Interim Director, Global Comms & UK Government Relations - 12 month FTC

About Us

We are champions of rail, inspired to build a greener, more sustainable future of travel. Trainline enables millions of travellers to find and book the best value tickets across carriers, fares, and journey options through our highly rated mobile app, website, and B2B partner channels.

Great journeys start with Trainline 🚄

Now Europe’s number 1 downloaded rail app, with over 125 million monthly visits and £5.9 billion in annual ticket sales, we collaborate with 270+ rail and coach companies in over 40 countries. We want to create a world where travel is as simple, seamless, eco-friendly and affordable as it should be.

Today, we're a FTSE 250 company driven by our incredible team of over 1,000 Trainliners from 50+ nationalities, based across London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Edinburgh and Madrid. With our focus on growth in the UK and Europe, now is the perfect time to join us on this high-speed journey.

Leading Global Comms & UK Government Relations at Trainline 👋

As Interim Director of Communications & UK Government Relations, you’ll be at the heart of Trainline’s mission to transform the way people travel, driving our reputation and influence across key media, political and consumer audiences. Reporting to Martin Sheehan, our Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, this is a pivotal leadership role responsible for promoting and protecting Trainline’s brand and voice across all global markets.

You will also shape public and stakeholder perception, influence policy and political debate, and amplify our reputation as a force for good in sustainable transport. With the UK rail market undergoing major reform, and commercial opportunities opening across Europe, this is a truly unique opportunity to help us grow rail, shift consumer behaviour, and unlock new frontiers for digital innovation in travel.

As a Interim Director, you will be… 🚄

• Leading Strategic Communications – Own and lead our external comms strategy to enhance Trainline’s reputation across corporate, consumer and government audiences globally.
• Championing Reputation Management – Oversee reputational risk, including crisis comms, investor relations support, and financial calendar moments.
• Driving Consumer Awareness – Renowned for being the team behind our biggest ideas, you’ll shape and lead bold, insight-led campaigns to grow brand awareness in the UK and key international markets.
• Advising Executive Stakeholders – Advise the CEO, Exec team and Board on strategic comms and political positioning, offering counsel across major corporate, commercial and regulatory issues.
• Managing a High-Impact Team – Inspire and lead a high-performing team across Communications and UK Government Relations with a strong reputation for brilliant execution.
• Shaping Policy & Government Relations – Define and deliver our UK public policy strategy, influencing government, regulators and policymakers to support a more open, digital, customer-first rail market.
• Leveraging Stakeholder Networks – Bring a strong personal network across media, political, and regulatory audiences, use your influence and relationships to further our mission.
• Measuring Impact & ROI – Define KPIs and measurement frameworks to track performance and guide continuous improvement.

This role sits at the centre of our strategic direction, combining influence, creativity and commercial focus to help us navigate change and seize new opportunities. Your leadership will shape how Trainline is seen and how we engage through policy, press, or storytelling. It’s a chance to make real impact at scale, as we look to change the way we travel by inspiring millions of people to make more environmentally sustainable travel choices every day.

The Skills & Spark to Drive the Journey Ahead ✨

We’re looking for a seasoned, inspiring and action-oriented leader, used to working at the intersection of media, consumer marketing, commercial strategy and policy. Whether crafting brand storytelling, guiding the business through a reputational issue, or navigating the corridors of Westminster, you’ll be a comms bar-raiser able to blend strategic influence with practical execution.

We'd love to hear from you if you have...🔍

• Significant leadership experience within communications and ideally with some exposure to public policy and advocacy within Tech, Travel, or other regulated sectors. Similarly, you could be currently working in an agency environment, too.
• Commercial fluency – Confident advising CEOs, influencing Boards, and aligning communications with broader business objectives and financial performance. Your courage and judgement will be your super power.
• Creative consumer mindset – An instinct for impactful storytelling, bold campaigns and creative consumer PR. You’ll be a whirlwind when it comes to idea generation with an ability to challenge the status quo and deliver for impact.
• Strategic agility – Skilled at navigating ambiguity and change, with the ability to shift between long-term strategy and fast-paced delivery.
• Crisis comms and reputation management – Comfortable leading during high-pressure situations with sound judgement and calm authority.
• Team leadership skills – A collaborative and motivational people leader with experience managing multi-disciplinary, senior teams.
• Political acumen and credibility – Ideally a trusted voice with networks across government, regulators, and media, with the ability to open doors and shape debate.
• Insight and analytics orientation – Able to draw on data and audience analysis to shape external narratives and evaluate communications effectiveness.

More Information

Enjoy fantastic perks like private healthcare & dental insurance, a generous work from abroad policy, 2-for-1 share purchase plans, an EV Scheme to further reduce carbon emissions, extra festive time off, and excellent family-friendly benefits.

We prioritise career growth with clear career paths, transparent pay bands, personal learning budgets, and regular learning days. Jump on board and supercharge your career from day one!

Our Values Represent The Things That Matter Most To Us And What We Live And Breathe Everyday, In Everything We Do

• 💭 Think Big - We're building the future of rail
• ✔️ Own It - We focus on every customer, partner and journey
• 🤝 Travel Together - We're one team
• ♻️ Do Good - We make a positive impact

We know that having a diverse team makes us better and helps us succeed. And we mean all forms of diversity - gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, nationality and diversity of thought. That's why we're committed to creating inclusive places to work, where everyone belongs and differences are valued and celebrated.

Interested in finding out more about what it's like to work at Trainline? Why not check us out on LinkedIn, Instagram and Glassdoor!