Manager Media and Content

Metro gets you where you need to go. Shaping our future to be a world-class, sustainable railway for Melbourne is made possible by our people who make a positive difference to every journey.

We strive to reflect the community we serve and support the needs of our people who are critical to our success. With Zero Harm at the foundation of everything we do, we want everyone to get home safely. 

We act as one team to move Melbourne. 

Metro is a multi-award-winning organisation, and we pride ourselves on our team of honest, high performing professionals who are talented, inclusive, and safety focused, and who are at the core of our success.
You will be joining an organisation that is known as a global leader in its field, but also prides itself on being dynamic, embracing new technologies, and focused on customer service. Our aim is to promote work/life balance, allow team members to bring their best to work, and to truly be focused on a common goal: providing a world-class railway service.

Why work at Metro Trains?

• Receive a free Myki Pass that allows travel across Victoria
• Excellent remuneration, with annual bonus structure dependent on business and individual performance, and remuneration review
• Work for an essential services company with clear career development opportunities
• Corporate discounts including Sea Life / Melbourne Aquarium, BUPA, BMW, Legoland, Medibank Corporate Health and many more

About the position:

This position is being offered on an 18 month maximum term basis.

This role is critical in the Corporate Affairs function and involves a 24/7 roster environment to manage complex reputational issues. The Media and Content team within Metro’s Communications department, is responsible for managing media and public relations functions, both reactively and proactively, to support strategic business objectives, as well as delivering a forward plan of social media opportunities across owned channels and a weekly social media calendar. The team is also responsible for holding high-level meetings with key external stakeholders, including the Department of Transport, to provide opportunities to amplify Metro’s work and mitigate risks and issues.
Reporting to the Head of Media and Content and with 10+ years leading top tier issues and crisis management within complex, large organisations, the successful candidate will develop, lead and both proactively and reactively manage Metro’s external communications strategy, and establish, maintain and strengthen relationships with transport stakeholders including the Department of Transport, Ministerial offices and other transport operators and agencies during an era of transformation of Melbourne’s transport network.

Responsibilities Include:

• Staff 24/7 on-call roster
• Provide quick accurate answers to complex questions, giving advice to critical internal and external stakeholders
• Risk mitigation and experience with crisis communications and issues management in a 24/7 environment
• Ability to work outside corporate business hours and on weekends as per roster
• Strategically develop, lead and reactively manage Metro’s Media and Content function to steward Metro’s reputation, general proactive media opportunities aligned to strategic business pillars, and leverage opportunities across owned channels using a collaborative approach.
• Develop and execute Metro’s media and content strategy to support business objectives, including managing LinkedIn and Facebook’s organic posts and a weekly calendar to deadline, including posting.
• Stakeholder management across functions and Ministerial offices and government departments.
• Proactively manage business, operational and high-risk reputational issues in conjunction with the head of Media & Content, General Manager, Corporate Communications, the wider Corporate Affairs team and leaders.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to identify and generate positive stories to support Metro’s strategic pillars and leverage them across owned and earned channels.
• Craft media responses, background information and executive and stakeholder briefings and follow due process for their approval.
• When required, act as media spokesperson on behalf of Metro in print and online media, and possibly broadcast.
• Oversee business-wide crisis management, including refining Metro’s strategy, and supporting the delivery of an annual crisis and incident management team exercise as well as media training for approved spokespeople.
• Staff Metro’s media on-call roster, including staffing the 24/7 media phone line and ensuring appropriate resourcing for major network incidents.
• Contribute to business-wide reporting, including daily media monitoring, issues management.
• Work with the CEO and Executive team to identify and action opportunities for external social media stories based on earned media.
• Be familiar with a high matrix style environment where appropriate sign-off is required prior to media release.
• Contribute to reporting through relevant systems and suppliers.
• Produce a weekly social media calendar and monthly social media reporting.
• Create and keep strong, key internal and external stakeholder relations.
• Produce daily media clips.
• Host a weekly meeting to achieve content for the social media calendar.

About you and qualifications:

• Tertiary qualification in Journalism or a related discipline
•  Extensive experience of 10+ years in a journalism, public relations, communications or related corporate affairs role
• Past experience as a journalist for TV, print or radio is essential
• Significant Issues/crisis management experience in complex operationalenvironments is essential
• Significant prior experience of 24/7 rostering environment.
• Significant experience writing crisis communications plans for both internal and external consumption in a short timeframe to deadline accurately
• Spokesperson experience advantageous but not essential
• Excellent English and grammar skills including in a high pressure environment.
• Experience in transport, infrastructure or government advantageous but not essential
• Proven ability to execute complex tasks to completion within tight timeframes
• Experience in high-pressure environments and large, complex organisations
• Demonstrated ability to absorb complex information and re-present it simply
• Superior ability to communicate effectively, including with all levels of management and staff (verbal and written)
• Superior skills in research, analysis and synthesis of complex information
• Ability to flexibly attend the workplace to staff any reactive issue both within and outside corporate hours, including weekends and public holidays.

Ready to apply? Great
Click to submit your application by 19th July 2024 @ 11:59pm.

Metro’s commitment to a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive culture

Metro acknowledges the Victorian Traditional Owners of the land on which our rail network operates, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation.

At Metro, we know that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive company is a more innovative and successful one that reflects the communities we serve. We strive for a workplace where everyone is treated fairly and respectfully. A workplace that provides equitable access to opportunities, resources, and where individuals can bring their whole selves to work. In addition, being recognised and rewarded for their contribution to our collective success.

We are committed to fair, equitable and merit-based employment and recruitment practices, and we encourage all interested applicants to apply.