Head Of Strategic Communications & Engagement

Salary: £84,702

Closing date: Sunday, 14 April 2024

Contract type: Permanent

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation. We improve health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building partnerships.

We plan to spend £16bn over the next ten years, funding new discoveries in life, health, and wellbeing, and taking on three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.

These challenges need the bold science we support, but they won't be solved by science alone.

We are looking for a Head of Strategic Communications & Engagement to join our team on a permanent basis.

Where in Wellcome will I be working?

As Head of Strategic Communications & Engagement you'll lead the Strategic Communications & Engagement team in Corporate Affairs. You will report to the Associate Director of Strategic Communications, Planning & Insight and manage four Strategic Communications & Engagement roles.

Corporate Affairs is an exciting and multi-disciplined department. Its purpose is to ensure that the science Wellcome assist has the greatest impact. We do this by communicating Wellcome's activities, funding and positions, shifting public narratives, influencing for change, building our reputation and brand, and enabling communities to play a core role.

Strategic Communications & Engagement is the anchor to much of this work. Your role will therefore work closely with all of Corporate Affairs' teams and with subjective matter experts across the organisation in Policy, Government Relations, Strategic Partnerships and research programmes in order to deliver Wellcome's mission and its strategic programmes of Climate and Health, Discovery Research, Infectious Disease and Infectious disease.

What will I be doing?

You will be leading Wellcome's Strategic Communications & Engagement team ensuring Wellcome's strategic programmes, have communications, campaign and engagement strategies and long-term plans in place that work alongside one another to further Wellcome's mission and tell a cohesive Wellcome story.

You will also be establishing new strategic communication practices and processes and creating an inclusive, collaborative, creative environment for your team and others across the organization.

In practice this means that you will need to:

• Ensure Wellcome's four strategic programmes and other programmes as required have high quality communications, campaign and engagement strategies in place, briefed according to priority and resource availability.

• Be accountable for the monitoring, reporting and learning of these strategies, reporting to Corporate Affairs leadership and other members of Wellcome's senior leadership team.

• Mange the Strategic Communications & Engagement team, ensure integration with the wider Strategic Communications, Planning and Insight team and be responsible for the Strategic Communications & Engagement offer to the organisation.

• Work with the Associate Director of Strategic Communications, Planning & Insight to ensure Wellcome's programme of communications, campaign and engagement work is focused on our most important needs and opportunity areas.

Is this job for me?

We're looking for an individual who is excited about the benefits that science and research can have on people's health and is motivated by the impact that excellent communications, campaigns and engagement can have in this.

Strategic Communications and Engagement is a developing team at Wellcome that has a broad role and multiple sets of stakeholders. You'll thrive in this environment, envisioning how the team can evolve to best assist the organisation and be committed to achieving this. You will have proven experience across communications, campaigns and engagement strategy and evaluation on health and science issues and will excel at driving high standards of execution.

You will understand that great integrated communications or advocacy work does not happen through one team or individual and have experience of how to build strong, mutually respectful relationships that drive great collaboration and outcomes towards shared goals. You will set clear parameters that help teams to deliver.

We are looking for somebody who:

• Had substantial experience in Strategic Communications, integrated communications or campaign strategies, and generalist knowledge in communications, marketing, engagement or brand delivery and evaluation.

• Has a solid comprehension of the complexities and dynamics of global health or science, especially in in the context of working for a London-based foundation.

• Is skilled in navigating complex, competing communications, engagement and campaign needs, and tensioning between them based on organization priorities and resource.

• Able to spot Strategic Communications opportunities and risks and act to address them.

• Is dedicated to collaborative working, and building inclusive, respectful and influential relationships across a range of colleagues and stakeholders.

For the recruitment of this role we are using Workday's anonymised application functionality.

To apply please upload your CV and complete our short application. Please ensure that when you are applying you complete all sections on the application form, we will not be able to accept any applications that are incomplete

Interview dates: Week commencing Monday, 29 April 2024

You can view the full job description on our website

You can read more about the benefits we offer our employees on our website

Our Hybrid Way of Working

We understand that our colleagues have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to build a flexible working environment, in which people can perform at their best. We are currently working 2 days per week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) from our Euston Road offices (as part of our hybrid Ways of Working) with the remaining 3 days working either remotely or in the office.

From 1st September 2024 we will move to 3 days in the office (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) with the remaining 2 days working either remotely or in the office.

Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do

Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Wellcome. We are committed to cultivating a fair and inclusive environment, where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. Please visit our website for more information on adjustments and accessibility, or contact us at .

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