Head of Communications & Engagement

Salary: £61,165 - £68,817 per annum (Grade 9)

Location: Durham City (Palatine Centre), hybrid

Job type: Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time (35 hours per week)

Closing date: 22 November 2026

Job Number: 26001404

Department: Marketing and Communications

Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally. Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.

We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University.

The Role and the Department

This senior level, strategic communications role is suited to professionals with significant leadership experience in large, high profile and complex institutions and used to working across large and varied portfolios, often at pace. You will guide, advise and develop strategies and plans focused on building and managing the University's reputation internationally, nationally and regionally with key audiences and stakeholders.

The role is based within the Global Division: Advancement (Marketing and Communications, Development and Alumni Relations (DARO)). Collectively, the teams enhance and support the University's reputation, student recruitment and revenue generation, and enable effective engagement with students, staff and stakeholders to advance the University's mission and objectives.

This role reports to and deputises for the Director of Communications and Engagement, will line manage the external / internal communications teams and will also work closely with the Head of Corporate Marketing. While it is based within the communications team you will work across the three Advancement teams (Communications, Marketing and Development and Alumni Relations) to guide, advise on and deliver integrated strategic communications activity working across the PR mix, including digital and social media, media relations, events and internal / external stakeholder management.

You will chiefly be working with senior colleagues on a breadth of strategic activity but will also make a significant contribution to leadership and development of the communications team and a pan-University strategic communications community of practice.

A proactive and innovative approach is essential. You will provide professional communications advice and guidance and will identify and propose strategic communications solutions to opportunities and challenges. You will have high professional standards, excellent communications, influencing and leadership skills. You will be equally adept at strategy development as implementing tactical solutions, comfortable working at pace and with complexity.

You will have a breadth of national and international media contacts and will have extensive experience of front-line media relations, advising on media strategy and leading media teams. You will also be digital communications savvy, with extensive knowledge and experience of devising, delivering and supporting teams to deliver digital communications innovations and activity.

We would be particularly interested in speaking with candidates who have senior level strategic communications experience in large, complex organisations such as, but not limited to, Government departments and agencies.

As an essential part of the role, you will also provide significant support for the Director of Communications and the Head of Corporate Marketing in leading the Marketing and Communications team's 24/7 out of hours function. This involves providing senior level strategic communications guidance and support at evenings and weekends to senior stakeholders and the on-call team for major incidents or matters of reputation.

This full-time role is based in Durham City (Palatine Centre). The University supports hybrid working arrangements with the expectation of two days minimum in the office per week but this could be more according to business need, for example where there are in-person meetings or events on campus. As this role requires depth and breadth of contextual knowledge of the University, including its staff, students and stakeholders, for the first 6-12 months it is expected that you will spend more days working in person in Durham. You will be required to work occasionally from the University's administrative base in Boldon House, Pity Me as appropriate and to travel as per the requirements of the role e.g. to attend or deliver strategic / sector events or meet with key stakeholders.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many benefits you will receive if you join the University:

• You'll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
• We offer a generous pension scheme. As a new member of staff, you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.
• We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
• We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
• Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
• You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
• Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
• If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

Person Specification

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.

Essential Criteria – Qualifications/Experience

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
• Professional strategic communications practitioner with specialist knowledge and expertise to influence service delivery, events and activities within the organisation.
• Experience of providing specialist strategic communications advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues, working across an integrated PR mix (digital / social media, media relations, events, internal / external stakeholder management). A strong, strategic and ideas driven thinker, able to translate effectively strategy to delivery.
• *Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence the University's reputation.
• A proactive and innovative approach. Experience of identifying and implementing where relevant service improvements are required and devising, developing and embedding policies and procedures.
• Track record of cross-functional management and development experience and/or an enhanced management or professional strategic communications (or similar) qualification applied across a large service team and / or multi-disciplinary teams. Extensive line management experience.
• Significant experience of working at a senior level in large, complex and high-profile organisations to deliver strategic communications, advising and guiding senior stakeholders.
• Significant expertise in delivering integrated digital and social media and traditional media strategy, policy and operations, at an international / national level, working with and through multi-disciplinary teams. Evidence of proactively devising, delivering and guiding teams to deliver digital communications innovations and activity.
• Extensive experience of frontline digital and social media management and media relations across a diversity of issues and situations.
• Established relationships / contacts within the national / international media and ability to manage effectively engagement with journalists.

Essential Criteria – Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

• Excellent spoken and written communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally. Empathetic and people centred with the ability to apply astute judgement and discretion to a variety of situations at pace.
• Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including digital communications tools, Microsoft 365 applications, business systems and digital and social media channels.
• Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition.
• Extensive knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory, organisational policy and professional guidelines. Thorough knowledge and ability to apply guidelines concerning strategic communications practice, e.g. CIPR Ethics code and IPSO's Code of Practice.
• Ability to contribute to planning at operational and strategic levels.
• Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions.
• A demonstrably proactive, agile and adaptive approach to strategic communications: proactively researching, anticipating and advising on opportunities and challenges, taking appropriate steps including providing high-quality advice and guidance and devising/ leading programmes of work across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Thorough knowledge of the national / international media and experience of media relations across a diversity of issues.
• A high-level of integrity, resilience and tenacity with the ability to work at pace and amid unpredictability and complexity. Strong influencing skills, both in writing and verbally, and adept at handling challenging and complex situations.
• Strong and thorough knowledge of current and political affairs, how they impact higher education institutions both nationally and globally and the ability to apply it to effective strategic communications delivery.
• A team player with an inspiring, dynamic and empowering approach to leadership and management. The ability to work with a range of stakeholders assembled to meet the demands of urgent situations and to anticipate and address stakeholder needs internally and externally.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in or with a knowledge of high-profile higher education sector organisations. A thorough knowledge of the sector's operating context.
• A professional qualification or equivalent in strategic communications.

How to apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don't forget to check if there are any weighted criteria (see above). While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

What you need to submit

• A CV of no more than two A4 pages; and
• A supporting statement of no more than 1000 words

These two documents must address how you meet the criteria within the Person Specification. In your supporting statement, you are expected to draw on recent examples and case studies to evidence your points, specifically where you yourself have demonstrated strategic communications leadership.

For a discussion about the role or any further information please contact Claire Whitelaw, Director of Communications and Engagement.

Typical Role Requirements

Service Delivery/Development

• Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values.
• Oversee and manage professional and regulatory standards and policies relating to strategic communications activity.
• Use your leadership and management and strategic communications expertise to implement any significant changes optimally, in collaboration with other senior managers and specialists, often working at pace.
• Lead on the development of new areas of work or activities, including integrated digital, social media and media approaches, including scoping, planning and implementing any changes to achieve the outcomes expected by senior colleagues.
• Look for innovative ways to continually improve the services provided to your stakeholders.
• Develop and implement new or improved policies, processes and standards.
• Use your professional knowledge and experience as a strategic communications practitioner to resolve problems, shape process and activities, develop systems and to provide subject matter expertise and advice.
• Support quality and regulatory audits to ensure that systems and processes are operating in an optimal and compliant way.
• Meet the professional development needs of your stakeholders by ensuring that a programme of training and learning activities is designed and delivered by teams working on digital, social media and media relations.
• Provide specialist insight that enables data-driven decisions to be made about strategic communications internally and externally.
• Working with the Director on integrated digital, social media and media relations strategy and operations, including providing expert advice and guidance. Manage media enquiries.
• Line management of the external and internal communications teams.
• Support the Director and the Head of Corporate Marketing to deliver an effective 24/7 on call service, including front line digital, social media and media management and providing senior level advice and guidance during and out of office hours, including evenings and weekends.

Planning and Organisation

• Use your expertise to help develop strategic plans and business plans that cover a wide range of operational activities.
• Define what needs to be achieved so that other colleagues can scope, plan and implement large-scale/university-wide initiatives such as a strategic campaign or response to a topical issue.
• Ensure your services are performing at the optimal level by setting clear standards and introducing measurable performance indicators.
• Use your leadership expertise to help project teams understand what needs to be achieved, solve any problems that are encountered and keep implementation plans on track.
• Allocate and monitor designated budgets, expenditure and resources.

Leadership and Team Development

• Set operational and strategic objectives and use your leadership and management skills, to develop a strategic communications community of practice and ensure high standards of performance.
• Help shape the skills and expertise needed to deliver a professional service by recruiting, inducting and training team members in a way that will best meet operational and strategic priorities.
• Ensure that your team can deliver the required services by delegating responsibilities to appropriate team members and considering succession plans.
• Carry out regular performance reviews with colleagues where required to provide feedback on objectives and identify any development needs.
• Where required, handle most HR issues and support the welfare and wellbeing of your team, taking advice on more complex issues from specialist services or senior managers.

Communication/Liaison

• Advise and guide senior stakeholders in matters of media, digital and social media management in a range of circumstances.
• Lead internal and external meetings and committees to influence University policy, standards and governance.
• Build and lead an influential network of internal and external contacts to increase your knowledge and skills, swap information with peers and use that information to improve and develop strategic communications.
• Identify opportunities to build relationships with external organisations to support the delivery of strategic-level objectives.
• Research new approaches being taken by internal and external stakeholders such as the Government, the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, CIPR, higher education organisations, international partners etc. so that you can take these insights into account when developing strategic communications. Monitor developments in the international, national and regional media and consider what this means for strategic communications delivery.
• Explore options to promote and increase engagement in strategic communications being delivered by your service.
• Design and deliver a programme of professional development activities to your stakeholders to support their development and information needs.
• Any other reasonable duties including playing a leadership and senior advisory role in our 24/7 out of hours communications service and business travel where required.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data.

Durham University is a UKVI sponsor. Applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK should note that not all roles are eligible.