Job summary
Be a subject matter expert on high-profile and strategic portfolios of work for HIWM regionally and nationally in collaboration with the HIN.
Be the lead communication and engagement professional, by providing advice, management and significant expertise around key aspects of communication and engagement delivery, to the Senior Leadership Team.
Create and implement communication and engagement plans/interventions, that are designed to provide high-quality and consistent communications and engagement outputs; encourage key enabling relationships with stakeholders; remove barriers and ultimately enhance the reputation of HIWM.
Deliver the objectives of the HIWM Communications, Engagement and Public Affairs Strategy 2025-2028 and review and refresh the strategy annually.
Main duties of the job
* Lead the communications and engagement team's personal and professional development through review, appraisal, objective setting and personal development plans.
* Lead and manage the reputation of HIWM, the national HIN and the wider NHS, to ensure public confidence in the services provided and by ensuring positive news stories and campaigns are promoted and potential threats to HIWM's reputation are handled promptly, professionally and effectively.
* Deliver the objectives of the HIWM Communications, Engagement and Public Affairs Strategy.
* Identify and action opportunities to explain and promote services, plans and initiatives; often through interpreting highly complex information and translating this into easy-to-understand outputs.
* Develop and implement internal communication and engagement approaches, which support and reinforce HIWM's values, vision and objectives.
About us
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.
Details
Date posted: 01 September 2025
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8b
Salary: £64,455 to £74,896 a year
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 304-1094154
Job locations: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham, West Midlands, B15 2TH
Job description
*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Essential: Educated to Master’s degree level, or equivalent qualifications/experience.
* Essential: Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through experience and/or training.
* Essential: Strong evidence of ongoing professional and personal development.
Desirable
* Desirable: Extensive knowledge of specialist areas, acquired through post graduate qualification(s).
* Desirable: Membership of relevant professional body.
Experience
* Essential: Senior level communications and engagement management experience, within a complex organisation.
* Essential: Expert knowledge and experience in internal communications, media relations, stakeholder engagement and digital communications (as appropriate for the role).
* Essential: Developing evidence-based, researched and deliverable communication and engagement strategies, plans and approaches.
* Essential: Experience of successful media relations including confident handling of press and broadcast interviews.
* Essential: Demonstrable experience of using social and digital media to communicate with key audiences.
* Essential: Influencing and advising at different organisational levels.
* Essential: Tailoring communication messages to key audiences in all sections of the community, including the media.
* Essential: Designing, organising and managing high profile events for staff and the public.
* Essential: Experience of managing change in complex situations.
* Essential: Experience of creating opportunities and working collaboratively with internal and external partners.
* Essential: Extensive experience of providing clear and concise high-level briefings.
* Essential: Experience of working independently with Board level and other key stakeholders.
* Essential: Experience of working with and supporting senior leaders and clinicians; able to motivate, persuade and negotiate.
* Essential: Able to respond to challenging internal and external deadlines.
* Essential: Line management experience
Desirable
* Desirable: Experience in a similar role, in a large and complex organisation or network.
Additional Criteria
* Essential: Embraces and demonstrates HIWM and host Trust values -- Kind, Connected and Bold.
* Essential: High levels of personal integrity.
* Essential: Confidence in achieving results in an inclusive and collaborative manner.
* Essential: High levels of professional curiosity.
* Essential: Ability to work effectively in a complex and changing environment.
* Essential: Displays progressive, innovative and solutions-based thinking.
* Essential: High degree of self-awareness.
* Essential: Ability to maintain confidence, at all times.
* Essential: Ability to deal with confidential issues in a professional and sensitive manner.
* Essential: High level of skill in writing content for different formats -- news, publications, blogs, submissions to Execs and Board.
* Essential: Budget management and financial awareness.
* Essential: Understanding of equality and valuing diversity principles.
* Essential: Understanding of confidentiality, information governance requirements.
* Essential: Good awareness and knowledge of the political environment, locally and nationally.
* Essential: Understanding the health policy and key themes of current health policy development.
* Essential: Knowledge of industry good practice, relevant usability and accessibility issues for on and off -line communications, current relevant legislation, and ability to adapt to any changes in legislation.
* Essential: Ability to travel to other locations and other organisations (across the West Midlands and to London primarily).
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details
Employer name: University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham, West Midlands, B15 2TH
Employer's website: https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm
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