Development Lead - Western Route (Network Rail Partnership)

Are you passionate about making a difference and have experience in relationship management and project delivery?

Join the Samaritans as a Regional Development Lead for the Western Route and play a key role in our mission to reduce suicides on the rail network.

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• Fixed term contract until 28 March 2025
• £32,850 per annum pro rata plus benefits (£19,710 per annum for 21 hours/week)
• Part time (21 hours per week) – we are flexible on work pattern (days and times worked), ideally Friday as a non-workday is preferred. Talk to us about your preferences at interview.
• Home based contract with hybrid working
• A blend of working from home and from regional rail offices. Significant travel throughout the Western Route 
• The successful candidate should live within or adjacent to the Western Route 

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About the Role:

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As a Regional Development Lead, you'll be at the forefront of our work with key stakeholders, including Network Rail, British Transport Police, train operating companies, and local organisations. You'll represent the Samaritans Rail Programme at regional and local levels, guiding and supporting stakeholders on suicide prevention initiatives and developing Joint Suicide Prevention Plans (JSSPs). Your role will be to:

• Act as a central point of contact for rail contacts, sharing information on national campaigns, internal communications, crisis signage, policy, and research.
• Manage regional suicide prevention activities, collaborating with various stakeholders to deliver impactful results.
• Lead community activities and post-incident support, ensuring local applicability of national guidelines and strategies.
• Promote responsible and ethical language around suicide and foster a culture change within the rail industry.

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About You:

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To be successful in this role, you’ll need:

• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead initiatives from start to finish.
• Experience in relationship management, with the ability to influence and collaborate with multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills to convey complex information clearly and accurately.
• A proactive, problem-solving approach with a strong sense of empathy and emotional intelligence.

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Why Samaritans?

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Samaritans is a unique workplace. Here, you’ll find an organisation that’s dedicated to making a real difference. We offer a supportive and inclusive environment, where you will have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded people and grow professionally.

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What’s in it for you – our benefits:

So, you want to work for us? Good choice. We like it here too. We offer competitive salaries, flexible and hybrid working to suit your needs, family-friendly policies, 28 days annual leave inclusive of wellbeing days and a matched pension contribution up to 5%. You’ll have a structured induction and ongoing projects & learning opportunities. We also have colleague-led affinity groups made up of people with shared identities.

​Your health and wellbeing is our priority. We have a staff community of Mental Health First Aiders, a Health Cash Plan and an Employee Assistance Programme. You’ll have free subscriptions to Headspace (your personal guide to mindfulness, sleep, focus, movement, and more) & Perkbox (an employee benefits platform with online exercise classes). That’s not all. We listen to your ideas and have staff forum and social committee networks.

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Hybrid and flexible working: We are a flexible organisation, and we embrace hybrid working – a mix of connecting in person and remotely. We’re aware that the world is changing, and we all want and need different things from our work and home lives. So, if you need to walk the dog, go to the gym, or have commitments outside of work, we’re open to talking through flexible working options that work for you and us.

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​Being Inclusive: We recognise the enormous benefits and the social justice imperatives of ensuring diversity at every level of our organisation. Samaritans is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person they are. To ensure Samaritans is representative of those we support and who support us, we particularly welcome applications from Disabled, BAME and LGBTQ+ candidates, as these people are under-represented at Samaritans.

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​Application: If this sounds like the opportunity for you, please apply. You'll be asked to upload your CV and a 1 page cover letter, which includes your interest in the role and your transferable skills and experience.

The role will close to applications at midnight on Sunday 20th October with interviews in the week of 28th October.