Executive Contact Officer

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to bring people together to get the most out of life.

About the job

The Executive Contact Officer plays a critical role in protecting South Western Railway's (SWR) reputation and customer experience by managing complex, escalated and high-risk complaints. The role ensures that customers receive fair, consistent and timely outcomes, particularly where issues have not been resolved through initial contact. By taking ownership of executive and regulatory correspondence, managing responses to all cases involving senior leaders and external bodies such as the Rail Ombudsman, the role ensures compliance with industry standards while delivering high-quality, professional communication both written and via escalated telephone contacts. Through effective resolution of complex cases, sound decision-making and clear customer communication, the role supports SWR's commitment to putting customers first and bringing people together to get the most out of life.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Executive and stakeholder correspondence
• complaint escalation and case management
• regulatory and compliance handling
• customer outcomes and decision making
• stakeholder and operational support
• continuous improvement and insight

Essential Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Strong verbal communication skills, with the ability to manage complex, sensitive or escalated telephone conversations, using empathy and judgement to achieve effective outcomes
• Demonstrates resilience, professionalism and composure when managing complex, sensitive or high-pressure customer situations
• Strong experience handling complex or escalated customer complaints, with a focus on achieving fair, consistent and well-reasoned outcomes
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, professional correspondence tailored to senior stakeholders and external bodies
• Proven ability to investigate cases thoroughly, analyse information and apply sound judgement to make balanced decisions
• Ability to manage sensitive and high-risk cases with discretion, professionalism and attention to detail
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple cases, meet challenging deadlines and maintain accuracy under pressure
• Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures and regulatory requirements, including data protection obligations, in decision-making
• Confident stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across teams to resolve complex issues

Desirable Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Experience handling executive or director-level correspondence or working within a complaints escalation or regulatory environment
• Experience working within a regulated industry or environment with defined compliance standards
• Knowledge of Rail Ombudsman processes or experience liaising with external regulatory bodies
• Understanding of complaint handling standards within a regulated or service-based industry
• Experience contributing to process or service improvements through insight or feedback
• Familiarity with customer contact systems or case management tools

About the location

Overline House is conveniently situated overlooking Southampton Central Station and is easily accessible by public transport. The station is very local to West Quay, a hub for retailers and restaurants, and provides an excellent link between London, Coastal areas and the Isle of Wight.

Working pattern

You will work an average of 37 hours per week over 5 days.

Monday to Friday between 08:00-20:00 on a 4 week rotational roster.

Example of shifts are:  08:00-16:00, 10:00-18:00, 12:00-20:00

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all 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 a 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.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to bring people together to get the most out of life.

About the job

The Executive Contact Officer plays a critical role in protecting South Western Railway's (SWR) reputation and customer experience by managing complex, escalated and high-risk complaints. The role ensures that customers receive fair, consistent and timely outcomes, particularly where issues have not been resolved through initial contact. By taking ownership of executive and regulatory correspondence, managing responses to all cases involving senior leaders and external bodies such as the Rail Ombudsman, the role ensures compliance with industry standards while delivering high-quality, professional communication both written and via escalated telephone contacts. Through effective resolution of complex cases, sound decision-making and clear customer communication, the role supports SWR's commitment to putting customers first and bringing people together to get the most out of life.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Executive and stakeholder correspondence
• complaint escalation and case management
• regulatory and compliance handling
• customer outcomes and decision making
• stakeholder and operational support
• continuous improvement and insight

Essential Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Strong verbal communication skills, with the ability to manage complex, sensitive or escalated telephone conversations, using empathy and judgement to achieve effective outcomes
• Demonstrates resilience, professionalism and composure when managing complex, sensitive or high-pressure customer situations
• Strong experience handling complex or escalated customer complaints, with a focus on achieving fair, consistent and well-reasoned outcomes
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, professional correspondence tailored to senior stakeholders and external bodies
• Proven ability to investigate cases thoroughly, analyse information and apply sound judgement to make balanced decisions
• Ability to manage sensitive and high-risk cases with discretion, professionalism and attention to detail
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple cases, meet challenging deadlines and maintain accuracy under pressure
• Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures and regulatory requirements, including data protection obligations, in decision-making
• Confident stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across teams to resolve complex issues

Desirable Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Experience handling executive or director-level correspondence or working within a complaints escalation or regulatory environment
• Experience working within a regulated industry or environment with defined compliance standards
• Knowledge of Rail Ombudsman processes or experience liaising with external regulatory bodies
• Understanding of complaint handling standards within a regulated or service-based industry
• Experience contributing to process or service improvements through insight or feedback
• Familiarity with customer contact systems or case management tools

About the location

Overline House is conveniently situated overlooking Southampton Central Station and is easily accessible by public transport. The station is very local to West Quay, a hub for retailers and restaurants, and provides an excellent link between London, Coastal areas and the Isle of Wight.

Working pattern

You will work an average of 37 hours per week over 5 days.

Monday to Friday between 08:00-20:00 on a 4 week rotational roster.

Example of shifts are:  08:00-16:00, 10:00-18:00, 12:00-20:00

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all 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 a 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.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/