templates and associated Standards and guidance) and maintenance of effective security and contingency plans, designed to mitigate loss, in cooperation with internal and external stakeholders.
2.Plan and coordinate the development and implementation of an annual programme of planned exercises to test the effectiveness of security and contingency arrangements in conjunction with internal and external stakeholders and monitor performance against the programme.
3.Assist and advise the routes on continuous improvement relating to incident management and disruption by facilitating debriefs following exercises and significant incidents; coordinating lessons identified and helping disseminate these throughout Network Rail (NR). Liaise with external stakeholders where required to resolve issues.
4.Plan and develop a programme of physical and operational security risk assessments to identify and assess potential failings in security arrangements within key NR sites, particularly those identified as Critical National Infrastructure, and associated security/emergency/contingency plans.
5.Be the subject matter expert providing specialist advice in the fields of physical and operational security, contingency and disruption planning and response to the region / route / function senior leadership team.
6.Provide Level 2 assurance function in the field of operational security and compliance with the National Railways Security Programme (NRSP), by carrying out physical security risk assessments and covert tests of NR assets as required, in order to confirm compliance with legislation and provide recommendations for improvement.
7.Provide a link at strategic level to Local Resilience Fora, Devolved Administrations and national representative bodies (e.g. Chief Fire Officers Association) in order to discharge NR’s obligations under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA 2004). Represent NR at strategic groups acting as a conduit for information from NR to the wider resilience community.
8.Contribute to, or lead as required, the delivery of special projects in the field of operational security or contingency planning and security elements of infrastructure upgrade projects, to deliver operational capability and comply with regulation.
9.Assist and advise the region / route / function, including stations, on the development of the NR response to significant sporting and cultural events, to assist in the delivery of an effective operational response.
You will ideally have
·Educated to degree level or be able to show equivalent level of experience and competency
·Membership, or ability to achieve membership, of a security and/or emergency planning professional body
·Formal accredited training in emergency planning, security or similar field
·Detailed understanding of and proven credibility in operational security matters
·Good understanding of the principles of contingency and emergency planning and management
·Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to present complex data in a simple and understandable way
Desirable
·Proven experience and expertise in major incident/crisis management at a tactical level
·Good understanding of security issues as they affect Network Rail’s undertakings
·Good understanding of railway operational requirements
·Post-graduate qualification in emergency/disaster management, security (domestic or international) counter-terrorism, operational resilience or risk, or similar.
Not sure if you meet all the requirements? Let us decide.