Deputy Director of Communications and Engagement

Overview

In this role you will shape and deliver the Trust’s Communications and Engagement Strategy during a major period of transformation, including the New Hospital Programme. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, advise senior leaders, and drive an insight-led approach to communications across internal and external audiences. You’ll influence at Executive and Board level, strengthen reputation, and deliver measurable outcomes for patients and staff. This is a high-profile opportunity to influence at the highest level within a large NHS trust and help create a modern, impact-driven function.

Pay / Benefits

• flexible working arrangements
• disability confident employer
• Gold Award in Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme
• focus on equality, diversity and inclusion
• healthy work-life balance

Responsibilities

• Support the development and delivery of the Communications and Engagement Strategy
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team through senior leadership reports
• Provide strategic communications leadership for major transformation programmes, including the New Hospital Programme
• Advise Executive Directors and Board members on media relations, reputation management, stakeholder engagement and crisis communications
• Drive an insight-led, evidence-based approach across the function
• Ensure effective engagement with patients, communities, colleagues, partners, elected representatives and other stakeholders
• Lead the Trust’s response to high-profile, politically sensitive and complex communications challenges

Key requirements

• Senior leadership experience in a complex, politically sensitive organisation at or alongside Executive level
• Proven ability to design and lead multi-channel communications and engagement programmes at scale
• Experience leading communications in crisis or issues management
• Experience supporting culture change, staff engagement or organisational development
• Experience leading communications within major capital, transformation or change programmes
• Experience prioritising and managing resources across competing demands
• Experience owning external research and evaluation from commissioning to embedding findings
• Ability to advise and influence Executive-level leaders with sound judgement
• Directorate-level line management experience with budget and governance interfaces
• Ownership of organisation-wide communications or engagement policy, standards and governance
• Experience leading engagement during major organisational change and under scrutiny
• Ability to exercise autonomous judgement in time-critical circumstances
• Experience designing governance for corporate communications performance management

• Strategic thinking
• Influencing at senior levels
• Stakeholder relationship management
• Campaign design and governance
• Data-driven decision making and insight use
• Digital communications strategy and channel management

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