Job summary
Employer heading
Head of Communications
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Please note in order to progress your application, your data will be processed by our 3rd party recruitment providers – North London Partners Shared Service, who conduct recruitment activities on behalf of Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust is the largest orthopaedic hospital in the UK and a global leader in our field. We provide a dynamic working environment where we support frontline staff to implement improvements so that we can realise our vision of being a world leading neuro musculoskeletal hospital providing the best patient care and staff experience in the NHS, delivering world leading research, and offering a strong foundation of education, training and career progression. Our dedicated staff come from diverse backgrounds, and our patients benefit from the wide range of experience they bring to the Trust. The RNOH brings unrivalled expertise together in one place allowing us to deliver some of the world’s most complex and innovative care to our patients
- Rated Good by the CQC
- Two sites, one in central London and one in Stanmore - which has recently opened The Stanmore Building, a new, state-of-the-art inpatient facility
- Our Research and Innovation Centre works closely with our main academic partner, University College London
- Recognised as a centre of excellence, leading on national initiatives, such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme
- Further major redevelopment underway across the Stanmore site – improving and modernising our facilities to maintain our position as the UK’s leading centre for orthopaedic medicine
- In the NHS staff survey, over 90% of our staff were satisfied with the quality of care they are able to give to patients - the best result of any NHS Trust in the country
- Our staff also indicated that they had the best experience of appraisals as compared to all other NHS Trusts.
This is a great time to join us and play a critical role in the next stage of RNOH’s journey to achieving an outstanding CQC rating.
Our aim is to remain a world-leading orthopaedic hospital with the best patient care and staff experience in the NHS. To do this, we have four core values that underpin everything that we do. We use our values to help ensure that we are always focused on the things that our staff and patients believe are most important:
- Patients first, always
- Excellence, in all we do
- Trust, honesty and respect, for each other
- Equality, for all
Our annual staff survey results have been improving year on year, with our staff telling us that their experience of working at the Trust is getting better and better. They also indicate that our staff feel very loyal to the RNOH and committed to its role in providing the very best care to our complex patient group. We hope that we can welcome you to our growing team soon.
Job overview
We're looking for a dynamic and experienced communications leader to join us as Head of Communications. This role is the Trust’s professional communications lead accountable for all aspects of internal and external communications and is critical in building and managing the profile and reputation of the Trust.
The post holder will lead on providing strategic communications advice and delivery, proactively helping the Trust to tell a coherent and compelling story both internally and externally and making sure the right audiences receive the right information at the right time. This includes responsibility for developing our communications strategy, internal colleague communications and external communications, including with partner organisations and local/regional/national media.
In the next year the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital will deliver its Electronic Patient Record system, an exciting milestone for the Trust. Communications will play and integral role in ensuring a safe roll-out of the system and making sure staff and patients know how this will affect them. Additionally, while we continue treating highly complex patients, we’re also diversifying our services to make our expertise available in community settings.
Our transformation journey comes at a time when NHS Change 10-year plan is also in development. We will need you to bring energy, drive and positivity as the NHS transforms and your creativity to help us to engage with our audiences.
Main duties of the job
Main Duties and Responsibilities
You will be the professional lead for communications in the Trust, adding significant value to the Trust through providing outstanding and timely strategic communications advice, through the planning and delivery of our strategic communications activity and leadership for the Communications Department.
Working for our organisation
At the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), we are committed to achieving the best staff experience in the NHS. In the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, we proudly:
- Scored above the national average for the People Promises: "We are recognised and rewarded," "We are always learning," "We work flexibly," "We are a team," and for staff engagement.
- Ranked #1 among all Trusts in North and Central London for all People Promises and themes.
- Ranked #1 among all Acute Specialist Trusts for "We work flexibly."
At RNOH, we’re committed to being actively anti-discriminatory and actively inclusive. We recognise our brilliant people do brilliant work, and we offer rewarding careers, no matter what their background. We continue to strive to break down barriers to be the Trust where people come together because what they do matters, makes a difference and where they can thrive.
Joining our organisation means enjoying a wide range of staff benefits, including:
- 24/7 access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
- A Rewards & Recognition platform, offering opportunities to thank colleagues, send gifts, and access exclusive discounts.
- A dedicated Staff Wellbeing Hub, providing a space to relax and recharge away from the work environment.
- Salary sacrifice schemes for transport (season ticket loans, car and bike), electrical goods, and childcare
At RNOH, we are more than a workplace—we are committed to patients, to excellence and the wellbeing of our staff.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Person Specification
Description |
Essential |
Desirable |
A/I |
Communication & Relationship Skills |
Exceptional communication skills, orally and written with an ability to talk fluently, confidently and succinctly to a wide range of people including journalists, senior stakeholders and colleagues. Ability to write clearly and concisely and in a range of formats for different audiences. |
|
A/I |
|
Excellent interpersonal, skills, including the ability to work with a wide range of external and internal stakeholders from different backgrounds. |
|
A/I |
|
Ability to build and maintain relationships with different groups of stakeholders, including journalists |
|
A/I |
|
Ability to maintain credibility amongst all levels of staff, and external contacts. |
|
A/I |
|
Ability to set high standards for self and others to deliver priorities. |
|
A/I |
Knowledge, Training & Experience |
Educated to degree level or equivalent plus training and/or experience in communications field to master’s level equivalent. |
Recognised post graduate qualification in public relations / marketing / communications |
A/I |
|
Extensive knowledge and experience of the communications and media landscape, including best practice principles |
Evidence of commitment to continually update professional practice. |
A/I |
|
Extensive experience of leading marketing and communications campaigns/programmes using a range of channels in highly complex organisations |
Awareness and understanding of Government Communications Service standards and best practice |
A/I |
|
Extensive experience in media handling, crisis and reputation management |
Understanding and experience of corporate governance within healthcare or complex organisational setting |
A/I |
|
Understanding and experience of delivering business transformation communications |
Understanding of healthcare landscape |
A/I |
|
Extensive communications leadership experience, including leading a communications team either inhouse or agency side |
|
A/I |
|
Proven track record of improving efficiency and effectiveness of own performance and team |
|
A/I |
|
Ability to work on own initiative to achieve agreed aims, targets and objectives and find creative solutions to problems |
|
A/I |
|
Ability to stay calm and work effectively under pressure, demonstrating resilience in challenging situations and locations. |
|
A/I |
Analytical & Judgment Skills |
Strategic thinker, analytic mind with the ability to view past and future initiatives holistically aligning to the strategic direction and develop new initiatives to success. |
|
A/I |
|
Able to operate with discretion, diplomacy and tact and maintain confidentiality. |
|
A/I |
Planning & Organisational Skills |
Excellent planning and organisational skills, with a track record of managing multiple priorities, both independently and within a team |
|
A/I |
|
Proven ability to build consensus and work effectively within a cross-organisational team |
|
A/I |
|
Agility in problem solving and evidenced capacity to take high levels of ownership |
|
A/I |
IT skills |
Proficient in MS Office and various communications software and tools.
|
Intermediate to advance knowledge and experience in MS Office and various communications software and tools, including Canva, SharePoint, WordPress, Hootsuite.
|
A |
Responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion |
Demonstrable commitment to anti-discriminatory and inclusive behaviours and practices
|
|
A/I |
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development |
Experience of putting in place processes/procedures to ensure smooth running of teams, projects. |
Experience of developing and embedding communications policies such as communications emergency response strategies, social media policy etc |
A/I |
Responsibility for financial & physical resources |
Effective budget management |
Procurement of suppliers and contract management |
A/I |
|
Ability to procure value for money and deliver ROI |
|
A |
Responsibility for Research & Development |
Experience of using research/insight to inform communications strategies |
|
A/I |
Freedom to Act |
Able to operate with discretion, diplomacy and tact and maintain confidentiality. |
|
A/I |
Mental Effort |
Ability to concentrate for sustained periods of time, on a range of items each with competing deadlines and requirements for attention to detail. |
|
|
|
Ability to apply sound judgment to the resolution of complex issues, managing engagement with stakeholders appropriately. |
|
|
Emotional Effort |
High levels of emotional resilience, able to operate at a senior level and challenge constructively, including those in more senior positions. |
|
|
|
Ability to work appropriately and professionally, with teams and individuals who are experiencing extreme emotional distress. |
|
|
Person specification
Communication and Relationship Skills
Essential criteria
- Exceptional communication skills, orally and written with an ability to talk fluently, confidently and succinctly to a wide range of people including journalists, senior stakeholders and colleagues. Ability to write clearly and concisely and in a range of formats for different audiences.
- Excellent interpersonal, skills, including the ability to work with a wide range of external and internal stakeholders from different backgrounds.
- Ability to build and maintain relationships with different groups of stakeholders, including journalists
- Ability to maintain credibility amongst all levels of staff, and external contacts.
- Ability to set high standards for self and others to deliver priorities.
Knowledge, Training and Experience
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level or equivalent plus training and/or experience in communications field to master’s level equivalent.
- Extensive knowledge and experience of the communications and media landscape, including best practice principles
- Extensive experience of leading marketing and communications campaigns/programmes using a range of channels in highly complex organisations
- Extensive experience in media handling, crisis and reputation management
- Understanding and experience of delivering business transformation communications
- Extensive communications leadership experience, including leading a communications team either inhouse or agency side
- Proven track record of improving efficiency and effectiveness of own performance and team
- Ability to work on own initiative to achieve agreed aims, targets and objectives and find creative solutions to problems
- Ability to stay calm and work effectively under pressure, demonstrating resilience in challenging situations and locations.
Desirable criteria
- Recognised post graduate qualification in public relations / marketing / communications
- Evidence of commitment to continually update professional practice.
- Awareness and understanding of Government Communications Service standards and best practice
- Understanding and experience of corporate governance within healthcare or complex organisational setting
- Understanding of healthcare landscape
Analytical and Judgment Skills
Essential criteria
- Strategic thinker, analytic mind with the ability to view past and future initiatives holistically aligning to the strategic direction and develop new initiatives to success.
- Able to operate with discretion, diplomacy and tact and maintain confidentiality.
Planning and Organisational Skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent planning and organisational skills, with a track record of managing multiple priorities, both independently and within a team
- Proven ability to build consensus and work effectively within a cross-organisational team
- Agility in problem solving and evidenced capacity to take high levels of ownership
IT Skills
Essential criteria
- Proficient in MS Office and various communications software and tools.
Desirable criteria
- Intermediate to advance knowledge and experience in MS Office and various communications software and tools, including Canva, SharePoint, WordPress, Hootsuite.
Responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential criteria
- Experience of putting in place processes/procedures to ensure smooth running of teams, projects.
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development
Essential criteria
- Experience of putting in place processes/procedures to ensure smooth running of teams, projects.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of developing and embedding communications policies such as communications emergency response strategies, social media policy etc
Responsibility for financial & physical resources
Essential criteria
- Effective budget management
- Ability to procure value for money and deliver ROI
Desirable criteria
- Procurement of suppliers and contract management
Responsibility for Research & Development
Essential criteria
- Experience of using research/insight to inform communications strategies
Freedom to Act
Essential criteria
- Able to operate with discretion, diplomacy and tact and maintain confidentiality.
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
- Fraser Rogers
- Job title
- Chief of Staff and Director of Corporate Affairs
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0208 909 5738
- Additional information
N/A
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