Communications manager

Band 7 · Communications officer · 490 job evaluation points

Manages the communications team's work and channels, and leads media handling and communications for incidents.

Responsibilities

Manage the communications team, its work plan, and its budget.
Lead reactive and proactive media work, including during incidents and data breaches.
Manage the organisation's channels, brand, and content standards.
Advise directors on communications and reputational risks.
Evaluate communications and report on their effect.
Work with partner organisations on joint communications.

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
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
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
People managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: line manage a team, setting objectives and running appraisals support wellbeing and manage attendance, performance, and conduct plan the team's development and succession
Budget managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: track spending against a small budget and raise variances authorise spending within your limit
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: work with the team to develop and maintain an understanding of stakeholders work with the team to develop and implement stakeholder communications strategies identify and resolve issues, influence stakeholders and manage relationships effectively build long-term strategic relationships and communicate clearly and regularly with stakeholders
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 professional qualification in communications, or equivalent experience.
Substantial experience of media relations and managing communications.

Band 7 outline

Knowledge: Highly developed specialist knowledge, typically to master's level or equivalent experience.
Autonomy: Works to organisational policy; decides how results are achieved; is the expert others consult.
Scope: Several products or services, or a specialist function.
Leadership: Leads a team or a professional practice area.
Accountability: Delivery of a service or specialist function, and its budget if held.

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	4	Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed.	42
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	3	Authorises payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets.	21
Responsibility for people	3	Manages a group of staff day to day, teaches core or specialist training, or gives core HR advice.	21
Responsibility for information resources	5	Designs and develops major information systems, or runs information systems for several services as the main duty.	34
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	2	Occasional exposure, or frequent indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	11
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 7: 466 to 539)			490

Emotional effort reflects occasional handling of distressing material during incidents and in patient stories.