Job summary
- Main area
- Communication
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 151-SF162
- Employer
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Frimley Park Hospital
- Town
- Camberley
- Salary
- £59,798 - £67,020 per annum incl HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/10/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 02/11/2026
Employer heading
Head of Involvement
Band 8a
Job overview
Shape the Future of Healthcare Through Meaningful Engagement
Are you passionate about ensuring the voices of patients, communities and the public influence healthcare decisions at the highest level?
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced and dynamic Head of Involvement to lead our patient, public and community involvement agenda. This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking Communications and Engagement Directorate and play a pivotal role in shaping how we engage with the people who use, support and influence our services.
As our Head of Involvement, you will provide strategic leadership across the Trust's involvement programmes, ensuring engagement activity is meaningful, inclusive, legally robust and delivers real impact. You will work closely with senior leaders, governors, community partners and stakeholders to strengthen relationships, amplify patient voices and support the delivery of our organisational priorities.
This role will be central to delivering the Trust's ambitions for patient and public involvement, including leading engagement activity linked to major transformation programmes such as the New Hospital Programme.
Main duties of the job
As a senior member of the Communications and Engagement team, you will:
- Lead the development and delivery of the Trust's patient, public and community involvement strategy.
- Provide strategic leadership for engagement activity associated with the New Hospital Programme, ensuring activities meet governance requirements and recognised involvement principles.
- Build and maintain influential relationships with key partners, including Healthwatch organisations, voluntary and community groups, independent research partners and seldom-heard communities.
- Lead the governance framework for Foundation Trust member and governor engagement, ensuring statutory responsibilities are met while fostering meaningful and proactive involvement.
- Commission and oversee specialist engagement, research and evaluation activity, ensuring value for money and effective governance.
- Work with senior executives, governors and external stakeholders to embed a culture where patient and community insight informs decision-making and service improvement.
Working for our organisation
Why Join Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust?
At Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, our people are at the heart of everything we do.
As a Disability Confident Employer and recipient of the Gold Award in the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme, we actively champion equality, diversity and inclusion, creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to build rewarding careers within the NHS.
We also recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance. By supporting flexible working arrangements wherever possible, we enable our colleagues to balance their professional and personal commitments while continuing to deliver outstanding care to our patients. Whether flexibility means adjusted hours, part-time working, hybrid arrangements or alternative working patterns, we work in partnership with our staff to meet both individual and service needs.
Join Us
Whether you're at the start of your career or looking for your next challenge, Frimley Health offers the opportunity to be part of a inclusive, forward-thinking organisation that is committed to excellence, innovation and compassionate care. Together, we can shape the future of healthcare and make a real difference to the lives of the communities we serve.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Post-graduate qualification or professional diploma in communications, public relations, engagement or a related discipline.
Desirable criteria
- Professional body membership and/or accreditation (e.g. CIPR, PRCA or equivalent).
Skills & Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Excellent stakeholder engagement, influencing and relationship management skills.
- Strong project management, organisational and planning skills.
- Ability to develop governance processes, policies and assurance frameworks.
- Ability to analyse feedback, interpret findings and use insights to inform strategic decision-making.
Desirable criteria
- Facilitation and consultation skills, including managing challenging discussions and competing interests.
- Ability to design innovative approaches to community and public engagement, particularly with seldom-heard groups.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience of leading patient, public and community involvement (PPCI) or stakeholder engagement programmes within a complex healthcare, public sector or regulated environment.
- Experience of developing and implementing engagement strategies and governance frameworks.
- Experience of leading large-scale public consultation and engagement activities, including ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
- Experience of commissioning, managing and evaluating external providers, consultants or research partners.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working within an NHS Foundation Trust and supporting Council of Governors and membership engagement.
- Experience of leading engagement activities associated with major capital developments, service transformation programmes or New Hospital Programmes.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Kirk Ward
- Job title
- Director of Communications and Engagement
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07840942154
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