Head of Communication and Engagement
Job Description
Job summary
HEIW is seeking an Interim Head of Communications and Engagement to provide operational leadership, professional oversightand strategic support during asix monthsecondment period.
The role will focus onmaintaininga stable,well managedand high performing Communications and Engagement function during a period of significant organisational delivery,prioritisationand ongoing service development.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced communications and engagement professional who is ready to step into a broader leadership role within a supportive but fast paced environment.
The postholder will work closely with the Assistant Director, Strategic Partnerships, Engagementand Insight to support delivery of organisational priorities, strategic communicationsactivityand wider stakeholder engagementobjectives, while providing day-to-day leadership and oversight of the Communications and Engagement function.
Interviews are scheduled to be held on 6 and 7 July 2026.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Main duties of the job
The role will focus on:
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providing day-to-day operational oversight of the Comms and Engagement function, ensuring effective delivery against agreed organisational priorities and objectives
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working closely with the Communications and Engagement Manager tomaintaincoordinated operational delivery,prioritisationand effective day-to-day management across the team
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working closely with the Assistant Director, Strategic Partnerships,Engagement and Insight to support strategic comms activity, nationalmessagingand stakeholder engagement across priority areas
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overseeing delivery of comms and engagement activity across priority programmes and organisational workstreams
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leading coordinated media handling, reputationalmanagementand communications responses across organisational and national priority issues
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maintaining effective governance, standards, accountability and performance management across the Comms and Engagement function
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managing operational communications risks, includingappropriate escalationand issue management
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supporting effective planning, reporting, team development and collaborative working across the Comms and Engagement function
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providing line management and development support for the Senior Comms Officers
About us
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is the strategic workforce body for NHS Wales with statutory functions that include education and training, workforce planning, workforce development and transformation, leadership and succession planning, and careers. Our purpose is to develop a workforce that delivers excellent care to patients/service users and excellent population health. We are a Special Health Authority working closely with our partners; Social Care Wales, education providers, professional and regulatory bodies and Welsh Government.
HEIW's is committed to developing an internal culture of choice. Our Values reflect our thoughts, feelings and beliefs in how we will, and will not, behave and treat others:
- Respect for All in every contact we have with others,
- Ideas that Improve: Harnessing creativity and continuously innovating, evaluating and improving,
- Together as a Team: Working with colleagues across NHS Wales and with partner organisations.
HEIW received the HPMA Award for Employee Engagement in 2019.
What you can expect:
- a corporate induction and 90 day Welcome itinerary,
- compassionate leadership,
- a meaningful values based performance appraisal process,
- the opportunity to impact upon health and social care services and the lives and wellbeing of the people of Wales.
Many of our colleagues and stakeholders have commented on the buzz and atmosphere we create by working together as "One HEIW Team". Do you want to join that team?
Job responsibilities
This post is being offered for a fixed term period. Applications from any NHS employees (excluding those employed by independent contractors) will be considered only as a secondment opportunity. In this case, all NHS employees must have their line managers approval before making an application.
This post is fixed term/secondment for 6 months to cover a secondment.
It may be extended or made permanent at the end of that period depending on available funding and business requirement, but there is no guarantee of continued employment in HEIW.
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- Educated to Masters level (or equivalent senior level experience in a communication, marketing and journalism or other post graduate qualification)
- Professional qualification (e.g. Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Or Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)) or equivalent.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and leadership development.
- Extensive knowledge of strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, media relations and reputation management.
- Understanding of public sector governance, political awareness and the wider NHS Wales environment.
- Knowledge of digital communications, social media and contemporary communications approaches.
- Knowledge of performance measurement, evaluation and use of data and insight to inform decision making.
Desirable
- Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Or Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) membership
- Knowledge of NHS Wales structures, workforce priorities and health policy.
- Knowledge of public consultation and engagement methodologies.
- Understanding of Welsh Language Standards and the role of Welsh language in public services.
Experience
Essential
- Substantial senior level experience leading communications and engagement functions within a complex organisation.
- Experience developing and delivering strategic communications and engagement strategies.
- Experience advising Boards, Executive Directors and senior leaders on highly complex, sensitive, contentious and high-profile issues requiring significant professional judgement.
- Experience leading organisational responses to reputational, political or media-sensitive issues.
- Experience developing communications policy, governance arrangements or organisation-wide strategic frameworks.
- Experience leading media relations, reputation management and crisis communications activity.
- Experience managing organisational change communications and stakeholder engagement programmes.
- Experience leading and developing teams, including performance management and staff development.
- Experience managing budgets, contracts and external suppliers.
- Experience building and maintaining effective relationships with senior stakeholders across multiple organisations and sectors.
- Experience of developing performance measures, reporting frameworks and using insight and data to inform decision making.
Desirable
- Experience working within NHS Wales or the wider public sector.
- Experience working with Ministers, Government officials, elected representatives or political stakeholders.
- Experience leading communications for large-scale transformation or service change programmes.
Skills and attributes
Essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence, negotiate and build credibility at senior levels.
- Ability to analyse complex information and develop practical communications and engagement solutions.
- Strong strategic thinking, planning and organisational skills.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under pressure.
- Strong leadership and people management skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively across organisational and professional boundaries.
- Highly developed stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
- Strong presentation, facilitation and influencing skills.
- Ability to exercise sound judgement when dealing with sensitive, contentious or confidential information.
- Commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
- High levels of personal resilience, integrity and professionalism.
Desirable
- Ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh. Welsh language skills are desirable at Levels 1-5 in understanding, speaking, reading and writing Welsh.
