Group Director of Communications and Engagement

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Norwich; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS organization in England seeks a Group Director of Communications and Engagement to lead a transformative communication strategy across three acute hospital sites. The successful candidate will enhance the Group's visibility, drive engagement, and ensure communications reflect the institution's commitment to excellence. This role requires significant experience in strategic communications, crisis handling, and media relations, along with a deep commitment to the NHS values. Candidates with a proven leadership track record in complex environments are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in strategic communications and engagement.
• Strong track record at Board or Executive level in the NHS or public sector.
• Deep commitment to improving the experience of patients and staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead Group-wide communications strategies.
• Provide senior media and crisis communications leadership.
• Strengthen internal communications and workforce engagement.

Skills

Strategic communications

Crisis handling

Media relations

Digital communications

Leadership

Political awareness

Job description

Overview

Join us as our Group Director of Communications and Engagement. The Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group is seeking an exceptional Group Director of Communications and Engagement to lead a modern, inclusive communications and engagement function across our three acute hospital sites. This is a high-impact opportunity to shape the reputation, voice and influence of a newly formed University Hospitals Group. As a member of the Group Executive Team and a non-voting attendee at the Board, you will play a central role in strategic leadership and decision-making.

About the role

• Lead a Group-wide communications and engagement strategy covering internal and external communications, stakeholders, brand and reputation.
• Provide senior media, public affairs and crisis communications leadership.
• Strengthen internal communications, workforce engagement and organisational pride.
• Oversee brand and identity development.
• Build and lead a high-performing communications team.
• Ensure communications reflect our commitment to inclusion, accessibility and community impact.
• This is a transformative moment for the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group. You will have the opportunity to:
• Shape the strategic communications and engagement direction of a newly forming Group structure.
• Build a modern, innovative and influential communications function from the ground up.
• Work alongside executive colleagues to improve services, strengthen staff engagement and enhance the Group's visibility locally, regionally and nationally.
• Play a key role in establishing a university hospitals system that supports excellence in research, education and clinical care.

Working for our organisation

As the NWUHG, we'll work together under a Group Board with a single Interim Group Chair, David Roberts; Group CEO, Prof Lesley Dwyer, and joint Executive and non-Executive Directors. This structure will align our strategic ambitions and give us the streamlined decision-making combined with locally-focused delivery of care that will enable us to enhance experience and outcomes for patients across Norfolk and Waveney. It also gives us the opportunity to:

• Transform health services based on the needs of our patients and communities, particularly focusing on preventative and proactive healthcare for people with long-term conditions and delivering a consistent best practice model of urgent and emergency care with a focus on frailty.
• Build on our combined knowledge, skills and experience to implement safe and sustainable care models, level-up access and outcomes and improve outcomes for people with cancer.
• Work at scale to improve our service resilience, enhance staff development and training, create a University Hospital system that strengthens our potential for research, training and innovation, and realise the benefits of service transformation that can be achieved through estates and digital.
• Tackle underlying financial challenges and take advantage of the negotiation, purchasing and investment power that comes with being part of a group.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Set and deliver our Group-wide communications and engagement strategies.
• Support all our acute hospitals with proactive, efficient, effective and responsive communications services.
• Lead media relations, crisis communications and public affairs.
• Drive inclusive internal communications and staff engagement.
• Strengthen relationships with local, regional and national stakeholders.
• Shape and evolve our Group and Trust brands and digital presence.
• Promote Group values and actively seek opportunities to enhance its reputation.
• Establish an evidence-based approach to communications, with clear performance measures and regular reporting.
• Establish a robust stakeholder engagement and management function to increase targeted involvement and build and sustain support for Group aims and objectives.
• With partners, develop an agreed strategy for engaging local communities, supporting co-production of policies and plans and ensuring patients can influence and shape service direction and delivery.
• Manage the Group's brand and design identity, promoting a unified system approach while respecting local site identities.
• Ensure all communications are high-quality, accessible, and inclusive, leveraging social media and emerging technologies.
• Build and develop a high performing, supportive and responsive communications and engagement function.

The Job Description, which includes a Person Specification, provides a full outline of responsibilities and requirements for this role. Please use your supporting statement to demonstrate how you meet the person specification.

Visa and Immigration

If you are wishing to apply for this role and would require sponsorship (this includes if you are already in a sponsored post and looking to change employer), you can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this post by assessing your circumstances against criteria specified on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job.

Travelling to work

• Staff parking is available onsite; however, this is limited during core working hours. We have more capacity in the evening and at weekends and can usually provide spaces during those hours.
• We look to allocate these spaces fairly. Our Travel Office have a set of criteria that staff must meet in order to qualify. If you qualify for a space, you may be placed on a waiting list if we are at full capacity.
• The NNUH is served by a number of public buses, and we offer generously discounted monthly passes with First Bus & Konect.
• The Costessey Park and Ride runs regularly each day from 06:30 (from P&R) to 20:45 (from NNUH) and this service is free for NHS staff. Applications to the Travel Office are required for this service. We also have a discounted service from the airport P&R if you purchase a bundle. Please see Konect website for further details.
• The NNUH host multiple bicycle racks and a salary sacrifice scheme. We also benefit from a Beryl station onsite.
• If you work at another Trust site, please discuss travel and parking arrangements at interview.

DBS

If this post involves working with children or adults the application form will ask for information regarding previous convictions as you will be required to undertake a Criminal Record and Barring Check known as a DBS check. If you are a new employee or registering with the Staff Bank you will need to meet the cost of this unless your salary is less than point 9 of Afc.

NHS Service

Should you be appointed to the post we will need to establish any previous NHS service via the ESR IAT and we will accept the submission of your application as your agreement to this.

UK Registration

You will need to have current UK professional registration where this is a requirement of the role.

Application

Following candidate feedback and to reduce our dependency on paper, all our communication with you regarding your application will be by email so could you please check your e-mails (and Spam) regularly.

We value equality in our team and recruit from all sections of the community. We recognise there is a wealth of talent among people who have a disability and if you meet the minimum criteria detailed in the person specification and have a disability, you may wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme by indicating this in the relevant section on your application.

We look forward to receiving your application and if you do not hear within the next four weeks this will usually mean that you have not been short-listed. However, if you wish to confirm this please contact the person indicated on the advert.

Flexibility

Whilst every effort will be made to recruit to the post as it is advertised, there may be occasions where we consider alternative working patterns, such as part time working, or contract types, such as secondments, depending on circumstances. Should you wish to work in a different working pattern to that stated in our advertisement, please indicate this in the supporting statement to your application.

You will be an experienced senior communications leader with a strong track record at Board or Executive level in the NHS, public sector or a complex private-sector environment. You will bring:

• Significant experience in strategic communications, engagement, crisis handling and media relations.
• Extensive understanding of digital communications, social media and emerging communication technologies.
• Strong political awareness and the ability to convey complex and sensitive messages to diverse audiences.
• Experience leading complex teams, managing multiple programmes and working across organisational boundaries.
• A proactive, inclusive leadership style that inspires trust, confidence and collaboration.
• A deep commitment to the NHS, our values, and improving the experience of patients, staff and communities.