This is an opportunity for role in the new Quality, Safety and Improvement directorate of the NHS Wales Executive, to be part of our team at a busy and exciting time as we step-up our support to help NHS Wales improve care for the people of Wales. Improvement Cymru is a core part of this directorate. Together, we work alongside organisations to empower, embed and elevate improvements to quality and safety, delivering all-Wales improvement programmes to achieve quality and safety priorities. Youll be joining an ambitious team, comprising some of the most qualified, experienced Improvement professionals in health and social care in Wales. As part of our new direction, we want to strengthen our team by recruiting new team members from diverse backgrounds with a mix of skills, personalities and experiences - considering candidates from both an NHS background as well as other sectors. Job summary This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic communications and engagement leader to develop innovative communications and engagement strategies and techniques to support the success of improvement programmes across Wales. This role is a pivotal team leader position, leading on communications and engagement for national improvement programmes. This role will lead and manage a team of improvement communications and engagement managers, responsible for all aspects of communications and engagement both within our national improvement programmes and about the programmes. Main duties of the job Within improvement programmes, the challenge is to ensure all key stakeholders are engaged with and understand the programme in a way that influences their behaviour to contribute towards a successful outcome. Knowledge and experience of behaviour science and how to apply this to influence behaviour is advantageous in this role. When communicating with wider stakeholders about improvement programmes, the aim is to demonstrate impact, value and progress. Using creative techniques and storytelling to bring the work to life, to be relatable for wider stakeholders. Our communications and engagement approach is based on insight, understanding audiences and using this to develop communications and engagement strategies and techniques to influence what people think, feel and do. To do this, we use research such as focus groups, creative workshops and co-design workshops. Mentoring and support will be offered by the Improvement Communications and Engagement Lead to learn these techniques if required. This role will work closely with the Head of Programmes, Programme Leads and their teams, as well as working alongside wider teams and communications professionals across the NHS Wales Executive. Strong relationship building and influencing skills are important in this role. About us The NHS Wales Executive provides a central guiding hand, working in partnership for and on behalf of Welsh Government, in and with the NHS in Wales. The Executive is hosted by Public Health Wales. We are a national support function delivering A Healthier Wales vision of a whole-system approach to providing excellent health and social care across Wales. The Executives role in supporting this vision is to provide strong national leadership and strategic direction enabling, supporting and, where necessary, intervening to ensure the delivery of national priorities and standards, to improve the quality and safety of care. The Executive will drive improvements to achieve better, fairer healthcare outcomes for the people of Wales. From 1 April 2023 Improvement Cymru became part of the NHS Wales Executive. As a subsidiary brand of the NHS Wales Executive, Improvement Cymru will operate in shadow format for the first 12 months before formally joining the NHS Wales Executive in April 2024. The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply. Person Specification Qualifications Essential • Educated to degree level or equivalent demonstrable experience (e.g. significant senior management level experience working in a similar environment such as Marketing or Public Relations) • Continual professional development Desirable • Membership of CIPR, CIM, IOIC (or other relevant professional body) Experience Essential • Experience of developing, delivering and evaluating effective communications strategies and plans • Extensive knowledge of behaviour change communication models and theories • Experience of using social media in a professional capacity to support and deliver objectives • Experience of developing and delivering communications to influence NHS staff behaviours • Experience of managing the day-to-day activities of a multi-disciplinary communications team including recruitment and team planning • Experience of working with multidisciplinary teams at varying levels of seniority and providing expert communications advice • Broad experience of, and evidence of, working in partnership with other organisations at all levels within the public sector Desirable • Expertise in NHS improvement communications Skills Essential • Communicate effectively, including excellent spoken and written skills • An analytical mind and capable of drawing clear conclusions from multiple information sources • Able to demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills, displaying credibility, influence and political acumen • Excellent team capacity planning and management skills, ensuring key deadlines are consistently met • Able to apply creativity and innovation to develop their approach to communications based on new concepts, insights or analysis Desirable • Ability to speak Welsh / willingness to learn