🚀 Interim Director of Communications - BSW Hospitals Group

Employer Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Great Western Hospital Town Swindon Salary £109,179 - £125,637 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 24/10/ :59 Interview date 04/11/2025

Interim Director of Communications - BSW Hospitals Group

Band 9 (Subject to Job Evaluation)

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital.

Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.

We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversification, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.

The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer; all applicants who have a disability can opt to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme, which means that, providing they meet the minimum essential criteria for the post, they will be offered an interview. We are also proudly accredited as a Veteran Aware organisation and have signed The Armed Forces Covenant.

If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

Job overview

Interim Director of Communications (3 Month Secondment/Fixed Term)

We are seeking an exceptional Interim Director of Communications on a 3 month fixed term basis to specifically lead on our next phase of strategic communications across the Group alongside finalising the redesign of our shared communications function. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for shaping a resilient, professional and efficient infrastructure and embedding a compelling narrative that connects our staff, patients, partners, and the public to our vision and values.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping how we communicate across our three Trusts going forwards, including the development of a Group-wide communications strategy.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Executive Team and Communications Leaders across our Organisation, you will provide expert advice on all aspects of communications and reputation management.

Interviews will take place on 4th November . We anticipate the successful candidate will join us in late November, subject to the completion of all employment checks.

Main duties of the job

You will oversee brand management of our Group, acting as a spokesperson when required and managing high-profile issues with professionalism and sensitivity. You will also drive innovation in how we tell our story—leveraging digital platforms, multimedia content, and creative campaigns to enhance our reach and influence.

As a key representative of the Group, you will engage with regional and national communications networks, including Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and NHS England (NHSE), ensuring our messaging aligns with wider system priorities.

Finally, you will provide leadership to establish the framework for a high-performing and financially sustainable communications function.

We’re looking for a dynamic, values-led leader with an appreciation of our context and extensive experience in senior communications roles, ideally within healthcare or public sector. You will have a strategic mindset with the ability to translate complex objectives into clear messaging and exceptional communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.

Working for our organisation

BSW Hospitals Group is a collaborative of three NHS Foundation Trusts, working together to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire. We are committed to innovation, inclusivity, and transformation in healthcare delivery where everyone matters.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Director of Communications will lead the strategic communications function across the BSW Hospitals Group ('the Group'), providing expert leadership in internal and external communications, media relations, reputation management, and staff engagement.

Please see attached the full job description

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development

Skills and Experience

• Extensive knowledge of specialist area of communications, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to master’s level equivalent
• Demonstrated understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this on engagement
• Ability to provide and receive, convey and present highly complex, sensitive and/or contentious information to large groups, responding openly to questions to ensure full understanding and engagement
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of expertise in providing senior leadership
• Demonstrated experience of leadership, vision, strategic thinking and planning with highly developed political skills
• High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner

Thank you for expressing interest in this role. For further employer guidance, please review the attached supplementary applicant information.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications, subject to eligibility of the role for a skilled worker visa and salary requirements. Not all roles in the Trust are eligible for sponsorship.

Eligibility for this role requires:

• Current right to work in the UK, subject to verification.
• Qualification of the eligibility sponsorship criteria

Current employees should be aware that this position is advertised as a Great Western Hospitals position and appointment ends any TUPE protection.

Candidates are responsible for covering the cost of their own DBS check if required: £21.50 for a Standard DBS check, recoverable from the first pay, or £49.50 for an Enhanced DBS check, divided and recoverable over the initial two pay periods. Payment for DBS checks for bank posts must be settled prior to commencement. Apprentices are exempt from DBS payment.

We are committed to supporting our staff in achieving a healthy work-life balance through flexible work arrangements. Upon joining the Trust, you have the right to request flexible working, with an unlimited number of requests allowed.

Upon acceptance of a job offer, your information will be transferred to the national NHS Electronic Staff Records System. All communication regarding your application will be conducted via email; please ensure to check your junk/spam folders as emails may occasionally be filtered there.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

#J-18808-Ljbffr