Are you ready to help shape the future of community-based health services across Oxfordshire during a rewarding 6 month contract?
We're looking for an experienced, creative and highly motivated Communications and Engagement Manager to lead communications and engagement for our Community Health Services, Dentistry and Primary Care Directorate alongside our health and care partners and local communities.
This is a fantastic opportunity to lead communications and engagement across some of the Trust's most exciting programmes. Working with senior leaders, clinicians, communities and partners across the health and care system, you'll help bring change to life, build trusted relationships and ensure local voices are at the heart of service improvement.
No two days will be the same. One day you could be supporting a major neighbourhood health programme, the next engaging with community groups, developing compelling content or working alongside partners to tackle health inequalities.
If you're a strategic thinker who enjoys getting stuck in, thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about making a real difference for local communities, we'd love to hear from you.
This is a 6 month fixed term contract to support engagement across this directorate and funding is in place until the end of March 2027.
Interviews will take place in Witney, Oxfordshire on 15th September.
Lead strategic communications and engagement for major transformation and service improvement programmes across the Directorate, including neighbourhood health and care initiatives.
Build trusted relationships with patients, carers, communities, VCFSE organisations and system partners, ensuring meaningful involvement of seldom-heard groups and those experiencing health inequalities.
Work closely with leaders, partners and patient experience teams to strengthen co-production and lived-experience involvement.
Provide expert advice to senior leaders and programme teams on communications, engagement, stakeholder management, change and reputation. Develop and deliver integrated communications plans across digital, social media, print, events and stakeholder channels, tailored to different audiences.
Coordinate activity with Trust and partner communications teams to ensure consistent messaging and effective reputation management. Produce toolkits, briefings, engagement resources and promotional materials, and support the delivery of events, workshops and stakeholder meetings.
Manage multiple priorities and projects, identifying risks, resolving issues and adapting plans to meet changing needs.
Oversee relationships with external organisations and suppliers, including budget and administrative processes.
Monitor and evaluate communications and engagement activity, using insight to demonstrate impact and drive continuous improvement.
Please note that this role will require us to undertake a DBS check as a part of your onboarding.
Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.
As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
- Opportunities for career progression
- Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
- 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
- Competitive pension scheme
- Lease car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
The successful candidate will lead communications and engagement activity across the Community Health Services, Dentistry and Primary Care Directorate, supporting major programmes of transformation centred on neighbourhood health and care.
Reporting directly to the Head of Communications and Engagement, you will play a key role in bringing programme activity to life through engaging communications and meaningful involvement of patients, communities, staff and stakeholders. You will work across organisational boundaries to strengthen partnerships, support co-production and ensure communications and engagement activities contribute to improved experiences, outcomes and reduced health inequalities.
The successful candidate will be confident operating at a senior level, influencing a wide range of stakeholders and managing communications and engagement activity across multiple priorities and programmes.
We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.
The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.
We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.
