External Communications Manager

Salary: £54,000 per year

Join us on the Journey…

We have a exciting opportunity for a External Communications Manager to join our team based in the West Midlands. This role will support external UK communications activity with specific responsibility for National Express Transport Solutions (NETS) through effective public relations activity – incorporating media relations and stakeholder management.

It’s an exciting time to be working in the UK transport sector as we build back from the pandemic. Good transport improves lives. COP26 has focused minds on the green agenda and National Express plays a huge part in that. So we are building a bigger communications team to better support the work of this global business in the UK.

What you’ll do…

• Work with senior leadership to develop and lead the implementation of creative, ambitious, and scalable external communications (PR, public affairs and stakeholder management) for National Express UK Coach (aligned with business strategy) to include:

  • Proactive media relations (national, regional, trade and influencer relations) – creating news, features and comment, executive profiling and pitching

  • Responding to the news and stakeholder agendas, handling local media enquiries and advising on media issues and opportunities

• Work closely with commercial and marketing teams (and where relevant supplier agencies) to support campaigns and ensure PR opportunities are maximised 

• Ensure external communications materials are appropriately discussed with the business and sign-off is obtained in a collaborative way with both individual businesses and the owning Group communications team

• Support the MD and senior management team and their areas of responsibility to manage and build relationships in the relevant community, economic and local government landscapes

• Work with internal communications to support business-specific activities as appropriate

• Manage and take responsibility for budgets assigned to the role 

• Part of UK media on-call team (24-hour press office)

• Work as a member of the UK communications incident and crisis management team as and when required, including on-the-ground resources during any crisis situations

• Liaise effectively and regularly with other members of the UK communications team to ensure alignment of messaging and coordination of activity

• Support the process of identifying and agreeing activity that provides opportunity for recognition through awards or accreditation

• Responsible for drafting and submitting award entries in collaboration with the subject matter owners and experts

Skills and Experience needed…

• c.5 years’ PR and communications experience – agency or in-house

• Excellent verbal and written skills with a keen attention to detail

• Experience of building and maintaining relationships across different media sectors with demonstrated background in consumer PR and a strong record of securing coverage in all the right places

• Experience in stakeholder management with skills in building and maintaining relationships – MPs, councillors and mayors as well as officials at all levels of government 

• Sound knowledge of social media and digital platforms

• Strong planning and organisational skills

• Good time management and prioritisation 

• Idea generation and creative thinking

• Ability to work closely with a range of internal departments and external partners 

• Self-motivated, highly flexible and ability to use initiative to do a great job

• Commercially aware and results driven

In return, we offer a wide range of benefits such as…

• Company pension

• 25 days annual leave allowance plus 8 bank holidays

• Concessionary travel 

• Life assurance 

• access to my staff shop – retail shopping discounts and other

Things to note…

At National Express, we are really proud of our health and safety record and as a result, we operate a Drugs and Alcohol Policy which is applicable to all employees.

As part of your initial assessment, we will complete Drug and Alcohol testing and you may be subject to random tests during your employment.