Job summary
Are you passionate about making a lasting impact on the mental health of young people? Do you thrive in dynamic environments where groundbreaking work is the norm? The King's Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People is on a mission to revolutionise the understanding and treatment of youth mental health and we need a communications leader like you to help us share this vital work with the world.
The King's Maudsley Partnership brings together world-leading experts in mental health from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN). This unprecedented collaboration unites the largest group of mental health scientists and clinical academics in Europe, aiming to predict, prevent, and treat mental health disorders in children both locally and globally.
Main duties of the job
As Senior Communications and Engagement Manager, you will be at the forefront of our efforts to raise the profile of this groundbreaking Partnership. You will :
- Drive strategic communications : Develop and implement communications and engagement strategies that highlight our work, influence mental health policy, and foster public and professional support
- Lead high-impact projects : Oversee a variety of initiatives, ensuring they are delivered on time and to the highest standards. You'll identify opportunities for growth and work with senior leaders to expand our reach
- Build strong relationships : Use your exceptional relationship-building and negotiation skills to craft compelling stories and campaigns that resonate with stakeholders, including journalists, policymakers, third-sector partners, and the community
- Navigate complex environments : Manage internal and external communications across multiple organisations, ensuring that the Partnership's voice is consistent, clear, and impactful
What you bring :
Versatility and expertise : A broad background in communications, with skills ranging from expert copywriting to PR and event management.Strategic mindset : The ability to develop and execute plans that engage diverse audiences and drive meaningful change.Influence and collaboration : Proven experience in working across complex, matrixed organisations, with a talent for bringing people together and aligning them with common goalsAbout us
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family.
We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at South London and Maudsley. It's important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer.
Some of our benefits include :
Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package, which is dependent on the role and length of serviceWork life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as : part-time working and job sharingCareer development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmesCar lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease carsAccommodation, our staff benefits from key-worker housing available which is available on selected sitesNHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though the Health Service Discounts websiteOther benefits include :
Counselling servicesWellbeing eventsLong service awardsCycle to work schemeSeason ticket loanChildcare vouchersStaff restaurantsJob description
Job responsibilities
To oversee the delivery and evaluation of communications and engagement plans that support the Partnerships strategic objectives and build the Partnerships reputation as a leading organisation on children and young peoples mental health, ensuring that communications and engagement activity is in line with the Trust's overall communications and engagement strategyTo ensure that relationships with key stakeholders are maintained and proactively developedTo oversee the development and delivery of communications and engagement plans to support clinical service development and academic research programmes, and influence children and young people mental health policy at national, regional and local level, providing leadership and expert advice, ensuring communications plans align with broader communications strategies including staff engagement and involvement programmes at both South London and Maudsley and IoPPNTo work with senior managers to identify and develop communications campaigns to support the Partnership in meeting its strategic objectives, providing strategic advice and expertise to enable opportunities for feedback, involvement and contribution to decision-makingTo ensure that all communications materials and channels help build the Partnerships profile and influence, that they are correctly tailored for the appropriate target audiences, including hard to reach audiences, and are in line with the Trust's overall communications strategyTo ensure the Partnerships brand and visual identity are protected, including supporting other staff in the correct application of corporate style guidelines, ensuring compliance and addressing inconsistenciesDeputise for the Kings Maudsley Partnership Programme Director where appropriatePerson Specification
Training and qualifications
Essential
Educated to Masters level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist areaEvidence of continuing professional and personal developmentDesirable
CIPR diploma or advanced certificatePrince 2 PractitionerProfessional qualification in marketing, journalism or public relations (CIM, CAM, IPR or similar)Professional qualification in e-communicationsExperience
Essential
Demonstrable experience of working in a communications / PR / senior journalist role preferably within a large and complex organisationExperience of writing excellent copy for a wide range of outlets and for a wide range of target audiencesDemonstrated experience of managing communications projects including development, planning, implementation and evaluationExperience of developing brand strategies and managing relationships with design and print agenciesExperience of successfully delivering communications strategies and implementing communications programmesExperience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environmentExperience of drafting briefing papers and correspondence at senior levelExperience of managing stakeholder events, launches and campaignsManaging stakeholder and public affairs projects including writing and production of communications materialsManaging stakeholder and partner relationships and engagement, and representing organisationsDesirable
Experience of working in mental healthExperience of working in NHS communicationsExperience of working in higher education, science or research communicationsKnowledge and skills
Essential
Excellent written and verbal communication skillsIn-depth knowledge and understanding of current PR practice and theoryPublic Affairs and stakeholder relations campaign planning, development and implementation skillsAbility to grasp complex issues and conceptsAbility to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as requiredThe ability to identify the target audience for any given issue, understand their needs and the best channels to reach them, adapting writing styles to suit and developing copy with speed and accuracyExperience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholdersExcellent report writing skillsExcellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workloadProficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)Ability to think creatively and to assess the merit of design workAbility to demonstrate a high level of attention to detailAbility to build and maintain effective relationships with people at all levelsAbility to remain calm under pressureAbility to work both independently and as part of a small teamDesirable
Good understanding of the national government and the NHS, how it works, the issues it faces and how to communicate within itExperience of communicating with diverse audiences including hard to reach groupsPolicy design, development and implementation skillsValues and behaviours
Essential
Ability to act in accordance with our values and behavioursOther
Essential
Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problemsDesirable
Personal experience of mental health problems