Job overview
Are you passionate about helping to improve the health and well-being of our communities in mid and west Wales?
We are looking for a communication professional who wants to make a difference through your work and contribute to improved health and well-being for our communities.
The Senior Communications Officer - Public Health will support us in our ambition to shift from a service focused on treating illness, to one focused on preventing ill health, or worsening of ill-health.
You will need to deliver proactive and integrated communication campaigns on a variety of health issues as part of the role. You will also help manage challenging situations, where good communications is critical. This could range from managing the communications around a local public health risk to supporting with a change in how health services are provided.
We want to hear from people who can evidence how their communication work has delivered positive outcomes and have experience of supporting behaviour change.
If this sounds like you, please tell us in your application how you meet the essential criteria. We would love to hear about your relevant experience and ideas.
Main duties of the job
The role requires an experienced communications professional who can provide leadership within the communications team and advise senior managers within the organisation on their approach to open, transparent, and honest communication, in line with our Duty of Candour.
You will use communications to influence behaviour change that benefits the health of our communities. You will need to provide our internal and external audiences with clear information and creative content, using integrated communication approaches and campaigns. This could include communication on improving health, accessing services, service change, or in a major incident, in line with our Warning and Informing duties.
You will need to be able to demonstrate experience of using varied mechanisms for dialogue with staff, patients, our communities, and stakeholders, and you will need to evaluate this to show outcomes and continuously learn and improve.
You will deliver a programme of content and communication which also recognises and celebrates staff and UHB achievements, which benefit the local population and wider health service.
You will provide a reactive service to respond effectively to what can be complex and sensitive enquiries from staff, journalists and social media users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.
Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.
This post could be based across our Health Board area. Please reach out to discuss with the appointing manager our hybrid working options.
Interviews will be held on 10.07.2026
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Previous experience of working in a communications team or evidence of leading communication campaigns across internal, external, and digital channels, including using social media, with a proven track record.
- Practise or equivalent knowledge of using communications as an enabler of behavioural change.
- Experience of creating basic graphic design to help communicate messages.
- Experience in taking basic photos, video shooting and editing.
- Experience of line management of staff.
Desirable
- Evidenced ability to work across professional and organisational boundaries in an atmosphere of change/ complex structures and partnership working.
- Experience of working with staff and journalists in a responsive role for the NHS or another large public sector organisation.
Language Skills
Desirable
- Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- Educated to degree level in relevant field (public relations, communications, media or marketing) or equivalent qualification or experience of working at this level.
- Knowledge of communication approaches and delivery obtained through either postgraduate level education or professional CPD in relevant field, or evidenced experience working at this level.
- Specialist knowledge and experience of communication in fields of internal communications, media communications, or digital communications.
- Qualification or demonstrative knowledge of the legislation governing media, and slander/ libel laws for publishers. Understanding of Editor’s Code of Conduct and the Chartered Institute of Public Relation’s professional code of conduct and a willingness to act within accordance of them
- Demonstrable continued professional development.
Desirable
- Certified member of Chartered Institute of Public Relations or Chartered Institute of Marketing.
- Working knowledge of media relationship systems and website content management system
- Understanding of Welsh legislation and WG delegated powers, particularly within health, and of political environment within Wales.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Senior Communications Officer - Public Health with Hywel Dda University Health Board in Haverfordwest, West Wales, Wales. It is listed as a Band 6 Administrative and IT role. The advertised salary is £40,559 - £48,841 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 30 Jun 2026.
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