The Director of Communications will be responsible for the expert communications function on behalf of the organisation. The successful post holder will lead a team of committed communication, engagement, design and marketing professionals tasked with informing, inspiring and motivating our staff as well as working in partnership with our stakeholders, local community and service users to share insights and improve our services.

Main duties of the job

The successful post holder will play a critical role in supporting the organisation through an exciting period for the Trust, as we look forward to the redevelopment of our hospitals and an increasing emphasis on partnership working to improve the health of our local community in South & West Hertfordshire. The successful candidate will be an experienced, strategic leader with an in-depth understanding of what it takes to develop and lead high performing communications functions. They will need to be comfortable working in fast-paced and often unpredictable environments, managing complex and evolving stakeholder relationships and be a natural collaborator, both inside and outside of the organisation.

About us

There has never been a more exciting time to join West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust!

The experience of patients and the working lives of staff at West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust staff are set for a major boost as the Trust gears up to deliver a new hospital in Watford and significant improvements to its other hospitals in St Albans and Hemel Hempstead.

The new Watford General Hospital will embrace the latest digital technology, incorporating innovative models of care and an expansion of its virtual hospital, including anticipatory care and working across organisational boundaries to provide joined up health services for the communities it serves.

Career development and education are a hallmark of the trust, which gained teaching status in 2021.

We encourage and welcome people with disabilities. If you need help, please ask.

We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The responsibilities of the role are described in more detail in the job description. Specific priorities we would ask successful post holders to focus on include:

• modernising our approach to internal communications, including making more effective use of digital communications and data to measure impact
• developing an increasing range of self-service tools for teams across the trust to communicate effectively with each other and with patients

Moving to a more proactive model of communicating with our patients and local community, sharing key information on services as well as communicating new innovations across our clinical services and our emerging work as part of the health & care partnership for South & West Hertfordshire.

Person Specification

Your application will be scored against the JD/ Person Specification

Essential

• 0=Does not meet Person Spec / 1=Meets some aspects - reserve candidate / 2=Meets Person Spec - to be interviewed

Employer details

Employer name

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Watford General Hospital

Watford General Hospital

Watford

WD18 0HB

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

360-E-4916RA