AVP Communications - 90407258 - Washington

Your success is a train ride away!

As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.

Are you ready to join our team?

Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.

JOB SUMMARY

Accountable for leading Amtrak’s internal and external communications efforts to promote and protect Amtrak’s brand. Responsible for the groups that manage and deliver employee communications, media relations, crisis communications, issues management, corporate social media and multimedia services. This role operates at the intersection of public trust, regulatory accountability, and brand leadership, ensuring Amtrak’s communications advance business objectives while meeting the expectations of federal oversight bodies, policymakers, the board of directors and executive leadership, customers, and employees. As a senior thought-leader in the company, this role conceptualizes new ways to make Amtrak look amazing, improve our credibility among stakeholders, and be seen as a safe, modern provider of high-quality service across the country. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develop and manage enterprise-wide communications strategies that build support for Amtrak’s services with internal and external stakeholders (employees, media, customers, policy makers, state and commuter partners, Host railroad companies, and the public). Leverage traditional and non-traditional tools to accomplish this, including by overseeing multimedia services across the enterprise, providing professional photo, video and graphic design support and visual storytelling.
• Partner closely with Government Affairs and Legal to develop and execute communications strategies related to federal oversight, Congressional engagement, regulatory actions, safety matters, and appropriations-related messaging.
• Serve as a strategic communications partner to the Commercial organization, aligning brand narrative, customer experience, service recovery, and employee messaging to support Amtrak’s evolution as a modern hospitality and mobility brand. Manage internal communications that reinforce the company’s values and business priorities. Ensure executives, corporate and frontline employees are well informed through a variety of communications channels (Employee advisories, town halls, intranet content, digital signage, Viva Engage, etc.).
• Provide strategic counsel to executive leadership and the Board of Directors on reputational risk, public trust, and stakeholder perception in a highly regulated, politically visible environment. 
• Counsel executive leadership, Board of Directors, and others on public affairs strategy and tactics, including speechwriting, talking points and interview preparation. Proactively identify strategic engagement opportunities for senior executives and help craft external messaging.
• Coordinate with Capital Delivery to communicate Amtrak’s progress on major investments in our assets as part of our efforts to build and maintain credibility among stakeholders and the public.
• Act as a senior advisor in enterprise risk management, integrating communications strategy with safety, legal, regulatory, and operational considerations during crises and high-risk events. Manage internal and external communications in crisis situations, including deployments to site incidents, emergencies, and other high-profile, high-risk events, and supervise issue management strategies to minimize reputational harm.
• Act as a communications partner with the Planning and State Partnerships team, providing input and aligning messaging for communications with state and commuter partners.
• Serve as liaison with communications counterparts at US Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Transportation Security Administration, Amtrak Police, Association of American Railroads, and other government agencies and non-governmental organizations and trade associations. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience.
• Plus 15 years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading communications in a highly regulated, safety-sensitive, or publicly accountable organization with national visibility. Experience managing crisis communications with a national media exposure. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• MBA, MA in Communications or Marketing, or equivalent combination of education and senior level experience.
• Minimum of 10 years managing communications teams.
• Experience with transportation industry preferred.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES

• Extensive knowledge of media relations, internal communications and reputation management.
• Demonstrated experience with change management campaigns and internal communications strategies.
• Strong management skills with a proven ability to inspire and lead a diverse group of employees including a geographically dispersed staff.
• Knowledge of crisis communications best practices and demonstrated experience in managing enterprise-wide communications during a significant crisis.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments involving regulators, policymakers, labor, customers, and advocacy groups.
• Strong judgment and decision-making under conditions of ambiguity, scrutiny, and reputational risk.
• Experience being on-the-record spokesperson with top-tier, regional and trade media.
• Knowledge of ever-changing media landscape including social media and nontraditional channels.
• Experience demonstrating measurable impact of communications campaigns.
• Ability to promote cross-functional and collaborative relationships. 

The salary/hourly range is $215,000.00 – $302,400.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges. Learn more about our benefits offerings here.

Requisition ID:166242

Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Relocation Offered:No
Travel Requirements:Up to 25%

You power our progress through your performance.

We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions.

Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen.

Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.

In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.

In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses.

Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Amtrak is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.