Communications Manager
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time
- Posted
- 28/08/2026
- Closes
- 13/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
Candidates needing sponsorship are encouraged to apply.
HiveMind found a sponsorship-friendly statement in the source advert welcoming applicants who require a visa. Always confirm on the source before applying.
“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.”Quoted verbatim from the source advert
Role summary
This role is for a Communications Manager to lead the Communications team within the South London Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN), hosted by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The manager will be responsible for regional and national communications, promoting the NIHR Research Delivery Network's reputation, and delivering corporate communication strategies and marketing initiatives. They will also have line management responsibility for a Communications Officer. The role aims to showcase the RDN's impact and help achieve its strategic objectives.
Essential criteria
- Degree level (or equivalent experience) with extensive professional experience working in communications, media, web publishing or marketing, preferably in the health sector
Desirable criteria
- Background in research and development, science or healthcare
- Knowledge & Experience
- High level of experience in a relevant speciality i.e. public relations, communications, marketing and/or journalism to post graduate level or demonstrable experience. This must include social / web-based media
- Demonstrable experience of working in a large, complex organisation
- High level of knowledge around the full range of public and health professional communication channels and their effective deployment, including around the latest technologies for digital engagement and techniques around behavioural change
- Experience of inter-agency working involving multiple and diverse partners
- Experience of line management
- Experience of managing a customer-focused service
- Experience of working at a similar level in the NHS or other healthcare environment
- Good understanding of the health and care research environment
- Experience of providing communications support to a local authority
- Skills & Abilities
- Ability to exercise initiative
- Excellent organisational skills
- Attention to detail
- Staff training skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Excellent leadership skills
- Ability to operate at all levels throughout an organisation
- Ability to write concise and clear reports and to write Standard Operating Procedures
- Ability to work to tight deadlines under pressure
- Experience of managing a wide range of complex duties
- Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to a high standard
- Ability to plan, manage and deliver projects and activities, involving multiple agencies and individuals to tight deadlines
- Media handling skills
- Ability to communicate complex information to a range of audiences at all levels within the organisation and externally
- Excellent IT literacy including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or equivalent Google applications and relevant design packages e.g. Adobe InDesign, CANVA
- The ability to manage challenging and stressful situations
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Ability to work autonomously and to exercise initiative, with creativity, drive and flexibility
- Values & Personal Qualities
- Compassionate
- Understanding of change and adaptable
- Politically aware
- Education & Qualifications
- Degree level (or equivalent experience) with extensive professional experience working in communications, media, web publishing or marketing, preferably in the health sector
- Background in research and development, science or healthcare
- Knowledge & Experience
- High level of experience in a relevant speciality i.e. public relations, communications, marketing and/or journalism to post graduate level or demonstrable experience. This must include social / web-based media
- Demonstrable experience of working in a large, complex organisation
- High level of knowledge around the full range of public and health professional communication channels and their effective deployment, including around the latest technologies for digital engagement and techniques around behavioural change
- Experience of inter-agency working involving multiple and diverse partners
- Experience of line management
- Experience of managing a customer-focused service
- Experience of working at a similar level in the NHS or other healthcare environment
- Good understanding of the health and care research environment
- Experience of providing communications support to a local authority
- Skills & Abilities
- Ability to exercise initiative
- Excellent organisational skills
- Attention to detail
- Staff training skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Excellent leadership skills
- Ability to operate at all levels throughout an organisation
- Ability to write concise and clear reports and to write Standard Operating Procedures
- Ability to work to tight deadlines under pressure
- Experience of managing a wide range
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £58,133 – £65,261 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 3d ago · Closes in 14d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead the Communications team in the South London Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN), hosted by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The Communications Manager will lead regional and national communications as part of the Research Delivery Network (RDN) Communications Team, dispersed across the 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDN) and the RDN Coordinating Centre. As a senior member of the RDN Communications Team, you will provide a high quality, professional and proactive communications service to the RDN regionally and nationally, and will report to the RRDN Head of Strategy, Engagement and Inclusion.
Main duties of the job
This role will take responsibility for RDN communication using a range of different channels that will promote the reputation of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network (RDN) as a high-quality health and care research organisation. They will lead the delivery of a corporate communication strategy and associated communication activities, engagement events and marketing initiatives to enable the RDN to deliver on its strategic objectives and showcase the RDN's impact. In addition, they will have line management responsibility for the Communications Officer.
About us
The NIHR RRDNs will have three key roles which it will fulfil via n
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