At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead Southeastern's Corporate Affairs, shaping reputation and external communication strategies.
- Company: Join one of the UK's busiest railways with a commitment to community and employee satisfaction.
- Benefits: Enjoy a final salary pension, 25 days annual leave, and free rail travel across our networks.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with opportunities for career growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on how Southeastern is perceived while leading a high-performing team.
- Qualifications: Experience in Corporate Affairs, crisis management, and building influential relationships.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 65000 £ per year.
Are you ready to shape the reputation, narrative and external voice of one of the UKs busiest railways? We are seeking a Head of Corporate Affairs to join our Communications & Stakeholder leadership team, based at our head office in London Bridge (hybrid working 3 days on site). At Southeastern, how we communicate matters. This role sits at the heart of our relationship with customers, government, industry partners and communities - shaping trust, confidence and credibility as we continue our journey towards Great British Railways. Can you move people? Apply now.
What you'll do
In this role, your purpose is to lead Southeastern's Corporate Affairs function and set the external affairs strategy that protects and enhances our reputation. You'll own the organisation's external narrative, ensuring clear, consistent and compelling communication across media, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, digital and campaigns. You'll work closely with senior leaders, the Department for Transport and industry partners to ensure our voice is credible, confident and aligned with contractual and governance obligations. As a senior leader, you'll provide calm, visible leadership during incidents and crises, directing communications and acting as a trusted adviser to the Executive. You'll lead and develop a high-performing Corporate Affairs team, building capability across the business and strengthening our approach to engagement at every level. This is a strategic role with real influence, shaping how Southeastern is seen, heard and understood today and into the future.
Your talents
- You shape reputation with confidence - experienced in building trust, managing scrutiny and leading Corporate Affairs functions
- You build influential relationships - skilled at engaging senior government, political and industry stakeholders
- You thrive in a crisis - calm, credible and experienced in leading incident and media responses
- You're a natural storyteller - able to translate complexity into clear, compelling messages that land
- You dare to lead - experienced in developing and inspiring multi-disciplinary communications teams
- You think commercially - with a clear understanding of governance, contractual obligations and value-for-money decision-making
- You deliver integrated communications - confident across media, digital, campaigns and stakeholder engagement, with a track record of making it all work seamlessly
As proud members of the Armed Forces Covenant and Disability Confident Scheme, we will offer you an interview if you apply under these schemes and meet the minimum criteria for the role.
Other things to know
This vacancy may close early if we receive a large number of applications. So, make sure you get yours in early. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references, a right to work verification, a basic criminal record check, and a pre-employment medical assessment. Work visa sponsorship isn't available for this role. If you applied but weren't successful in getting a similar role at Southeastern, please wait six months before applying again.
What you'll get in return
Along with your salary, the rewards you'll get include:
- a final salary pension
- 25 days annual leave allowance (plus bank holidays)
- free rail travel across our networks.
Meaning you can feel secure in your career as well as fulfilled by your work.
A bit about Southeastern
We're one of Britain's busiest train operators, serving London, Kent and parts of East Sussex. We run over 1,700 trains a day, carrying more than 500,000 passengers and serving 180 stations. However, working on our railway is more than getting passengers from A to B. It's about all the little moments that make a difference to their journey. It's also about making our railway a great place to work. With a team that represents the communities we serve. This is a journey we're fully committed to and we're proud to have been named a Great Place to Work at the 2023 National Rail Awards and endorsed as a WORK180 Employer for Women.
Our ways of working are what we expect of everyone at Southeastern. They are powerful. Tiny moments, every day, from every one of us, add up to massive, positive change. Improving how it feels to work here and how it feels to travel with us. At the heart of everything we do, our Safeguarding Team works to keep our customers, colleagues, and the public safe by improving safeguarding measures and knowledge making sure everyone gets home safe, every day.
Head of Corporate Affairs employer: SE Trains
Southeastern is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment at our London Bridge head office, where you can shape the narrative of one of the UK's busiest railways. With a strong commitment to employee growth, a supportive culture, and benefits like a final salary pension and free rail travel, we ensure that our team feels valued and secure in their careers. Join us in making a meaningful impact on our communities while enjoying a fulfilling career in corporate affairs.
