Senior Communications and Engagement Manager

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NHS England Senior Communications and Engagement Manager

The closing date is 08 September 2026

Apply for this job

Job summary

The post holder will be expected to support the business needs of the Finance and Commercial Directorate. You can be reassigned to different directorates as the business priorities for NHS England change and develop.

The post holder will work as part of a dynamic team in delivering an effective service supporting managers and staff across their assigned role. They will manage high quality, insight-led communications and engagement for their assigned area(s) that is measurable, impactful and helps policy, products and services to succeed. The role will develop communications and engagement strategies and plans for their assigned area(s).

Main duties of the job

• Manage the development compelling, integrated, content to best achieve the aims and objectives in their assigned area(s) contributing to forward-planning and gridding processes
• Managing communications and engagement objectives for assigned area(s), aligning them to the communications objectives for NHSE and the overall strategy and business plan of NHSE,
• Manage strategic collaboration and coordination with national, regional and other directorate communications functions in delivering against the directorate, national communications and organisational strategic objectives.
• Deliver high quality communications content as required
• Brief and support members of the Directorate Executive ahead of media and stakeholder engagement events as required
• Spot communications opportunities and risks and work with the national communications team to manage them as required
• Works on own initiative yet recognises when an issue warrants escalation
• Provide support to directorate teams on all aspects of their stakeholder engagement.

About us

NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.

Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

In March 2025,the Government announcedthat NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.

If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR).This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.

We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.

Details

Date posted

25 August 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year (exclusive of London Weighting)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

7 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

990-CEO-EC4559-E

Job locations

Any NHSE Office

Nationally

SE1 8UG

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

As Senior Communications and Engagement Manager working in the Public Accountability Communications and Engagement (PACE) directorate, the post holder will need to have the ability to work flexibly across portfolios and teams, and with multiple stakeholders, helping to sustain communications and engagement support for operational teams and the wider system while broadening skills and expertise across the function.

The role will help drive transformation, strengthen public accountability and support clear communications on policy, operational delivery, national commissioning, finance, commercial and estates activity, ensuring complex decisions and service changes are explained in ways that are accessible, relevant and meaningful for patients, carers and the public.

The successful candidate will report to the Head of Communications and Engagement and work with senior leaders, policy and operational colleagues, as well as external partners and stakeholders and crucially also support regional teams and partners across the PACE function. You could support communications and engagement activities for:

• Health and justice, armed forces commissioning, sexual assault services commissioning, including engagement with vulnerable patient groups and partners across government, the NHS and the voluntary sector
• Specialised commissioning priorities, helping explain complex national services, clinical policy, service change and statutory engagement requirements clearly
• Genomics communications, including complex policy, service development and stakeholder engagement with clinical, patient and system audiences
• Commercial, procurement and supply chain communications, including, supplier engagement and work with DHSC, NHS Supply Chain and other national partners
• Estates and facilities communications, including capital programmes, RAAC, sustainability, infrastructure and wider patient safety risks across the NHS estate
• Finance communications, helping explain NHS financial priorities, value for money and complex funding issues
• High-profile reactive, media and stakeholder issues, ensuring communications are timely, accurate and aligned across organisations

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Secondments

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Job description

Job responsibilities

As Senior Communications and Engagement Manager working in the Public Accountability Communications and Engagement (PACE) directorate, the post holder will need to have the ability to work flexibly across portfolios and teams, and with multiple stakeholders, helping to sustain communications and engagement support for operational teams and the wider system while broadening skills and expertise across the function.

The role will help drive transformation, strengthen public accountability and support clear communications on policy, operational delivery, national commissioning, finance, commercial and estates activity, ensuring complex decisions and service changes are explained in ways that are accessible, relevant and meaningful for patients, carers and the public.

The successful candidate will report to the Head of Communications and Engagement and work with senior leaders, policy and operational colleagues, as well as external partners and stakeholders and crucially also support regional teams and partners across the PACE function. You could support communications and engagement activities for:

• Health and justice, armed forces commissioning, sexual assault services commissioning, including engagement with vulnerable patient groups and partners across government, the NHS and the voluntary sector
• Specialised commissioning priorities, helping explain complex national services, clinical policy, service change and statutory engagement requirements clearly
• Genomics communications, including complex policy, service development and stakeholder engagement with clinical, patient and system audiences
• Commercial, procurement and supply chain communications, including, supplier engagement and work with DHSC, NHS Supply Chain and other national partners
• Estates and facilities communications, including capital programmes, RAAC, sustainability, infrastructure and wider patient safety risks across the NHS estate
• Finance communications, helping explain NHS financial priorities, value for money and complex funding issues
• High-profile reactive, media and stakeholder issues, ensuring communications are timely, accurate and aligned across organisations

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Secondments

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Excellent understanding, knowledge and skill in a range of communications disciplines from the following: strategic communications, internal communications, media relations, events, behaviour change, campaigns, marketing, reputation management, change management, stakeholder engagement, project management and public affairs.
• Significant experience of working simultaneously on multiple communications and engagement activities, with excellent project management, planning and coordination across a range of communications and engagement disciplines and channels
• Significant experience of insight and audience research to develop communications and engagement activities and evaluate outcomes
• Robust knowledge of communications planning in an agile way to enable a fast response to changing circumstances that may include new operating environments, the rapid introduction of new policies, products or services, and political and business uncertainty.

Skills, Capabilities & Attributes

Essential

• Demonstrate excellent levels of written and verbal communication, with the ability explain complicated issues fluently and persuasively. Excellent ability to spot the "story" in the detail of policy, whether that be one of opportunity or risk.
• Able to quickly understand complex health, social care, political and business issues and to use that understanding to develop effective approaches, providing advice to staff and colleagues. Ability to manage the developme
• Confidently engage with stakeholders to generate commitment to goals.
• Recognise when business or communications activity is likely to create risk and consult with senior colleagues, contributing to resolving the problemwith the ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.

Values and Behaviours

Essential

• Appreciates the importance of communications and engagement in delivering for patients, improving services and supporting frontline staff.
• Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
• Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others.
• Needs to have a thorough understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Excellent understanding, knowledge and skill in a range of communications disciplines from the following: strategic communications, internal communications, media relations, events, behaviour change, campaigns, marketing, reputation management, change management, stakeholder engagement, project management and public affairs.
• Significant experience of working simultaneously on multiple communications and engagement activities, with excellent project management, planning and coordination across a range of communications and engagement disciplines and channels
• Significant experience of insight and audience research to develop communications and engagement activities and evaluate outcomes
• Robust knowledge of communications planning in an agile way to enable a fast response to changing circumstances that may include new operating environments, the rapid introduction of new policies, products or services, and political and business uncertainty.

Skills, Capabilities & Attributes

Essential

• Demonstrate excellent levels of written and verbal communication, with the ability explain complicated issues fluently and persuasively. Excellent ability to spot the "story" in the detail of policy, whether that be one of opportunity or risk.
• Able to quickly understand complex health, social care, political and business issues and to use that understanding to develop effective approaches, providing advice to staff and colleagues. Ability to manage the developme
• Confidently engage with stakeholders to generate commitment to goals.
• Recognise when business or communications activity is likely to create risk and consult with senior colleagues, contributing to resolving the problemwith the ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.

Values and Behaviours

Essential

• Appreciates the importance of communications and engagement in delivering for patients, improving services and supporting frontline staff.
• Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
• Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others.
• Needs to have a thorough understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems.

Employer details

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Any NHSE Office

Nationally

SE1 8UG

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Any NHSE Office

Nationally

SE1 8UG

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Deputy Director of Communications & Engagement

Nick Paget

[email protected]

Details

Date posted

25 August 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year (exclusive of London Weighting)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

7 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

990-CEO-EC4559-E

Job locations

Any NHSE Office

Nationally

SE1 8UG

United Kingdom

Supporting documents

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