Job overview

We are inviting applications for the role of Director of Communications and Involvement on a 6-month fixed term contract.

The postholder is responsible for setting the strategic direction for how the organisation communicates and engages internally and externally. The role is part of the Executive Team, providing insight to support the organisation to communicate and involve well. The postholder provides oversight of the Communication and Involvements Team’s functions and delivery of them. You will have extensive experience in communications and involvement and worked at very senior level. 

Main duties of the job

·       In this senior leadership role, the postholder will play a key role in protecting and enhancing NHS Kent and Medway and the NHS in Kent and Meway’s reputation and embedding its narrative with staff and stakeholders.

·       As a member of the Executive Team, you will proactively profile and position NHS Kent and Medway, its ambitions and its achievements overseeing an approach to media and public affairs that builds awareness and support for our work to improve population health and reduce inequalities with a wide range of audiences.

·       You will be accountable for a proactive and reactive media service, delivering timely and accurate responses to incoming media enquiries, while proactively sharing positive news across corporate and system-owned channels and with media channels and publications.

·       You will strengthen the ICB’s approach to public affairs, ensuring a coherent and joined-up approach to engaging stakeholders with key activity or programmes. This is particularly important for members of parliament and other elected officials representing their communities.

Please note, this vacancy does not meet the criteria for skilled worker sponsorship and therefore, we are unable to accept applications from candidates that cannot provide documentary evidence of right to work in the United Kingdom

Working for our organisation

We are committed to a culture that supports all staff at NHS Kent and Medway to be the best version of themselves.

Our ability to improve outcomes for our population depends on how effectively clinical, operational, financial and strategic professionals work together to make informed commissioning decisions. That’s why our workforce works a minimum of two days-a-week on-site, with the expectation that all one-to-ones are held face-to-face and that colleagues will regularly visit the services we are commissioning to understand more about them.

We believe regular on-site working supports stronger collaboration, faster problem-solving, peer learning, visible leadership and the integration of colleagues into our organisation. We also know that culture is built through shared experiences and day-to-day interactions.

We are a flexible working friendly organisation; we aim to support you to work flexibly in a way that will suit you and us.

We work with staff to agree objectives through regular supervision, annual appraisal and access to training opportunities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity. In order to reflect the diversity of our population, we positively encourage applications from all areas of the community regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age or sexual orientation.