Community Activity Coordinator

East West Rail is a nationally significant railway project which aims to deliver much-needed transport connections for the vibrant communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, which blend beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage with globally renowned centres of education, business, technology and an increasingly dynamic business scene. Together these communities contribute around £111 billion to the national economy each year.

However, the lack of good East-West transport connections makes it harder for residents to make the most of everything the region has to offer. From faster commutes to days out with friends and family, EWR will make it easier to reach the things that matter most, bringing a range of benefits to communities between Oxford and Cambridge, and across the UK more broadly.

East West Railway Company (that’s us) was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way.

Would you enjoy getting involved in the local community, to understand residents\’ concerns and keep them informed of developments regarding our project?

EWR is one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects, which the government committed to delivering in full in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and again in the 2025 Spending Review as part of its ambition to unlock the potential of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.

EWR is being championed by the Government as a key driver to economic growth leading to a potential £78 Billion boost to the UK economy: supporting new towns, housing, and regeneration.

At East West Railway Company, we’re committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and experiences.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work with the Senior Community Engagement Manager to identify and roll out a programme of community events and activity across the route. This will include regular newsletters, identifying and managing information points for printed materials, and in-person engagement with members of the community.
• Support in the development and delivery of route wide newsletter.
• Identify and rollout other activities that support external engagement opportunities across the route including information points.
• Work with Media team to identify positive communications relating to community activity and events.
• Responsible for the administration tasks associated with events and logistics, including tracking engagement on the SRM database and taking notes and actions from meetings.
• Record all activity so it can feed into the wider Policy, Legacy and Community monthly report.
• Ensure all activity is included in and aligned with the comms grid.
• Identify community stakeholders to engage to help deliver the objectives in the Comms and Engagement Strategy.
• Organise and co-ordinate all community-related external events and meetings, and support other stakeholder managers to deliver public-facing activities.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of delivering community engagement activity (not necessarily for a major infrastructure project).
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Experience of managing and delivering community events and activity.
• Experience in managing a digital newsletter would be useful but not essential.
• Experience working with media, brand and content professionals.

What we offer:

• Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution
• 36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) + up to 2 days to buy
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme

  EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives. EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual’s work life balance and style

  Diversity and Inclusion:

  To discover the best solutions, it’s important we embrace diversity of thought. That’s why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged and valued. Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being. Our approach to diversity is simple – a workplace where everyone is welcome and everyone is encouraged to be themselves. It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve.

  We are open to secondments through the Rail Industry Talent Exchange Programme.