Head of Communications

Job Summary

The Head of Communications will provide tactical leadership to the Trust's communications function, driving trust-wide campaigns that enhance our reputation, engage internal stakeholders, and support our mission to deliver exceptional integrated care. Reporting to the Executive Director of Communications (EDC), you will lead a multidisciplinary team to deliver impactful, cohesive messaging across hospital and community services that serves to support the trust values and workplace culture. This role demands a forward-thinking leader who grasps the wider impact that the communications function has in shaping the environment as a 'great place to work'. You will have proven expertise in managing complex campaigns, fostering team development, and ensuring structured, efficient operations in a fast-paced NHS environment. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the Trust's narrative, collaborating with clinical, operational, and executive teams to amplify our successes and navigate challenges.

Main Duties of the Job

• Ensure high quality communications: Maintain appropriate standards across the whole suite of internal communications. This includes ensuring communications support is tactically adept, and extends to overseeing the quality of presentation and content that is produced in the team's name.
• Campaigns Leadership: Lead the development and delivery of high-profile, trust-wide communications campaigns that promote integrated hospital and community services, enhance patient and staff engagement, and support organisational priorities such as quality improvement and public health initiatives.
• Team Leadership and development: Provide inspirational leadership to a team of communications professionals, fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture. Demonstrate a strong track record of building and motivating diverse teams, with a focus on talent development, performance management, and succession planning to deliver consistent excellence.
• Open and proactive communication with the EDC role, ensuring that escalation is structured, solution-focused and proportionate to the scale of the issues at hand.
• Line management responsibility for the Communications team - Communications Officer and Communication Support Officers which includes managing performance, absence and undertaking appraisals.

About Us

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries, staff restaurants and accommodation. In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year. There has never been a better time to join [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal], submit your application today.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential: Evidence of continued professional development to degree level in relevant subject; Recognised Leadership and/or Management qualification or equivalent; Evidence of relevant specialist training and/or experience in the communications field to Masters level or equivalent level of knowledge and experience.

Desirable: Prince 2 or alternative project management qualification.

Experience

Essential: Relevant experience and knowledge of communications, engagement, public relations and marketing techniques and working at a senior level; Experience of long-term strategic and annual planning processes; Experience of managing a budget; Experience of service improvement programme and processes; Experience of working across organisational boundaries and maintaining credible relationships with partners.

Desirable: Previous experience of managing a team; Experience of leading engagement with internal stakeholder groups.

Skills

Essential: Ability to prepare and present information to wider audiences in a professional manner; Advanced computer skills; Demonstrates excellent communication and highly developed interpersonal skill; Able to deal with highly pressurised and potentially controversial situations; Demonstrates a broad range of skills in leadership and people management; Capable of applying sustained concentration and focus on priorities and outcomes within a diverse workload; Demonstrates evidence of developing and sustaining innovative practice and is a proactive supportive change agent; Understanding and application of National and local strategies, legislation, mandatory and accreditation requirements e.g. CQC and their impact on the quality of patient care; Knowledge and understanding of equalities legislation and guidelines and interest in embedding equality and diversity into how the organisation functions; Good understanding and overview of NHS structures and organisations; Ability to develop and present reports to a high standard without assistance and to short timescales; Ability to produce business cases and bids for new developments; Excellent negotiating and persuasion skills to enable progress of complex projects.

Other

Essential: Reliable work record; DBS clearance if applicable; Evidence that personal behaviour reflects Trust Values; Ability to travel between sites in an efficient and timely manner.

Additional Information

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer Details

Employer name: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]

Address: Eastbourne (base) with an expectation of multi-site presence with the possibility of flexible working, Eastbourne, BN21 2UD

Employer's website: http://jobs.esht.nhs.uk/

Contact

For questions about the job, contact: Chief of Staff Richard Milner, [contact hidden], [contact hidden]

Date Posted

30 April 2026