General Manager - Customer Experience

The Go-Ahead Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

The Go-Ahead Group seeks an exceptional Head of Customer Experience (General Manager) to lead the end-to-end delivery of our CX strategy across the Elizabeth line. You will shape information access, community engagement and service transformation, guiding a large, multidisciplinary team to deliver excellence every time.

You will drive customer-centric transformation, governance, and performance across multiple domains, including accessibility, customer information, and public engagement, while

Qualifications

• A degree-level qualification (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field such as business, transport, or public policy.
• 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.
• Collaborative, inclusive leadership style with strong communication skills.
• Resilience, adaptability, and the ability to lead through change and ambiguity.
• Commitment to safety, environmental responsibility, inclusivity, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of the Customer Experience Plan and related community and accessibility plans.
• Act as senior champion for customers, embedding needs into service design and operations.
• Provide strategic leadership across customer experience, information, accessibility, and engagement.
• Drive KPIs across customer-facing regimes, accessibility targets, and stakeholder engagement measures.
• Oversee major transformation programmes like Customer Dashboard, Voice of the Customer, and access initiatives.
• Establish and lead governance with data-led decision making and effective reporting.
• Foster an inclusive leadership culture through coaching and development.
• Work with operations to ensure seamless customer outcomes, including during disruption.
• Deputise for the Customer Experience Director and represent GTS in forums.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Data literacy

Customer experience

Governance

Communication

Change management

Public policy knowledge

Education

Degree-level qualification

Job description

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.