We're looking for 5 HM Inspector Assistants to join our Railway Safety Directorate. These roles are based at the following office locations: Birmingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester and York. At ORR we have adopted hybrid working and are currently expected to work from a workplace location for a minimum of two days per week or 40%.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain’s railways and monitor of performance on England’s strategic road network.
This is an exciting time to join ORR, we are delivering a significant transformation programme to create a consistently agile and enabling organisation, with the right capability and a strong, inclusive culture that reflects our talented people. This will ensure we continue to operate as an independent, expert regulator, fit for the future and equipped with the capabilities and ways of working required to support sector-wide rail reform, while contributing to the government’s broader agenda on regulatory reform and economic growth. Further detail on our future role is set out here.
Railway Safety Directorate ensures duty-holders in the railway industry manage health and safety risks effectively and comply with their statutory duties. We are looking to recruit five new HM Inspector Assistants, with successful candidates expected to start on 1 September 2026, with one role aligned to each of the following teams:
Working within an inspection team, you will collaborate closely with inspectors and colleagues to plan, deliver and support regulatory activity. You will contribute to a supportive and inclusive team environment, sharing knowledge, learning from experienced inspectors and working together to ensure the railway industry meets its health and safety obligations.
The Inspector Assistant plays a vital role in supporting operational HM Inspector of Railways to deliver the Railway Safety’s (RS) workplan efficiently and safely. You will contribute to both reactive and proactive regulatory activity by independently undertaking site visits, gathering evidence, taking statements, and carrying out initial enquiries into often complex and complicated incidents, including fatalities and suicides.
Using your warranted powers under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA), you will also be expected to assist with major incident responses and proactive inspection activities, helping to assess compliance with health and safety legislation and the effectiveness of duty holders’ risk controls.
Through a blend of formal classroom training and on the job training, you will develop your regulatory skills and technical knowledge of railway operations and risks You will provide clear, informed advice to Inspectors, stakeholders and support ORR’s wider assessment of industry performance through effective collaboration, intelligence sharing and high-quality reporting. You will be in a team with Inspectors, based in one of our ORR offices as referred to above, working directly to a Principal Inspector. You will mainly work within your home region which require travel and work away from your home.
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Job Information Pack for further details.
Find out what our colleagues have to say about their ORR careers at Our people | Office of Rail and Road (orr.gov.uk).