Systems Thinking Specialist

Who We Are

Join the Southern Region where your work truly matters.

Covering Wessex, Sussex, and Kent, the Southern Region is one of the busiest and most dynamic parts of the railway. Our teams keep some of the UK’s most vital passenger and freight routes moving every single day.

This is a place where collaboration, innovation, and resilience are key and where your contribution will directly impact millions of journeys. We are entering an exciting new chapter as we integrate with train operating companies under one national leadership, creating even greater opportunities to shape the future of rail.

From supporting major modernisation programmes to improving performance for local communities and enhancing safety across complex operational environments, Southern offers a fast-paced, rewarding environment to grow your career and make a real difference.

Systems Thinking Specialist

The Southern Governance, Risk and Assurance (GRAI) team are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Systems Thinking Specialist – Governance & Quality to lead the governance, assurance, and certification of the Management System.

This role will be accountable for maintaining ISO certification, implementing and assuring the regional governance framework, and ensuring the Business Management System (BMS) remains effective, compliant, and aligned to organisational needs. You will work across Integrated Business Units (IBUs), national teams, and functions to embed consistent governance practices and provide expert certification support.

Acting as a strategic link across the region, you will ensure that governance, management systems, and assurance activities are integrated, proportionate, and enable the delivery of safe, efficient, and high-performing railway operations.

About the role

• Act as a regional expert in governance, management systems, and quality, supporting and constructively challenging stakeholders to drive effective assurance and compliance.
• Apply systems thinking to design and assure governance frameworks that are proportionate, risk-based, and aligned with regional and national priorities.
• Collaborate across Integrated Business Units (IBUs), national teams, and functions to ensure consistent application of governance and management system requirements.
• Lead the implementation, maintenance, and continuous assurance of the Southern Region governance framework, ensuring clarity of accountabilities, controls, and oversight.
• Manage and maintain the regional Business Management System (BMS), ensuring it remains fit for purpose, accessible, and aligned with operational and strategic needs.
• Oversee and coordinate ISO certification activities, ensuring ongoing compliance, audit readiness, and effective integration into business operations.
• Provide certification and assurance support services to IBUs, including guidance on standards, audit preparation, and continuous improvement of compliance performance.
• Act as the regional focal point for management system assurance, coordinating audits, tracking findings, and ensuring effective close-out and learning.
• Engage and influence stakeholders at all levels, building trusted relationships and promoting a culture of governance, accountability, and continual improvement.
• Operate with autonomy and initiative, working independently with direction rather than supervision.
• Support organisational change and the transition into GBR by ensuring governance and management systems remain stable, effective, and adaptable.

Your experience and skills

• Proven experience in governance, management systems, or quality roles within a complex, multi-stakeholder organisation.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO management system standards (e.g. ISO 9001, 14001, 45001) and certification requirements.
• Demonstrable experience leading or supporting ISO certification and external audit activities.
• Experience implementing, maintaining, or assuring governance frameworks, including clear controls, accountabilities, and oversight mechanisms.
• Experience managing or maintaining a Business Management System (BMS) or equivalent management system.
• Ability to apply systems thinking to develop proportionate, risk-based governance and assurance approaches.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to challenge constructively and build trusted relationships at all levels.
• Experience working across multiple business units or functions to drive consistency and alignment.
• Ability to interpret standards and regulatory requirements and translate them into practical, operational solutions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, with a focus on assurance, compliance, and continual improvement.
• Experience integrating multiple ISO management systems into a single, coherent framework.
• Experience designing or evolving governance frameworks at regional or organisational level.
• Experience leading end-to-end certification cycles and managing relationships with external certification bodies.
• Experience developing or managing audit programmes, including planning, delivery, and close-out of findings.
• Knowledge of digital Business Management Systems or workflow platforms.
• Experience applying Lean or continuous improvement approaches to governance and assurance activities.
• Understanding of risk management frameworks and their integration with governance and management systems.
• Experience supporting organisational change or transformation programmes in large, complex environments.

Desired Criteria

Relevant Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field (e.g. Business Management, Engineering, Quality, Systems Thinking, Information Systems).
• Professional certifications or training in one or more of the following:
  • ISO Lead Auditor or Internal Auditor (9001, 14001, 45001, 44001, 55001)
  • Chartered Quality Professional (CQI)
  • Systems Thinking or Systems Engineering training
  • PRINCE2, MSP, or APM qualifications
  • Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt)

How to apply

Salary : £55,596 – £65,966, Plus an Inner London allowance of £3,270 per annum, pro/rata and many more benefits.

The role is based in London Puddle Dock, hybrid working with minimum 3 days in the office. It will require 60% travel across Network Rail Southern.

Vacancy type: Perm

Closing date: 3 rd July 2026

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

We offer excellent benefits, including:

• Generous annual leave with the option to buy/sell days.
• Defined benefit pension scheme.
• 75% subsidy on rail and underground season tickets.
• Up to 75% off leisure travel.
• Carer’s leave to support those who matter.
• Healthcare Scheme, GymPass discounts, Cycle to work plus more
• We offer generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave to support our employees during significant life moments

Discover all our benefits and what life is like at Network Rail.- click here

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All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

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

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