General Manager - Customer Experience

The Role: We are seeking an exceptional Head of Customer Experience (General Manager) to lead the end-to-end delivery of our Customer Experience strategy across the Elizabeth line. This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for shaping how customers experience our service every day — from information and accessibility to community engagement and service transformation. You will lead a large, multidisciplinary team and play a pivotal role in delivering our mission of “excellence every time.” What you will do: Lead the development and delivery of the Customer Experience Plan, Annual Community Engagement Plan, and Accessibility Plan, ensuring alignment with concession obligations and strategic objectives. Act as the senior champion for customers across the organisation, embedding customer needs and lived experience into service design and operational decision-making. Provide strategic leadership across customer experience, customer information, accessibility and inclusion, customer insight, community engagement, publicity, rail replacement, and the Step-In Programme. Drive performance against customer-facing contractual regimes and KPIs, including CSS, QPR, TUAG, accessibility targets, station ambience, and stakeholder engagement measures. Oversee major transformation and improvement programmes such as the Customer Dashboard, Voice of the Customer, Customer Information Transformation, Step-In Programme, Try a Train, Aira app, and Access Advisory Panel. Establish and lead strong customer-centric governance, ensuring effective reporting, escalation, and data-led decision-making. Build and sustain a high-performing, inclusive leadership culture through coaching, development, and role modelling GTS values. Work collaboratively with operational and corporate teams to ensure seamless customer outcomes, particularly during disruption and service recovery. Deputise for the Customer Experience Director when required and represent GTS at senior internal and external forums. Participate in the senior on-call rota and step in during disruption to support customer-facing colleagues and customers across the network. Act as a senior ambassador for community engagement and social value, ensuring GTS remains responsive to the communities it serves. What you will bring: A degree-level qualification (or equivalent experience), ideally in business, transport, public policy, or a related field; postgraduate qualification desirable. Proven experience leading large, multi-disciplinary teams and delivering complex strategic programmes in a regulated environment. Strong understanding of customer experience performance frameworks, including customer satisfaction and community engagement regimes. Demonstrated ability to design and implement customer-centric strategies, governance models, and continuous improvement programmes. High data literacy, with experience using customer insight, dashboards, and performance analytics to drive decision-making. Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels internally and externally. Knowledge of transport operations, public service delivery, accessibility, and social value frameworks. A collaborative, inclusive leadership style with outstanding communication skills. Resilience, adaptability, and the confidence to lead through change and ambiguity. A strong personal commitment to safety, environmental responsibility, inclusivity, and continuous improvement.