Communications lead

Band 6 · Communications officer · 441 job evaluation points

Leads communications for a major programme or area, such as internal communications or digital channels, and handles sensitive media work.

Responsibilities

Lead communications and engagement for a major programme, such as a new clinical system.
Plan and evaluate campaigns that encourage patients and staff to adopt digital services.
Handle sensitive media enquiries and prepare spokespeople.
Plan communications for incidents and service outages with operational teams.
Advise leaders on how to communicate change and difficult messages.
Supervise communications officers.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Communications strategy and planningThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: plan campaigns that change behaviour, such as encouraging patients to use a digital service use audience insight and evaluation to improve campaigns plan communications for incidents and service outages
Internal communicationsThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: plan internal communications for major change, such as a new clinical system advise leaders on how to engage staff and handle difficult messages use feedback and data to improve channels
Digital and social mediaThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: manage the organisation's digital channels and their content plans handle negative or misleading posts, including during incidents use analytics to improve reach and engagement
Media relationsThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: handle sensitive and reactive media enquiries, including about incidents or data breaches brief and prepare spokespeople build relationships with health and technology journalists
User-centred content designUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: show a deep understanding of end-to-end journeys and how content is affected within these journeys identify where journey fixes or content improvements need to be made take responsibility for assuring the quality of content from more junior colleagues, and coaching and guiding them to improve ensure that content is regularly reviewed and evaluated, contributing to continuous improvements and iteration encourage a continuous improvement mindset in teams and more junior content colleagues deliver through others, and direct and critique their work
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: identify important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly tailor communication to stakeholders' needs and work with them to build relationships while meeting user needs build and reach consensus with stakeholders work to improve stakeholder relationships using evidence to explain decisions
Understanding health and care servicesThis reference	Working (2)	You can: explain the clinical and care workflows your work supports use common health care terms correctly with clinical and care colleagues recognise when a change could affect patient care and raise it

Typical qualifications and experience

A degree or professional qualification in communications, or equivalent experience.
Experience of planning and evaluating campaigns.

Band 6 outline

Knowledge: Specialist knowledge across a range of procedures, built through further training or experience.
Autonomy: Works independently; interprets policy for own area; seeks advice on complex issues.
Scope: A product, service, or workstream.
Leadership: May lead a small team or mentor colleagues.
Accountability: Outcomes of own workstream and quality of advice given.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	5	Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.	45
Knowledge, training, and experience	6	Specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (postgraduate diploma level or equivalent).	156
Analytical and judgemental skills	4	Judgements on complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	42
Planning and organisational skills	3	Plans several complex activities, adjusting plans as needed.	27
Physical skills	3	Developed skills needing speed or accuracy, such as advanced keyboard use.	27
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	3	Implements policies for own area and proposes changes that affect other areas.	21
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	2	Handles cash or valuables, looks after equipment used by others, controls stock, or authorises small payments.	12
Responsibility for people	2	Supervises or coordinates staff day to day, trains others regularly, or gives basic HR advice.	12
Responsibility for information resources	4	Adapts or designs information systems to others' specifications, or runs information systems for a department as the main duty.	24
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	4	Results are defined, but the job holder decides how to achieve them, within broad policy.	32
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 6: 396 to 465)			441