Head of Communications

Head of Communications (Business Partner)

**Location**:
Blackfriars, GB

**Department Name**:
Communications

**About Network Rail**:
**Key Vacancy Information**

**Duration**: Permanent

This role is a full-time opportunity, but flexible working patterns will be considered.

**Location**: This role is based in London Puddle Dock, with regular travel to other Network Rail locations.

**Band & Salary**: Band 2B £68,099 - £76,612 (plus LW and car allowance)

**Hiring Manager & Resourcer: Claire Grundy / Mark Powell**

**Brief Description**:
**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. When you're part of our team, you matter to us and you matter to millions. Watch our video to find out more

**About the function**

Working in Communications at Network Rail is fast paced and varied. We seek to present a compelling and authentic narrative about the company and its people. There are opportunities to work in every area of communications, from strategy and public affairs to internal communications and engagement. The rail industry provides a diverse, often challenging environment in which to develop your communications capability and experience.

**Who are we looking for?**

**About the role (External)**:
**Key responsibilities**

You’ll develop and deliver a communications strategy which is aligned to the business strategy, working collaboratively as a strategic partner with service/function leadership teams. You will establish and maintain strong, trusting relationships with senior leaders, supporting them to define their communications goals, providing strategic coaching and advice and, when appropriate, challenging them in order to deliver best practice communications.

You’ll stablish and maintain a framework for monitoring, reviewing, evaluating and reporting on communications activities on a regular basis, against agreed deliverables and budgets, to be used to proactively highlight any significant issues and trends to aid decision making and drive improvements

You will be an outstanding leader and coach, supporting your team of talented communicators to produce their best work, and develop their careers within Network Rail.

**Essential Skills**

**Essential**
- Educated to degree level or a professional communications qualification (eg IoIC, CIPR, PRCA)
- Extensive communications experience in large organisations, working at a strategic level
- Experience of working with senior leaders, coaching and influencing them to prioritise communications, and to improve their communications skills
- Evidence of having successfully managed internal communications to a widely dispersed workforce.
- Experienced team leader, adept at coaching and developing others
- Up to date with the latest best practice communications to improve engagement and help shape culture
- Excellent written and spoken communication skills
- Customer service mindset and the ability to understand others
- Proven ability to grasp, understand and promote complex and sensitive issues in a persuasive and sensible way
- Ability to negotiate and influence effectively with all levels of an organisation
- Ability to develop and maintain a wide network of stakeholder contacts
- A demonstrable collaborative approach
- Ability to create solutions and make things happen
- Ability to think flexibly

**Desirable**
- A demonstrable track record of delivering against long term project plans and managing complex projects to successful conclusion
- Experience of navigating complex processes and organisational frameworks to deliver results
- Experience of working within a unionised environment and/ or regulated sector

**What can we offer you in return?**

We have a range of benefits including:

- 28 days annual leave entitlement, plus Bank Holidays and five volunteer days. Opportunity to buy additional leave or sell unused leave.
- A range of attractive pension schemes
- Training and personal development opportunities to help you continue to build your career
- Subsidies of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets
- 75% off rail leisure travel
- A range of discounted offers including, healthcare offers, cycle to work, healthcare club discounted membership and other benefits

**How to apply