Strategic Communications and Engagement Manager
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Fixed-term
- Pattern
- Full-time
- Posted
- 21/08/2026
- Closes
- 03/09/2026
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 an exciting opportunity within the Strategic Communications and Engagement Delivery unit, focusing on high-profile programmes like work and health. The manager will develop and deliver communications and engagement activities, providing expert advice for programmes connecting health, employment, and prevention priorities. They will create engaging content for staff, partners, and residents, aiming to improve health outcomes in North and West London. The successful candidate will build strong stakeholder relationships, craft compelling narratives, and effectively engage partners in the ICB's work.
Key responsibilities
- Provide expert advice and support to managers and colleagues for communications and engagement objectives.
- Deliver priority projects, such as the work and health programme, and manage external suppliers.
- Build strong relationships with partners across boroughs and at system level, including local authorities and VCSE organisations.
- Create clear, accessible public-facing communications and engagement materials, translating complex issues into engaging messages.
- Support the supervision and development of more junior colleagues within the wider team.
Essential criteria
- Educated to Master's degree, or equivalent level of experience in a communication and/or engagement role
- Evidence of continuing professional development or training, with sound knowledge of best practice as it relates to communications and engagement.
- Good understanding of the role of the ICB and ICS within the wider NHS, including current issues and challenges and the wider political and public sector context.
- Good understanding of engagement approaches and methodologies, including co -production, direct involvement, outreach engagement and reaching seldom heard voices.
- Good understanding of all aspects of communications, including strategic planning, media and public affairs, digital communications, campaigns, marcomms and internal communications.
- Experience of developing and delivering strategic communications and engagement plans with tangible evidence of effective delivery and measurable impact.
- Experience of giving professional communications and engagement advice to senior leaders .
- Experience of using a range of digital channels and techniques to reach and engage a wide range of stakeholders.
- Experience of delivering a robust approach to reactive and proactive media and public affairs .
- Experience of advising on and/or delivering patient and public engagement (PPE) activity to support communications and engagement objectives, with up-to-date knowledge and understanding of best practice.
- Experience of managing suppliers to deliver communications and engagement activity.
- Excellent organisational, project management, performance management and financial management skills with a methodical approach to ensuring best quality.
- Ability to work at both a strategic and operational level and to take a long-term view while juggling day-today, unforeseen or time sensitive tasks
- Ability to bring people together around shared plans and priorities, with the expertise and gravitas to coordinate communications and engagement activity across an assigned portfolio.
- Ability and/or experience of working within or managing a corporate brand, including ensuring all communications and content is accessible to everyone and reflective of our diverse communities.
- Excellent communications skills, including oral, written and presentation skills
- Exceptional editorial, copywriting, and story -telling skills, with a meticulous attention to detail and the creativity to translate complex ideas into engaging, people focused content.
- Excellent inter -personal, persuasion and negotiating skills with the ability to form and maintain productive, professional working relationships with a diverse range of individuals and groups
- Ability to translate communications and engagement requirements to a technical brief and to work with internal and external suppliers to develop communication solutions, with excellent project management skills.
- Excellent professional judgement, with the emotional intelligence and political astuteness to manage contentious or sensitive issues, ensuring the communications response is measured and thoughtful.
- Ability to act as a champion for patients and residents, ensuring that their voice influences decision making.
- Ability to work to the highest standards, demonstrating resilience to pressure, a willingness to adapt quickly to changing situations, work flexibly and retain due professionalism at all times.
- Ability to navigate challenges and stay on course, with the tenacity and drive to prioritise actions and make things happen
- Mental Effort: frequent interruption, intense concentration when reviewing/writing documents/data, presenting at board meetings.
- Emotional Effort: imparting unwelcome news to staff or stakeholders, including journalists, exposed to difficult/emotional meetings where responses may be hostile or antagonistic.
- Commitment to the values and principles of system working agreed across WNL.
- Ability to actively promote equality, diversity, and inclusion within all areas of responsibility.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in the NHS or wider public sector
- CIM/CIPR qualification, specialist engagement or consultation qualification
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 9d ago · Closes in 5d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to jointhefast based andhighprofileteamStrategic Communications and Engagement Delivery unit.The Unit providesstrategic communications support totheorganisation andleads on communicating and engaging on high profile programmes of work such as the work and health agenda.
In this role youwill play ahands-onrole in developing and deliveringa range of excitingcommunications and engagement activity.In particular, youwillprovideexpert advicefor the programmethat helps connect health,employmentand prevention priorities for local people, working closely with system partners including local authorities, employment support providers.You will also develop engaging and accessiblecontentthat bring ourprioritiesto life for staff,partnersand residentswith a focus on improving the health and lives of the residents of North and West London.
The successful candidate willhave the ability to form strong relationships withstakeholders,craft excellent narratives, andunderstand how to engage partners in the ICB's work successfully.
Main duties of the job
Key duties will include:
- Providing expert advice and support to managers and colleagues into support the delivery ofcommunications and engagement objectives
- Delivering priority projectssuch as the work and health programme, as well as briefing,commissioningand managing external suppliers and
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