Development Manager

GWR is the proud custodian of Brunel's railway - one of the most prestigious networks in the world. We have some of the newest trains in the country and exciting plans to extend our services. With more than one hundred million passenger journeys each year, we carry people to over 275 stations in the South West, from Cornwall and South Wales to London, passing through beautiful country and some of the UK's top tourist destinations.

We are transforming the way people think about train travel, empowering our team of over 6,000 people from all different backgrounds to make it a great experience for our customers. Together, we will revalue rail as a very special way to travel – relaxing, fast, efficient and friendly.

About the team:

At GWR we're custodians of Brunel's railway. As part of this legacy, it's vital that we listen to our communities and look to strengthen our connections. We've developed a strong network of stakeholders and partners, and we care about what they think of us, our services, and performance.

Our work is to understand needs, build relationships, and develop plans for the future of our stations and services. Through this work, we create the atmosphere for investment and change. We've opened more new stations in the last year than any other operator, and we're really proud of that. We have a strong community programme and want to do more. We look to join up transport and break down barriers to travel, recognising we are just one element in a journey. We want to unleash the potential of our iconic network and play our part in re-valuing rail in the hearts and minds of the travelling public.

The Wales and West of England covers a large and diverse area. From the productive, vibrant, and growing cities of Bristol, Cardiff, and Swansea, to the coastal beauty of the Gower or the World Heritage Site of Bath. All this and more could be yours!

Do you have experience working with local authorities, businesses, and communities to improve transport? If so, we'd like to hear from you! We are looking for a talented individual to engage with our communities and partners and help shape the future. Now is an exciting time to join the team as we re-imagine our customer offer and develop a compelling case for continued investment in the railway.

About the job:

You will be based in South Wales or the West of England area, working out of a GWR premises for at least part of the week. Travel to sites and meetings across the wider GWR network will be expected, with occasional out-of-hours working.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Leading the development of GWR's relationships with our key stakeholders in Wales and the West of England, including the Welsh Government, TfW, The Mayoral Combined Authority, Local Authorities, business groups, Community Rail Partnerships, Rail User Groups, Network Rail, and the Department for Transport.
• Listening to communities and stakeholder partners, understanding needs, issues, and aspirations, and aligning the agenda to our business.
• Reviewing, responding, and influencing stakeholder plans for the economy, climate change, active travel, and tourism.
• Identifying and bringing forward new opportunities for improving services, developing pitches, and producing business cases to support investment, securing new money into the business for enhancements.
• Developing GWR's response to local strategies and plans, including transport and planning strategies and local investment plans, new stations fund bids, and other initiatives.
• Coordinating GWR's inputs to the rail industry-driven strategies, including long-term planning frameworks and funding programmes and initiatives.
• Scoping the development of masterplans and investment strategies for key stations and premises, coordinating inputs from across the business.
• Working with the Head of Public Affairs to support engagement with politicians, advisors, and civil servants, providing briefings, attending meetings as required, and working closely with GWR's Senior Community Manager to support GWR work in the community, particularly around inclusion and diversity.

You'll need to be:

• Able to build and maintain great relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Passionate about developing and enhancing the rail network.
• Experienced in putting together successful business cases for investment.
• Driven and determined to meet projects and deliver betterment.
• Numerate, logical and have excellent attention to detail.
• Personable, approachable, and able to lead internal and external presentations to secure support.
• Able to skilfully balance priorities and solve problems efficiently.

As a minimum you'll need to have:

• Experience in working with stakeholders / third parties.
• A commercially astute, persuasive, and customer-focused attitude.
• Highly developed collaboration and negotiating skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Highly developed PR skills.
• Team player, strong leadership style, and people management skills. Ability to influence decision-making.
• The ability to effectively communicate to all levels inside and outside the business.

The Reward:

As well as a great team environment and comprehensive training, all GWR colleagues enjoy a range of benefits including ongoing development, a defined benefit pension scheme, free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family, a company-sponsored health care plan, discounted shopping, and an employee assistance programme.

We all belong at GWR. This is our vision for providing an inclusive environment for all our colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working, and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please contact us at InclusionTeam@gwr.com. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.