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Scottish Rail Holdings
Customer Experience and Community Engagement Officer
Location: Glasgow/Hybrid
Salary: £36,585 – £41,834 (Grade B2 – Max 3)

Scottish Rail Holdings Limited

Scottish Rail Holdings Limited (SRH) is a limited company whose sole shareholder is the Scottish Ministers. SRH has been set up with the express purpose of overseeing the governance of train operating companies under Section 30 of the Railways Act 1993. SRH act as the “owning group” of the operating companies and provides separation between Transport Scotland as strategic policymakers and the direct management of train service delivery by its subsidiaries ScotRail Trains (SRT) and Caledonian Sleepers Limited (CSL).

SRH’s role is to oversee the delivery of services, targets and KPIs by its subsidiaries, including commitments within its Business and Corporate Plans, and to support SRT and CSL in the development of policies and projects. In addition, SRH oversees performance of each of its subsidiaries against a Grant Agreement. SRH liaises with the Transport Scotland Sponsorship Team on matters relating to SRT and CSL and its performance.

SRH is classified as an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and reports to the Scottish Ministers, with its obligations set out in a Framework Agreement with Transport Scotland, who are responsible for transport policy and strategy.

Overall Accountability

This Customer Experience and Community Engagement Officer will provide oversight and monitoring of SRT and CSL customer experience and community engagement commitments within the Grant Agreement. The Customer Experience and Community Officer will maintain close links with wider Transport Scotland and Scottish Government sponsorship team and will report to the SRH Commercial Lead.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

In this post you will be responsible for:

• Monitoring SRT and CSL grant obligations for Customer experience, Community Rail Heritage, Branding and Accessibility. Supporting resolution with potential variances to plan, escalating with appropriate mitigating actions as required.

• Undertaking timely review meetings with the SRT and CSL functional leads to review performance against the grant obligations, providing advice and guidance as required to ensure these are on target to meet the specific grant agreement timescales.

• Working collaboratively with SRT and CSL functional leads to ensure initiatives are developed and implemented to improve customer engagement processes and outcomes. Supporting opportunities to improve the customer experience, which will help increase passenger satisfaction scores

• Working closely with SRT and CSL functional leads to optimise the approach to engaging communities, including Community Rail Partnership and railway heritage.

• To work with SRT and CSL accessibility leads to ensure compliance with the Accessible travel policy, supporting improved passenger access to the railway.

• Working collaboratively with SRT and CSL to monitor brand guidelines whilst developing their brand. Collaborate with third-party organisations to explore commercial opportunities

• To work closely with the SRT and CSL work-stream leads and Transport Scotland sponsorship team addressing issues relating to service quality including, for example, as monitored via SQR, ensuring that adverse trends are addressed by SRT and CSL in a timely manner.

• Provide support to the Rail Management Lead in providing the Sponsor Team with required information on Ministerial Correspondence, Parliamentary Questions, submission to Ministers, FOI/ EIR requests, event briefing and speaking notes.

Supporting Scottish Government

• Work in close collaboration with Transport Scotland sponsorship team on any relevant joint projects representing or involving the subsidiaries.

• Support Transport Scotland by providing submissions and advice on rail matters within their portfolio and preparing key messages and lines to take. This will include working with the subsidiaries and the TS communications team to develop media and presentational opportunities to enhance the value of the subsidiary brands and demonstrate contribution to Government objectives, both financially and reputationally.

• Work closely with the Rail Business team to ensure that SRH prepare and contribute to Transport Scotland on relevant Parliamentary Questions (in conjunction with TS), Ministerial Correspondence, event briefings and speaking notes as required by the TS Sponsor team.

Person Specification

The sector background for this role does not need to be rail, although experience within transport industry would be an advantage. The ideal candidate will have excellent analytical skills and a strong understanding of the wider customer experience. They will also be able to manage multiple external stakeholders and be skilled in wider community engagement. Excellent communication skills, both written and oral are also a requirement of the role.

Core Skills and Competencies

Managing / Leading

Self-Awareness

• Responsible for personal behaviour and is accountable for own actions, health and wellbeing.

• Aware of personal strengths and takes pride and responsibility for performance at work and responsive to constructive feedback.

• Adaptable and embraces new ways of doing things, contributing ideas and energy to continuous improvement.

• Takes control of personal and professional development, actively managing own Personal Learning Plan as well as supporting the development of others when needed.

Delivering Outcomes

Communications and Engagement

• Engages and is credible with stakeholders and is connected to a range of internal and external networks.

• Communicates clear & creative ideas that meet the needs of a range of audiences, ensuring objectives & outcomes are achieved.

• Produces concise, clear, well-structured written work. Considers and communicates the impact of decisions on wider policies and programmes.

Improving Performance

• Demonstrates ongoing use of relevant performance improvement tools and techniques including skills development.

• Adapts quickly to fit skills and resources to changing circumstances and expectations.

• Applies risk management principles to decision making and controls opportunities and threats to achieving objectives.

Analysis and Use of Evidence

• Use evidence to assess, measure and evaluate projects and policies, considering the impact on other policies and government outcomes.

• Engages with analytical specialists at appropriate stages of policy and programme development.

• Interrogate analytical and management information to draw out key messages and findings to support decisions.

• Organises and collates robust information from a variety of sources in decision making, sharing knowledge and information across the wider system.

Financial Management

• Uses accurate and relevant financial data to create objectives and targets relevant to budget responsibilities.

• Maintains regular contact with relevant finance staff, and knows when to seek advice from audit, risk, procurement and finance professionals.

To apply for this engaging role, please email your CV and covering letter to:
tc@northstarconsultancy.com
Closing date: 23 October 2024