Communications Manager [Media Relations]

        
Department Name: Southern Region
       
About Network Rail
    

Our passengers and freight users are at the heart of everything we do. We help connect people to their friends and families and get goods to their destination safely and efficiently. We're an organisation where people matter.  Watch our video to find out more!

We're continuing to build a diverse organisation which is representative of the people we serve. We want to harness the skills and expertise of our people and attract the best talent, to enable a safe and accessible railway for everyone. To learn why inclusion is important to us, please click here.

About our people and the recruitment process - We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone!

We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don't always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we'll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.

We're also a Disability Confident Leader employer and we'll try our best to adapt the process and offer a reasonable alternative to help support people with disabilities access, apply and interview for roles.
       
        
Brief Description
      

Network Rail’s Southern Region works with train operators to serve passengers and freight customers from Devon in the west, to Kent in the east, and the huge commuter markets of South London. Our railway links major towns and cities and serves channel routes to Europe, as well as Gatwick and Southampton airports. The region is also responsible for the major London stations of Waterloo, Clapham Junction, London Bridge, Victoria, Cannon Street and Charing Cross, and the region’s Wessex route also manages Guildford station.

We operate the busiest and most congested rail lines in the country and are dedicated to putting passengers first and delivering a step-change in the quality of the service we provide them. That includes how we communicate, showing people all the great work we do every day and putting Network Rail in the heart of the communities it serves.

About the role

We are looking for a brilliant communicator with a strong background in Media Relations and social media who loves working with people and wants to tell great stories. They can spot the potential for a news story or a social media hit at 20 paces, enjoy a fast pace and occasional pressure, can turn a technical briefing into a 20-second radio hit or 280-character Tweet for passengers, and who has great media connections and enjoys working with reporters to tell our tales and show how great the railway is.

This job is exciting, offers independence and freedom, the opportunity to be creative and work with some of the best social media and traditional media professionals in the region, and of course travel across the beautiful South of England, from Weymouth to Whitstable. This position will have particular responsibility for communicating the many great things happening on the railway across the Wessex route – which serves the towns and communities in part or all of the counties of Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire.

In return, we are looking for someone who has excellent judgement, who can provide guidance to some of the most senior railway managers in the UK one minute, and the next craft a message to passengers to help them understand what’s going on with their train. That someone also recognises that you never know when that big phone call is going to come.

We’ve got some of the busiest railway stations in the world, some of the busiest railway lines and trains, and also some of the most historic structures and thousands of colleagues too.

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 an everyday is different job, it’s a ring a reporter and get a story out there job, it’s a job you’ll love in a place where you can develop your career and never stop learning.

Everyone has an opinion on the railway, let’s help shape them.

Based in Blackfriars, London, you will report to Rob Breckon as part of the External Affairs team delivering media and communications services to the Communications Directorate. You will also work collaboratively with Network Rail's national communications team and colleagues at our train operator partners.  
        
About the role (External)
     

Key Accountabilities:

1.     Develop and implement communications strategy on projects which present reputational risks or opportunities for the business.

2.     Produce and manage detailed communications plans, detailing activities and resources necessary for implementation and providing recommendations for continuous improvement / best practice.

3.     Interface with key external audiences (across community relations, media and public affairs) so that these relationships are appropriately managed, in consultation with relevant external communications teams in Government and Corporate Affairs.

4.     Where required, provide direct management and development of a team including carrying out regular 121’s, appraisals, objective setting and performance monitoring.

5.     Build relationships and provide direction / influence to senior project managers and external industry parties / funding organisations where appropriate.

6.     Provide guidance on all external communications activity undertaken by project personnel including Project/ Programme Director / Project Managers/ Scheme Sponsors, delivering consistency with the approved G&CA communications strategy and in accordance with Network Rail’s corporate policies.

7.     Assist with delivery of Network Rail’s corporate internal communications programme and act as a conduit for material/information for corporate comms channels.

8.     Check that all branding used on the project complies with Network Rail’s corporate policy on branding, visual identity and image.

9.     Produce regular reports on all communications activities on the project, including budget.

Job Skills, Experience and Qualifications:

Essential

• Significant experience within corporate communications
• Proven track record in public relations activity in a high profile organisation
• Excellent writing skills and ability to think strategically
• Excellent influencing skills and ability to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Thorough knowledge of the media and how it operates

Desirable

• Educated to degree level
• Experience of working within an agency environment
• Familiar with the railway network operating across Network Rail’s Wessex route and the media who cover this area.

        
How to Apply (External)
       
Salary: £35,582 - £40,029pa + £3,270pa Inner London Allowance + generous on call allowance

Location:  London Blackfriars 

Contract type:  Permanent

Closing date:  Monday 29th January 2024 at 23:59. Late applications will not be accepted. 

Remote working opportunity! This role requires working in the office 3 days a week

Click apply now to apply.