Job summary
- Main area
- Communications and Engagement
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- 6 months (Secondment until 31 March 2027 in line with available funding)
- Hours
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 082-AC053-0926
- Employer
- Health Education and Improvement Wales
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Ty Dysgu
- Town
- Nantgarw
- Salary
- £40,559 - £48,841 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Communications and Engagement Officer
Band 6
We are committed to promoting inclusion at HEIW and we welcome applications from everybody recognising the value that diversity brings to our workforce. To work in the UK, candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals require sponsorship via a Skilled Worker Visa, unless they have permission to work via another route. Please note that HEIW does not currently hold a licence to appoint skilled workers from overseas by sponsoring them to work in the UK. If successful, candidates from outside of the UK or ROI would be responsible for obtaining their own sponsorship or visa to enable them to work for HEIW - Work in the UK.
This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.
Job overview
This post is being offered for a fixed term period. Applications from any NHS employees will be considered only as a secondment opportunity. In this case, all NHS employees must have their line manager’s approval before making an application.
This post is for a fixed secondment period but may be extended or made permanent at the end of the secondment period depending on available funding and business requirement.
Main duties of the job
The Senior Communications and Engagement Officer will play a key role in managing the good reputation of Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and delivering high-quality communications and engagement for a range of audiences, ensuring that key internal and external audiences understand HEIW’s aim and vision.
In particular, the post-holder will:
-
Develop, implement and evaluate communication, engagement and marketing projects for a wide range of audiences including partners, staff and the general public.
· Manage proactive and reactive media relations on a day-to-day basis. This will include managing reactive media enquiries, briefing journalists, managing events, press conferences, photo calls and visits, supervising filming and preparing reactive statements and Q&A documents.
· Support HEIW’s social media strategy and work with the communications and engagement team, and colleagues across the organisation, to plan regular, engaging content that meets the needs of our target audiences and supports organisational objectives.
Commission and or produce photographs for all communication channels including our intranet, website, social media, and newsletters.
Working for our organisation
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is the strategic workforce body for NHS Wales with statutory functions that include education and training, workforce planning, workforce development and transformation, leadership and succession planning, and careers. Our purpose is to develop a workforce that delivers excellent care to patients/service users and excellent population health. We are a Special Health Authority working closely with our partners; Social Care Wales, education providers, professional and regulatory bodies and Welsh Government.
HEIW’s is committed to developing an internal culture of choice. Our Values reflect our thoughts, feelings and beliefs in how we will, and will not, behave and treat others:
- Respect for All in every contact we have with others,
- Ideas that Improve: Harnessing creativity and continuously innovating, evaluating and improving,
- Together as a Team: Working with colleagues across NHS Wales and with partner organisations.
HEIW received the HPMA Award for Employee Engagement in 2019.
What you can expect:
- a corporate induction and 90 day Welcome itinerary,
- compassionate leadership,
- a meaningful values based performance appraisal process,
- the opportunity to impact upon health and social care services and the lives and wellbeing of the people of Wales.
Many of our colleagues and stakeholders have commented on the buzz and atmosphere we create by working together as “One HEIW Team”. Do you want to join that team?
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.
Person specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Degree-level education or equivalent experience in communications, journalism or marketing.
- Highly developed knowledge of communications, public relations, journalism and marketing communication techniques, approaches and procedures.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development and training in the communications, journalism or marketing field.
Desirable criteria
- Relevant postgraduate qualification in communications, marketing or journalism
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of managing media relations in a public-facing organisation.
- Experience of managing social media accounts in a high-profile organisation.
- Experience of managing complex projects - involving management of timescales/deadlines and budgets.
- Experience of creating and implementing external communications strategies and plans.
- Experience of managing proactive and reactive media relations, including managing the media in crisis situations.
- Experience of managing external agencies, including web, print and design agencies.
- Managing and protecting house/organisation style and corporate identity/image.
- Experience of handling and delivering confidential, high-profile and sensitive issues.
- Experience of creating high quality and engaging communications and marketing materials including websites, posters, videos, leaflets, graphics etc.
Skills and Attributes
Essential criteria
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Able to think strategically and plan communications for maximum impact on organisational objectives.
- Able to come up with creative solutions to communications needs.
- Ability to provide peer support and motivate colleagues.
- Ability to provide, receive and present complex, sensitive information to groups where cooperation and/or agreement are required.
- Proactively seek out projects that can benefit from communications support.
- High level of IT and advanced keyboard skills including use of Microsoft Office and Outlook, designing publications, presentations and processing documents.
- Ability to think strategically and plan for both short and long-term.
- A good understanding of digital marketing/social media and its role within the communications mix.
- Ability to work effectively on own initiative or in a team.
- Work well under pressure, with ability to effectively and calmly manage a number of different and competing priorities to tight deadlines.
- Ability to concentrate for long periods of time and high degree of detail.
- Good interpersonal skills with the ability to secure the confidence of senior staff and build effective relationships with a wide range of colleagues.
- Able to negotiate with and influence people at all levels.
- Ability to plan, revise and project manage complex communications campaigns and events including coordinating a range of internal and external groups.
Desirable criteria
- Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in Welsh
Other
Essential criteria
- Ability to travel within geographical area.
- Able to work hours flexibly.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
Welsh language skills are desirable
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Helen Cade
- Job title
- Communication and Engagement Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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