Communications Director

Why LNER?

We go beyond. For everyone. Our vision is to be the most loved, progressive and responsible way to travel for generations to come. Now we're looking for the people who can deliver this, every day.

Since we took over on the East Coast mainline, we've been changing the face of rail travel. Our new Azuma trains have brought new direct services, more space and greater reliability. Our exciting plans to embrace new ideas, experiences, backgrounds and ambitions make this the ideal time to join.

Bringing passion. Being bold. Always caring. Owning it. They're the values that make us LNER. Are you on board?

Role Overview

As our Communications Director, you will be responsible for creating, developing and implementing comprehensive and impactful communications strategies that maximise corporate reputation and commercial opportunities through your vision, leadership and direction that advances the reputation of LNER amongst customers, colleagues and external stakeholders.

We are looking for an inspirational leader with extensive experience within a corporate environment who can inspire, support, develop and lead a team of passionate communication specialists spanning national and regional news, commercial media, public affairs, community engagement and internal communications.

As Communications Director, you will build, develop, and nurture collaborative internal relationships with your team and other business areas. To be successful, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you can take people on the journey with you by creating strategic relationships that span multiple functions of the business. In order to deliver LNER's communication objectives, including workforce reform, the implementation of a new timetable, and the digital transformation of our customer experience, you will also need to build a high-performing team by empowering others and cultivating a culture of accountability, responsibility, support, and trust.

To increase the efficacy of the development and delivery of the communications strategy, you will also cultivate stakeholder relationships within a complex external environment that includes the Department of Transport, industry bodies, and local opinion leaders, including MPs, regional mayors and local councils.

We are looking for someone who will live and breathe LNER's values and behaviours on a daily basis, leading by example, ensuring the Communications directorate acts as an exemplar of those values and behaviours, putting heart into everyone's journey.

We are looking for someone who has

• Proven extensive experience working in a corporate senior leadership capacity
• Influential and confident communication skills, both oral and written, including copywriting and audio-visual production
• Track record of cultivating complex external stakeholder relationships
• Commercial acumen
• Skilled in measured decision making in high pressure situations requiring quick decisions and actions
• Outstanding business partnering skills at an executive level and an ability to build a strong network within the organisation
• Ability to build impactful internal and external relationships including the ability to influence national and regional journalist and industry bodies
• National and regional broadcast interview experience
• Must be a confident communicator and presenter, with the ability to break down complexity and communicate it to a range of internal and external audiences
• Must possess excellent organisational and planning skills
• Superior project management and time management skills
• Strong knowledge of current and future trends in the business context that LNER operates
• Self-motivated with a positive and professional approach to management
• Ability to nurture strong internal and external relationships

What will I get?

• Free travel on LNER First Class + 75% off other companies' tickets (for you & dependents)
• Discounted international train tickets (after one year's service)
• 50% discount on LNER tickets for friends & family
• Private Health Cover and Health screening
• Dental Cover
• Travel Insurance
• Generous pension scheme
• Annual cycle to work schemes
• Additional holiday leave purchase available
• Discount, savings and cashback scheme from top retailers
• Health & wellbeing schemes and discounts

What we believe:

To be the most loved, progressive and responsible train operating company, we must make a meaningful difference – always doing what's right for our customers, our people, the communities and destinations we serve, the future of the industry we lead and the environment we cherish.

We know that our people are the beating heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive, engaged culture that supports everyone at every stage of their journey – and ensures that when you're at LNER, you can always be you. No wonder most people never want to leave!

Diversity and inclusion
We are passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, representative of the communities we serve, and are creating ways to inspire diverse talent to join LNER.

Developing our people
We are focused on creating a learning culture, to support our people to be the best they can be at work by providing them with the tools and resources to navigate their development and career journey.

Health & wellbeing
To create a culture where our people can perform at their best, the physical health and mental wellbeing of our people is of paramount importance to us.

What next?

As we say, we have fantastic opportunities for ambitious people from all sorts of different backgrounds, so now is the time to join the team at LNER – without delay!

Start your journey here