Head of Communication & Engagement

Southern Hospice Group; Worthing, Hove, Arundel; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Annual leave up to 35 days

On-site education support

Bupa access

Free parking

Gym discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Death in Service

Job summary

Southern Hospice Group is seeking a Head of Communication & Engagement to set the direction for communications across Worthing, Hove and Arundel. You will lead the integrated function spanning external comms, media, internal comms and narrative development, aligning with senior leaders and organisational priorities.

You will build a comprehensive strategy, guide crisis and reputation management, and develop the Communications and Engagement team to support transformation and sustainable growth.

Qualifications

• Senior-level experience across communications, engagement or public relations with evidence of delivering strategy
• Sound judgement in media relations, reputation management and crisis communications
• Credibility to advise senior stakeholders on messages and decisions
• Experience leading internal and external communications across multiple audiences and channels
• Strong track record of leading and developing teams and improving delivery
• Ability to use audience insight and performance measures to improve impact
• Excellent writing and storytelling with inclusive communication
• Collaborative, commercially aware approach

Responsibilities

• Lead an integrated communications and engagement function spanning external communications, media, reputation, internal communications and strategic storytelling
• Turn organisational priorities into a focused, insight-led strategy and ensure communications is involved in major decisions
• Advise senior leaders and manage risk while shaping sensitive messages
• Lead and develop the Communications and Engagement team across Marketing, Digital, Fundraising, Retail, Clinical Services, People and Partnerships
• Increase awareness, trust and connectedness, and demonstrate impact of communications activity

Skills

Senior-level experience

Media relations

Stakeholder advisory

Internal & external communications

Team leadership

Audience insight

Writing & storytelling

Commercially aware

Job description

Head of Communication & Engagement SHG0333

Location: Worthing, Hove and Arundel

Vacancy Type: Full Time/Permanent

Pay Range: Grade 7 - £48,751 Pro rata for part time roles

Contracted Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Application Deadline: Monday, October 26, 2026

Job Profile document

Job Summary

Location: Worthing, Hove and Arundel

Vacancy Type: Full Time/Permanent

Contracted Hours: 37.5 hours per week

About the role: At Southern Hospice Group, good communication is not simply about visibility, it helps people understand our care, trust our organisation, support our work and stay connected through change. This role will set the direction for how we communicate and engage across three hospices, strengthening our reputation and ensuring our voice is clear, credible and relevant.

You will lead an integrated communications and engagement function spanning external communications, media, reputation, internal communications and strategic storytelling. Working closely with senior leaders, you will turn organisational priorities into a focused, insight-led strategy and make sure communications is considered early in major decisions, transformation and service development.

You will be a trusted adviser to senior leaders, able to anticipate risk, shape complex or sensitive messages and build confidence in how we communicate. You will also lead and develop the Communications and Engagement team, creating clear priorities and effective ways of working across Marketing, Digital, Fundraising, Retail, Clinical Services, the People Team and Corporate Partnerships.

Success will mean stronger awareness and trust, a more informed and connected workforce, clearer organisational narrative and communications activity that can demonstrate its impact.

You’ll be

Working closely with senior leaders, the postholder will develop and deliver a comprehensive, insight-led communications and engagement strategy that strengthens reputation, supports organisational priorities and enables long-term sustainability. As a member of the wider leadership community, the Head of Communications plays a critical role in shaping organisational narrative, supporting transformation and championing a culture of openness, collaboration and impact.

Essential criteria

• You do not need to come from a hospice or charity background. What matters is that you can bring relevant expertise, understand the responsibility attached to our work and use your skills to deliver meaningful, measurable impact.
• Senior-level experience across communications, engagement or public relations, with evidence of delivering strategy against organisational priorities.
• Sound judgement in media relations, reputation management, issues preparedness and sensitive or crisis communications.
• The credibility to advise and influence senior stakeholders, including when the message or decision is difficult.
• Experience leading internal and external communications across multiple audiences and channels, including organisational change or transformation.
• A strong track record of leading and developing teams, establishing priorities and improving delivery.
• The ability to use audience insight, feedback and performance measures to make choices and improve impact.
• Excellent writing, storytelling and verbal communication, with a clear commitment to inclusive and accessible communication.
• A collaborative, commercially aware approach

About us

Southern Hospice Group is the largest group of hospices in Sussex and one of the largest in the UK. We are committed to providing exceptional and compassionate care to adults, children and their families across Sussex. Bringing our teams and resources together as one organisation means we can focus on new and exciting visions and plans for our people and patients and provide even greater opportunities for our workforce.

St Barnabas House provides specialist palliative care to adults in the Worthing, Adur, Arun and Henfield areas through a range of services, including in-patient care and community living well services.

Chestnut Tree House is the children’s hospice for East and West Sussex and South East Hampshire, providing specialist palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

Martlets provides essential care to people affected by terminal illness in Brighton and Hove and surrounding areas. Our expert teams provide the very best care and support, helping patients and their loved ones to live life to the full during the precious time they have together.

Benefits

• Company pension scheme or NHS pension scheme for eligible employees
• Up to 35 days’ annual leave inclusive of bank holidays
• On-site education support and study leave opportunities
• Option to access Bupa and cover your everyday cost of healthcare for less
• Free parking, subsidised meals and various social activities
• Corporate rate gym membership, discounts with local complementary therapies and Blue Light Card
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Death in Service

We warmly welcome applications from all sections of our community. We also invite applications from suitably experienced people for all industry sectors who can demonstrate the skills, ability and enthusiasm to work with a people-centric organisation like ours.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Your application and interview should give us an accurate and authentic picture of your skills and experiences. Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Before you submit an application, we will ask you to confirm the information you provide is true and accurate.

Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy before the published closing date where applicant volume is high.

Some of our roles are subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it may be necessary for a disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.