Communications Manager

ENGINEERINGUK; Oxford; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job description

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Sector: Marketing, Advertising and PR
Role: Manager
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time

About Network Rail
At Network Rail, we’re part of a large family serving millions of passengers and freight users throughout the UK every day. Our service impacts millions of people and we strive to become more efficient as we enhance, maintain, and operate our network.
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 organization where people matter. When you're part of our team, you matter to us, and you matter to millions.
Watch our video to find out more!
The Wales & Western region includes more than 2,700 miles of railway and we serve communities and businesses of Wales, the Thames Valley, West of England, and the Southwest Peninsula.
Our ambition to be responsive to passengers and freight users drives us every day and we're empowered to do the right thing for those who use the rail network. We actively challenge unsafe practices and take responsibility for addressing risks, resolving issues, and protecting safety and wellbeing.

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

As a Network Rail employee, you will enjoy a wide range of benefits:
Privileged staff travel - Leisure travel discount of 75% on all leisure travel and includes family members.
A subsidy of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets if you travel to work on the train.
GWR ticket alliance - Heavily discounted all day passes for you and up to 3 friends and family to use across the GWR network.
Benefits package including healthcare offers, a cycle to work scheme, discounted healthcare club membership, and a range of offers and benefits including childcare, healthcare and online shopping site.
A range of Pension schemes to choose from.
Effectively manage work-life balance with a 35hrs per week contract, hybrid working, flexible working, and enhanced family friendly support.
5 days paid volunteering leave.
2 weeks paid reserve leave for the Armed Forces community.

In Wales and Western region, you will have the opportunity to join PROUD, our reward and recognition scheme where you can say thanks and recognise colleagues across the region who have demonstrated outstanding values and behaviours.

Brief Description
The Oxford Station Enhancements Project is our work to update and upgrade the railway infrastructure and surrounding area in central Oxford. This exciting project will deliver a bigger, better station for everyone; more services with East West Rail; additional rail capacity for the future; and an improved and safer road layout.
We’re looking for a first-grade communicator who can hit the ground running, to be based in Oxford at a crucial time for the project.
This fixed term contract will be to see through the project until Botley Road reopens in August 2026. Your role will be to manage stakeholder issues effectively, be a first point of contact for the local community and businesses, and create engaging content. You’ll need to quickly absorb a lot of information about the project, its history and where we’re heading.
You’ll be working with teams from Network Rail and our contractors, and for the new Senior Communications Manager [Oxford], to protect and enhance our reputation, helping the project deliver the programme and where possible reduce the impact of our work on the community. Potential for role to be extended or made permanent to work on other projects subject to business need.

About the role (External)
Your Main Responsibilities will be to:

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 121s, 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.

You will ideally have:
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.

Company

Every day, 4.8 million people use our network. Keeping Britain moving and building a better railway for the future is full of challenges – but also tremendous opportunities.

From our commitments to your development, our range of benefits and our approach to Diversity & Inclusion, we believe there are many reasons to join the team at Network Rail.

We’re proactive in empowering employees with the knowledge to help them progress. We encourage all our employees to be ambitious, and offer great training and career development opportunities. As the railway becomes bigger and more technologically advanced, it’s crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead.

We believe that investing in our people is one of the most effective ways of improving the safety, reliability and efficiency of the railway.

We also know that it’s vital to get each individual’s training programme just right. As well as helping us to meet our immediate needs, we believe this is an approach that encourages people to stay with us and develop their careers.

Your health, wellbeing and benefits

We believe that safety and performance go hand in hand and this doesn’t just mean safety on the railway! We are committed to the wellbeing of our employees and believe that should come first.

We provide access to support services such as our employee assistance program to help you with finances, family, health and wellbeing. In addition to this, we offer excellent benefits, are sensitive to work-life balance and encourage our employees to use their 5 volunteer days for their favourite causes.

We have a range of benefits including:

• 28 days annual leave entitlement.
• My benefits – Our discounted online shopping site.
• A range of discounted offers including childcare vouchers, healthcare offers – cycle to work, healthcare club discounted membership and other benefits.
• Subsidies of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets.
• A range of pension schemes.
• 2 weeks paid reserve leave for our Armed Forces community.

What Diversity and Inclusion means to us

‘Diversity’ means recognising differences between people while valuing the contribution they make. ‘Inclusion’ means creating safe and welcoming workplaces with fair cultures that encourages innovative and fresh ways of thinking.

Our aspiration is that the behaviours and actions that support diversity and inclusion will come from the conviction of everyone here at Network Rail – making diversity and inclusion a conscious part of how we run our business throughout Britain.

Disability Confident Leader

Network Rail is an accredited Disability Confident Leader. This means, where a disabled applicant meets the essential criteria for any of our vacancies, they will receive an interview.

Find out more about our recruitment process here.