Job summary
- Main area
- Communications
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8c
- Contract
- 12 months (Secondment/Fixed Term Contract Opportunity)
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 083-8133089-HO
- Employer
- Sirona care & health CIC
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Sirona care & health HQ
- Town
- Yate
- Salary
- £79,504 - £108,814 Per annum. (Band 8c or 8d depending on experience.)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 24/07/2026 08:00
Employer heading
Associate Director of Communications
NHS AfC: Band 8c
Please note that if you apply for a position with Sirona care & health, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac Account and email accounts.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received prior to the advertised closing date.
Job overview
Are you an exceptional communications leader with the strategic vision, political acumen and executive presence to operate at the highest level of a complex healthcare organisation?
Sirona care & health is seeking an ambitious and influential Associate Director of Communications to join us on a 12-month secondment/fixed term contract basis to lead our communications, corporate affairs and stakeholder engagement agenda at a pivotal time for our organisation and the wider health and care system.
This is an exciting opportunity to become Sirona's most senior communications adviser, working directly with the Chief Executive, Chair, Board and Executive Team to shape organisational reputation, influence system partners, support transformation and position Sirona as a recognised leader in community health and care.
As Associate Director of Communications, you will provide expert strategic counsel on issues including organisational reputation, public confidence, major service transformation, stakeholder engagement, political relationships, serious incidents and executive communications.
Main duties of the job
You will lead an integrated corporate affairs function encompassing:
- Strategic communications
- Corporate and public affairs
- Political and stakeholder engagement
- Reputation management
- Executive communications
- Crisis communications and EPRR leadership
- Digital innovation and AI-enabled communications
- Public consultation and engagement
- Insight-led communications planning
Working closely with senior leaders, you will ensure communications and engagement activities directly support Sirona's strategic ambitions, transformation programmes and long-term sustainability.
Your responsibilities within this role with include:
- Acting as principal communications adviser to the Chief Executive, Chair and Board.
- Developing proactive communications strategies that anticipate emerging risks and opportunities.
- Leading Sirona's reputation management and organisational positioning across local, regional and national systems.
- Providing strategic leadership during periods of change, public consultation, service redesign and organisational transformation.
- Building and maintaining influential relationships with political leaders, Integrated Care Boards, NHS partners, local authorities, regulators and community stakeholders.
- Leading communications responses during serious incidents and high-profile issues.
- Championing innovation through the use of digital technology, data-driven insight and artificial intelligence.
- Positioning Sirona as a leading voice within community health and care.
Working for our organisation
Ever dreamt about a career that sparks excitement and fosters your professional growth? Picture yourself waking up eager to make a real difference in our community, surrounded by teams who value your unique ideas. It's time to turn your dream into reality!
We are Sirona care & health – England’s largest provider of Adult’s and Children’s Community Services and we’d love for you to join us in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire.
Agenda for Change Salary, full NHS benefits, 27+ days’ annual leave, and participation in the NHS Pension Scheme – just a glimpse of the benefits we offer.
Whether you're starting your journey in healthcare, looking for a fresh challenge within the NHS, or contemplating a career change, don't be daunted by the prospect of something different – we create development opportunities for all our colleagues and apprentices.
Interested? View our benefits leaflet which you can find as an attachment on this vacancy.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the job description and person specification attached for further information on the role.
Please note, we cannot offer a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.
If you currently require a visa to work in the UK, there must be a minimum of 14 months remaining until the expiry date. If you do not disclose your expiry date within your application, it may not be considered. Please only provide the expiry date and not your share code within your application.
If you refer to qualifications or employment within your supporting statement, that has not been included in your Qualifications, Training or Employment History, this information may be discounted.
Please use your 'Supporting Information' to demonstrate and provide evidence in how you meet the Person Specification below.
Person specification
Paper copies if required
Essential criteria
- Degree level qualification or working towards achieving. Or equivalent experience.
- Extensive knowledge of specialist communication or similar areas with evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development gained
- Qualification in specialist field
Desirable criteria
- Postgraduate qualification
- Appropriate professional qualifications (e.g. membership of Chartered Institute of Public Relations or similar)
Questions
Essential criteria
- Extensive experience of providing strategic advice at a senior level within a complex organisation preferably within health or public sector
- In-depth experience of stakeholder management and public affairs, successfully delivering an influencing campaign with tangible outcomes
- Demonstrable experience leading organisational reputation management programmes and navigating high-profile reputational issues.
- Experience supporting large-scale organisational transformation, culture change and service redesign programmes
- Demonstrable experience of crisis preparedness and management
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential criteria
- Promotes high standards for improving diversity and equality, as per the Workforce Race Equality Standard and Workforce Disability Equality Standard.
- Commitment to equality of opportunity, focussed on removing barriers to full participation.
- Understands the importance of diversity and inclusion in delivering our role in the health and care system.
- Adherence to the Data Protection Act 2018 / General Data Protection Regulation (GPDR).
- Upholds the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty.
- Promotes gender equality and is supportive of closing our Gender Pay Gap.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Wednesday Selway
- Job title
- Resourcing Consultant
- Email address
- [email protected]
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