Communications Manager: Sponsorship Available

  • Full Time
  • United Kingdom
  • 50,129 to 57,365 £ / Year

Hywel Dda University Health Board

Job summary

Are you passionate about helping to improve the health and well-being of our communities in mid and west Wales?

The Communications Manager will play a key leadership role in supporting the Health Board’s ambition to shift from a service focused on treating illness, to one focused on preventing ill health, or worsening of ill-health.

You will lead and inspire a communications team delivering proactive and integrated communication campaigns on a variety of health issues. Working with senior leaders,cliniciansand partners, you willprovidestrategic communications advice and ensure clear,timelyand effective engagement with staff, stakeholders, the public and the media.

The role also involves managing complex and high-profile communications situations, wherestrongcommunicationis critical. This could range from managing and responding tomajorincidents, supporting service changes programmes, managing reputationalissuesor helping communities understand and engage with important healthcare developments.

We want to hear from people who candemonstratehow their communication skills havedelivered positive outcomes, influenced behaviour change and supported organisationalobjectives.You will be a confident leader, skilledcommunicatorand trusted adviser, capable of building strong relationships and working effectively in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an experienced and ambitious communication professional who wants to make a difference through theirwork and contribute to improved health and well-beingof our communities.

The post holder will support and deputise for the Head of Communications and will be the senior communications professional in the team.

They will take the organisation’s wider strategy for how it approaches communications and engagement and then strategically plan the corporate communication functions response to this in order to deliver excellent internal, external and digital communications.

The post holder will take lead responsibility for operationally managing all corporate communications, ensuring it is legally sound and delivers on our commitments to open communication and supporting the organisation to achieve its business objectives and live its values.

The post holder will identify and maximise opportunities for improving the effectiveness of corporate communications activity on behalf of the organisation.

If this sounds like you, please tell us in your application how you meet the essential criteria. We would love to hear about your relevant experience and ideas.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential

  • Educated to Masters Level or equivalent level of work experience including practical knowledge and experience of methods and approaches as they relate to public relations, communications and media
  • Evidence of higher/ further education/continued professional development (such as professional/management qualifications)
  • Highly developed in-depth specialist knowledge and experience of communications, engagement and media. The post holder will therefore require expert knowledge of health and public practices, as well as a thorough understanding of local and national political networks and infrastructure.
  • Knowledge and expertise on the various tools and techniques of communications including new media and e-communications
  • Detailed knowledge of the legislation governing media, and slander/ libel laws
  • Possess a political awareness and understanding of the complex NHS and political issues and changing strategic situations to advise senior manages.

Desirable

  • Working knowledge of media management systems (e.g. Veulio system)
  • Understanding of Welsh legislation and WG delegated powers

Experience

Essential

  • Evidenced ability to work across professional and organisational boundaries in an atmosphere of change/ complex structures and partnership working
  • Experience of project management
  • Ability to work to deliver to strict deadlines

Desirable

  • Experience of journalism and responsive media communications in a large public sector organisation

Language skills

Essential

  • Welsh Language level 2 (Full details around the expectations associated with level 2 may be found at the bottom of this page)

Desirable

  • Welsh Language level 5 (Full details around the expectations associated with level 5 may be found at the bottom of this page)

Other

Essential

  • Ability to travel across the Health Board area in a timely manner.
  • Flexible approach to work and needs of the service and a willingness to work outside of normal working hours when required (evening and weekends).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 14 September 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.