Join Us as a Public Affairs Executive: Drive Rail Advocacy and Build Strategic Partnerships!

Please note this role is due to start April 2025.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and proactive Public Affairs Executive to support the Head of Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement. You will excel in understanding the political and stakeholder environment within the rail industry, advocating at national, regional, and local levels. Your role involves building partnerships and engagement activities that enhance our reputation and support commercial objectives.

As a central point of public affairs excellence, you will collaborate with colleagues across the Partnership and Strategy Directorate and the wider West Coast Partnership (WCP) business, including the HS2 Shadow Operator and Avanti West Coast. You will lead day-to-day engagement, events, and strategic relationships, facilitating partnerships between the private and public sectors. Your efforts will support the development of business cases for rail enhancements, such as increased capacity, accessibility, integration, and improvements to passenger experience and safety.

Accountabilities:

• Support the Head of Public Affairs: Lead and implement public affairs strategies, tactics, and messaging to achieve our objectives.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Lead day-to-day engagement with Westminster and wider policy audiences, ensuring effective communication on behalf of the WCP franchise.
• Manage Written Briefings: Oversee a programme of regular written briefings to stakeholders, including quarterly newsletters, Ministers, devolved governments, Select Committees, APPGs, and route MPs.
• Parliamentary Engagement: Devise and deliver a programme of parliamentary engagement with MPs, peers, party advisers, researchers, and candidates
• Wider Stakeholder Engagement: Coordinate and support a programme of events and public affairs moments, working closely with the team, agency, and colleagues across the business to ensure flawless execution.

Key Skills and Requirements:

• Proven track record in leading and implementing public affairs strategies, tactics, and messaging to achieve objectives.
• Demonstrable experience working with key policy audiences at Westminster, national, regional, and local levels, managing stakeholder engagement programmes effectively.
• Self-motivated team player with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, adept at building collaborative relationships internally and externally.
• Experienced in working under pressure in complex environments, meeting deadlines and performance outcomes, with a background in strategy and business plan development.

Benefits:

• Railway pension scheme

• Free travel on Avanti West Coast for you/spouse/partner/dependents

• Privilege Travel card (75% off other train operators fares for leisure travel)

• 30 days holiday rising by 1 for every completed year of service to a maximum of 37 days (inclusive of bank holidays)

• 10 free journeys on other First Group Train Operator

At Avanti West Coast, we value the differences that make each of us unique! Avanti West Coast recognises the benefits of building a diverse workforce and employing people from diverse backgrounds, which includes their race, religion, age, gender, gender identity, disability and sexual orientation.

Everyone who joins Avanti West Coast becomes part of our close knit team. We're committed to ensuring that Avanti West Coast is inclusive, a place where people are encouraged to be themselves, and not an edited version to fit in. A place where differences are welcomed, recognised, accepted and put to good use!

If you are passionate about sales and looking for a new challenge, we would love to hear from you! Apply now to join our team and make a difference.