Head of Communications

Job summary

Can you help tell the story of how Hospice care helps local people?

At St Leonard's Hospice, we are looking for a skilful communicator to lead our Communications team as Head of Communications. Building the charity's brand and driving audience engagement, this role is the strategic lead for communications at the Hospice, from clinical services to income generation.

This role is key to the Hospice achieving its aims to:

• Provide accessible services that meet the needs of our local community
• Improve public policy on, and raise awareness of, palliative and end-of-life issues
• Build partnerships that improve the quality of care and secure the Hospices future

This is a full-time role, working37.5 hours per week, usually Mon-Fri though occasional evening and weekend work will be required. This role supports working from home, though a regular presence on site at the Hospice is essential. The salary band for this role is£49,647 to £56,842per annum.

Main duties of the job

The Head of Communications is intended to work collaboratively with other leadership roles across the Hospice to develop and implement an insight-based, audience-focused communications strategy to engage our three key audiences:

• Referral partners in the healthcare system
• Patients, families and carers who can benefit from Hospice services
• Members of the public who can enable our work through volunteering, donating and fundraising

To fulfil the Head of Communications role, you will need:

• Significant experience planning, delivering and evaluating communications strategy
• A proven track record of delivering impactful campaigns
• Strong leadership and management skills
• The ability to communicate complex messages sensitively and appropriately to a range of audiences

Whats in it for you:

• Flexibility for a great work/life balance
• Generous annual leave entitlement of up to 41 days
• Attractive pension schemes
• Extensive employee discounts on shops, holidays and lifestyle choices and Blue Light Card discounts
• Opportunities to grow your skills and career
• Free onsite car parking
• A supportive and friendly working environment

About us

Our mission is to provide excellent care and support to those living with life-limiting illness and to the people they care about, to enrich their lives and to contribute to the ongoing development of end-of-life care. We do this by placing our patients at the centre of everything we do, and through involving patients and their families in all decisions regarding their care.

We can only achieve this with the help of our amazing colleagues, by developing and recognising their contribution, and by sharing our knowledge and skills through education, audit and research.

We do not have sponsorship status and therefore all our offers are made conditional upon our candidates submitting evidence of their right to work in the UK in conjunction with our other pre-employment checks.

Job responsibilities

The Head of Communications leads the Communications team at St Leonards Hospice (SLH). This role is responsible for communications, awareness and engagement activity promoting the difference hospice care makes for patients, families and carers affected by life-limiting illness.

As the strategic lead for communications at SLH, the Head of Communications will plan, implement and review communications activity across the full breadth of the Hospice's work, from clinical services to corporate and income-generating activity.

Main duties and responsibilities

Developing Accessible Services

1. Increase the Hospice's visibility across patient, supporter, and professional audiences through targeted PR, marketing, and awareness campaigns.

2. Align communications with service delivery to increase uptake, using audience insight and data to plan and review activity effectively.

3. Ensure all content is accessible, inclusive, and audience led.

Improving Public Policy, Quality of Care and Increasing Awareness of Palliative and End-of-life Issues

1. Act as primary point of contact for all press and media enquiries, creating or commissioning content for digital, print and broadcast channels.

2. Lead digital and social media strategy to grow reach, engagement, strengthen community, and amplify key messages.

3. Carry out (or commission) new quantitative and qualitative audience research.

4. Lead on SLH's involvement in national campaigns through Hospice UK and support leadership colleagues to influence decision-makers and improve public policy relating to palliative and end-of-life care.

5. Ensure authentic representation of beneficiaries lived experience across all communications.

6. Lead on communications activity in support of awareness days and topical events

7. Plan, deliver and review campaigns designed to educate the public about issues relating to palliative and end-of-life care.

8. Promote GP and hospital outreach to support earlier recognition and referral.

Securing the Future of Hospice Care

1. Plan, deliver, and evaluate integrated, multi-channel campaigns to generate income and/or public support.

2. Lead the ongoing development, management and optimisation of the SLH website to ensure it remains engaging, current, accessible and audience focused.

Managerial

1. Develop and deliver a communications plan aligned to the Hospice's strategy and five-year outlook.

2. Provide subject matter expertise on messaging, positioning and reputation management.

3. Maintain a consistent organisational voice and strengthen brand position, branding and key messages.

4. Manage the Communications team, which consists of staff and volunteers, including regular one-to-one meetings and annual performance reviews.

5. Establish meaningful performance indicators, monitor performance, and use insight to drive continuous improvement.

6. Oversee key outputs and establish a robust QA process.

7. Set, review and report on the Communications teams annual budget.

8. Take an active role in the Hospices Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

9. Manage relationships and workload with external agencies.

Person specification

Other requirements

Essential

• Flexible approach to hours of work
• Be prepared to assist with Hospice fundraising activities

Qualifications

Desirable

• Marketing / PR qualification
• Membership of relevant professional body

Communication

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong presentation skills
• Ability to influence and motivate others
• Proven interpersonal skills
• Ability to be sensitive and empathetic
• Ability to communicate at all levels within the Hospice

Desirable

• Can communicate about the work of the Hospice accurately

Personal

Essential

• Integrity, discretion and respectful of confidentially
• Positive, self-motivated & committed to achieving results
• Confident representing the Hospice in the media, in public, internally and to a range of audiences
• Professional approach to work
• Calm under pressure
• Team player
• Enthusiasm and can do attitude
• Have sympathy with the philosophy and concept of hospice care

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience and a record of success in comms planning, strategy and evaluation in a fast-paced, results-driven environment
• A proven track record of delivering impactful awareness, marketing, and PR campaigns
• Strong digital and social media expertise (strategy, analytics, community growth)
• Experience leading website and content development
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to understand complex issues and articulate them for a range of audiences
• Excellent storytelling and messaging ability
• Strong design capabilities
• Experience using audience insight and data to inform strategy
• Experience of brand management & the implementation of brand guidelines
• Good media contacts, willing and able to network for the charitys benefit
• Ability to work as part of an integrated interdepartmental team
• Strong creative mindset
• Strong organisational and planning skills
• Knowledge of data protection and how it applies in the field of communications

Desirable

• Experience gained in a charity or non-profit environment
• Experience engaging healthcare professionals and patient communities
• Budget management
• Knowledge of St Leonards Hospice or work of Hospices
• Photography / filming / editing skills
• Internal communications experience

IT

Essential

• Strong IT skills
• Good knowledge of Microsoft 365 products
• Experience with social media management tools
• Experience of email marketing tools
• Experience with analytics, tracking and re-targeting tools

Desirable

• Knowledge of Apple Software