Senior Communications Manager

Description:

We have an exciting opportunity to join one of Network Rail's busiest communications teams.

We're looking for a Senior Communications Manager in our West Coast South route, part of the West Coast Main Line which is a complex and critical piece of railway stretching over 1,000 miles, with 64 operational stations and one Network Rail managed station, London Euston, which is one of the top 10 busiest in the UK.

It's also the busiest mixed-use railway in Europe, forming Anglo-Scottish journeys between London, Glasgow and Edinburgh via the West Midlands and North West, as well as providing commuter links direct to the capital through Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.

The ideal candidate will have extensive communications experience, trusted to lead communications for complex projects while working with multiple partners and stakeholders both internally and externally. They will line manage a team of two across internal communications, external media relations and complaints handling and be responsible for managing relationships with key transport partners and political stakeholders. They will have strategic mindset to ensure all projects and stories are told for every audience, but also spring into action during a crisis to communicate quickly, clearly and concisely when there's an operational incident which grinds the railway network to a halt.

We'll encourage them to get out and about - engaging with our teams and train operators to showcase some of our biggest projects to improve journeys for our passenger and freight customers.

It is not a sit at your desk job, it's a get out and meet people job, it's a grab a camera and make a film job, it's a ring your internal contacts to find a unique story job, it's an everyday is different job, it's a job you'll love in a place where you can develop your career and never stop learning.

The role is based in either London Euston or Birmingham and will work within the geography of our West Coast Route, covering areas including London, Rugby, Milton Keynes, Stoke and Stafford. We offer a hybrid working policy with 3 days in the office or on site, and 2 days from home each week. With many of our projects taking place overnight when trains aren't running, there may be occasions when out of hours working is required.

This is an exciting 12 month fixed-term contract opportunity.

What does our recruitment process look like?
 

• Once you have applied, our Recruitment Specialist will look at your CV.
• If your experience matches what we're looking for, you will be invited to face to face interview with the hiring manager. You will also prepare a communications plan to be delivered as a 10-minute presentation as part of your assessment; followed by a 50- minute competency-based interview. The brief for presentation communication plan will be provided a few days before the assessment date.