Public Affairs Executive

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

1/11/2025

Posted 10 January 2025 Salary £39,500 LocationBirmingham Job type Permanent - Full Time Reference032192 Job FunctionHeadquarters

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

This advert is for INTERNAL APPLICANTS only.

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 busines s cases for rail enhancements, such as increased capacity, accessibility, integration, and improvements to passenger experience and safety.

Accountabilities

• Support the Head of Public Affairs in leading and implementing public affairs strategies, tactics and messaging that deliver our objectives.
• Lead and support day to day stakeholder engagement with Westminster and wider policy audiences on behalf of the WCP franchise.
• Manage a programme of regular written briefings to stakeholders, including but not limited to a quarterly newsletter, Ministers, devolved governments, Select Committees, APPGs, route MPs.
• Help devise and deliver a programme of parliamentary engagement with MPs, peers, party advisers, researchers and candidates.
• Help deliver and support a programme of wider stakeholder engagement, including co-ordinating a programme of events and public affairs moments. Work closely with the team, agency, and colleagues across the business to ensure flawless execution.
• Provide briefing notes to support political engagement, meetings, speeches and ad hoc updates in line with political developments. Act as first point of correspondence for external stakeholder enquiries.
• Help to manage the collation and delivery of stakeholder engagement reporting requirements, such as periodic updates, surveys and reports.
• Work closely with other teams; for example, Station Development, Sustainability, and provide the media team with regular news content for positive publicity.
• Be an advocate for the benefits of HS2, working closely with the HS2 communications teams and the Head of HS2 Partnerships.
  
  

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.