Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Manager | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization located in Greater London seeks a dedicated individual to oversee public affairs and stakeholder engagement strategies. The role involves effective communication through events, briefings, and reports to maintain strong relationships with various stakeholders including local authorities and community groups. Candidates should possess qualifications in communications or public affairs, have proven experience in engagement, and the ability to manage complex relationships successfully. This role is vital for enhancing the organization’s reputation and supporting its strategic objectives.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in public affairs and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to manage stakeholder relationships effectively.
• Experience in organizing communications events.

Responsibilities

• Oversee delivery of public affairs and stakeholder engagement plan.
• Ensure effective communication with external stakeholders.
• Produce regular stakeholder briefings and reports.

Skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Event organization

Team collaboration

Data analysis

Education

Relevant qualifications in communications or public affairs

Job description

The purpose of this role is to oversee the delivery and ongoing development of Trust’s public affairs and stakeholder engagement plan, using a range of communication channels in support of short and long term aims. This includes maintaining the organisation’s Trust and Reputation dashboard and stakeholder mapping across the area including by borough(s) and programmes/projects, working with senior colleagues to ensure these are relevant, maintained and intelligence is shared with colleagues.

This role will support the delivering of communications and engagement events in support of the Trust’s capital projects and commercial partnerships. This includes writing newsletters and reports, organising and hosting events, and preparing and delivering briefings.

The post holder will work effectively with external stakeholders, ensuring effective and proactive delivery of communications and stakeholder engagement activities to support key objectives. This includes partner organisations, particularly the Maudsley Charity, IoP PN and King’s College London, local authority officers and elected members (councillors), service users and carers community groups, local residents and residents’ associations, other NHS bodies (e.g. NHS E, NHS trusts, Integrated Care Systems), and others including architects, developers and advisors; charitable trusts/foundations and individual donors; third sector; housing providers.

Stakeholder Engagement and Public Affairs

• To deliver public affairs, communications and engagement activity which builds relationships, enhances the Trust’s reputation and is in line with overall communications and engagement strategy.
• To take responsibility for ensuring stakeholder relationships are maintained and proactively developed.
• To produce regular stakeholder briefings working with other departments in the Trust and partners to co‑ordinate content ensuring absolute accuracy.
• Devise and deliver stakeholder engagement plans and strategies for key projects and/or audiences as directed.
• To drive understanding and positive perception of capital projects with external stakeholders, staff and patients through effective engagement work.
• To establish and maintain effective co‑operative working relationships with stakeholder groups, including attending meetings and presenting and discussing reports.
• Develop, write and manage new and existing stakeholder engagement products including newsletters and events (digital and face‑to‑face).
• Devise and deliver proactive campaigns that will improve community engagement and understanding/awareness of the Trust’s mental healthcare services for local people.
• To lead key events and visits, including high profile stakeholders, working alongside partners.
• To manage enquiries from stakeholders including councillors, council executives, MPs, commissioners, public, residents’ associations, ensuring timely and accurate responses.

Communications and Relations

• To oversee the implementation of the Trust’s Stakeholder and Community Engagement plan.
• To produce briefings / papers updating colleagues with the Associate Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement.
• To proactively work with partners to ensure communications are consistent and timely.
• To produce and/or assist in the preparation of reports; and briefings including for partners, regulatory and advisory bodies in respect of updating them on complex issues.
• To establish and maintain effective co‑operative working relationships with all stakeholder groups, internally and externally, at all levels.
• To ensure that communications are correctly tailored for the appropriate target audiences.
• To manage contracts with external suppliers ensuring value for money and working within the framework of the organisation.
• Advocate on behalf of the department on the importance of good practice in communications.
• To line‑manage junior staff as appropriate.
• Commission and manage external agencies; ensuring expenditure stays within agreed budget, contracts are delivered in full and represents value for public money.

Information Resources

• Maintain the Trust’s Trust and Reputation dashboard, with latest annual data and provide data analysis of key metrics.
• Undertake market research projects as necessary to explore, benchmark and measure levels of trust and the Trust’s reputation amongst its communities and stakeholders.
• Horizons the political landscape for opportunities for the Trust to raise its profile externally, including regional and national initiatives and events, within and beyond the sector and produce monthly reports.
• To stay up to date with national policy, new health initiatives and partner organisations’ strategies and plans and how these impact locally on the Trust.
• To prepare briefings for regulatory, advisory bodies or internal stakeholders in respect of updating them on complex issues on an ad hoc basis as requested by the Associate Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement.
• To manage and maintain stakeholder distribution lists.

Training and Development

• To undertake mandatory and statutory training as required by Trust policy.
• To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal.
• To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).

General

• This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
• This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the postholder.
• The postholder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities and Confidentiality of Information.
• The postholder is responsible for ensuring that the work that they undertake is conducted in a manner which is safe to themselves and others, and for adhering to the advice and instructions on Health and Safety matters given by Manager(s). If postholders consider that a hazard to Health and Safety exists, it is their responsibility to report this to their manager(s).
• The postholder is expected to comply with the appropriate Code(s) of Conduct associated with this post.
• South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust operates a no smoking policy. We are an equal opportunities employer. It is the policy of the Trust to ensure that no user of the service, past, present or future employee, or job applicant, receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their age, disability, gender re‑assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation; in line with the Trust's Equality and Diversity Strategy.

Other

• The post holder will occasionally be exposed to distressing situations which may include suicides and absconds as well as dealing with sensitive staffing issues and managing communications, particularly with the media, in times of crisis.

This advert closes on Monday 15 Dec 2025.