To apply please click ‘Enquire Now’ below
Duration: Permanent
Location: York, GB
Salary: £97,850 to £112,283
About Network Rail
Join Eastern’s leadership team as the strategic communications voice, shaping clear, passenger‑focused messaging that brings our simpler, better, greener railway to life.
Partner with Eastern’s Managing Director to engage passengers, partners and communities, steering regional communications through a time of industry transformation.
Every announcement, campaign and engagement plan you lead will help passengers understand our work, build trust with stakeholders and steer Network Rail’s Eastern Region to deliver a simpler, better, greener railway for our customers and community.
The Eastern Communications Director will partner with the Managing Director to set regional priorities and turn big‑picture strategies into sharp, targeted messages. You will design and own all internal and external Eastern communication strategies—aligning with the national vision while meeting the unique needs of the Eastern region.
Key Accountabilities:
Advise senior leaders in Train Operating Companies (TOCs), government and local authorities, co‑creating joint campaigns that speak directly to passengers.
Manage reputation risk, guiding crisis and incident communications with confidence so every update reassures and informs.
Lead public affairs and community relations, forging strong ties with MPs, councils and neighbours to keep everyone on track.
Drive stakeholder engagement, from annual plans to performance reports, ensuring every voice is heard and every insight shapes our direction.
Brief Description
About You:
You are a strategically minded communicator with senior‑level experience in media relations, public affairs and internal comms. You design multi‑channel campaigns that cut through noise and speak in passenger language. You thrive building close relations with your Managing Director, advising Senior Leaders—and building partnerships from TOCs to town halls. Ideally, you have experience working with political stakeholders in the North of England.
Essential Criteria for the Eastern Communications Director
- Educated to degree level.
- Extensive experience in corporate communications including public affairs, media relations and internal communications.
- Proven ability of developing and delivering comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, integrated communications strategies
- Extensive experience within leadership roles, developing and motivating teams in a complex and fast- moving communications environment.
- Extensive experience in working in a political environment, working with both local and national government stakeholders.
- Results-oriented, focused on organising and bringing people and resources together to achieve objectives.
- Proven understanding of relevant political calendars and legislative assemblies
- Proven influencing and negotiating skills at a senior level.
- Excellent written and spoken communications skills.
Desirable
- Experience working with political stakeholders particularly those in the North of England
- Experience of delivering communications in support of community consultations or major planning submissions
- Proven experience of communications for major incidents or crisis situations
Salary: £97,850 to £112,283 per annum
Car Allowance £8,000 per annum
Network Rail Benefits – In addition to the above, you can enjoy a fantastic range of employee benefits, such as:
- 28 days annual leave + bank holidays
- Ability to buy and sell Annual Leave
- 75% discount on rail leisure travel for you and your family
- 75% subsidised Season Ticket for work travel (includes Underground)
- A range of pension options
- Annual Performance Related Pay package
- Flexible and agile working arrangements
- Healthcare package
- Discounts on shopping
- Discounted Gym memberships and much more.
For the full range of our fantastic benefits click here.
About Network Rail
At Network Rail, we connect passengers and freight customers, ensuring safe and efficient transportation across the country. We’re an organisation where people truly matter, and when you join us, you matter to us and millions of others. Click here to watch our inspiring video to learn more about us!
We’re dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the passengers we serve. To achieve this, we’re committed to becoming an open, diverse, and inclusive workplace, leveraging the skills and expertise of our talented workforce. Together, we strive to create a safe and accessible railway for everyone. Discover more about the importance of Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail by clicking here.
External how to apply:
Network Rail welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender status, sex (or gender), employment status, trade union affiliation, or other irrelevant factor.
We are a Disability Confident Leader employer! We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.
We are here to support you through every step of the recruitment process and to enable you to perform to the best of your ability. If you require any adjustments or modifications please contact Deborah McDade (Resourcing Business Partner) at Deborah.mcdade@networkrail.co.uk. You can also visit Evenbreak’s Career Hive for advice on accessibility support if you’re unsure of the options available.
We positively embrace flexible working, recognising that employees may wish to balance work with their family and home life.
Network Rail is required to comply with UK Government standards when carrying out pre-employment checks for all new starters; this includes a basic criminal record check. In addition to the basic criminal record check, in accordance with the UK Government we are also required to verify your identity, right to work in the UK and previous three years employment history.
All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information. Please ensure you have the appropriate Right to Work status when applying for this role.”
Keeping people safe on the railway is at the heart of everything we do, safe behaviour is therefore a requirement of working for Network Rail. You should be able to demonstrate your personal commitment to safety and awareness of our safety vision.
Closing date: Midnight on 1st June 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes.
