Location:                    London

Reports to:                 CEO

Grade:                         7

About Us:        

We are the Royal College of Pharmacy, the professional leadership body for pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. 

As the third largest workforce in healthcare, pharmacy plays a vital role in the health system, and as experts in medicines, pharmacists and their teams are central to patient care and public health. Our mission is to put pharmacy at the forefront of patient care, advancing the safe and effective use of medicines to the benefit of patients and the public. 

We drive excellence in practice by providing expert leadership and support to our members and the wider pharmacy community, developing professional standards and guidance, advancing pharmacy through policy development and advocacy and supporting professional development and patient safety through assurance, credentialing and learning resources.

We champion pharmacy across Great Britain and internationally, with a vision to be the world leader in the safe and effective use of medicines.

Our Governance and Leadership:

The Royal College of Pharmacy is a charitable body incorporated under Royal Charter (A charity registered in England and Wales (1217916), and Scotland (applied for)).  We exist to advance the safe and effective use of medicines, drive excellence in patient care and support pharmacists to deliver the highest standard of practice.

Our structure brings together professional leadership, national insight and organisational expertise to ensure pharmacy remains at the forefront of patient care. Through collaboration across our Board of Trustees, Senate, councils and advisory groups, along with our Executive team and directors, we influence policy, develop standards and support excellence across pharmacy.

Pharmaceutical Press, the knowledge business and wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal College of Pharmacy, shares a foundational commitment with the College to advance the safe and effective use of medicines, ensuring health professionals globally have quick and easy access to independent, evidence-based pharmaceutical knowledge.

Pharmaceutical Press Ltd. returns its profits to the royal college to support the College’s charitable objectives.  

Our values, culture and inclusion:

Our culture is grounded in professionalism, integrity and public service. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, recognising that diverse perspectives strengthen leadership and decision-making.

Through this, we actively work to create a culture of belonging and inclusive leadership, ensuring our people feel valued, supported and able to contribute fully to the future of pharmacy.

The Role Profile:      

 The Director of Strategic Communications and Engagement is a transformational leadership role at the Royal College of Pharmacy, shaping the organisation’s voice, influence and standing with members, stakeholders and the wider profession. Leading communications, brand and member engagement, and with close working with policy teams, this role sets an ambitious strategic direction that builds trust, deepens connection and positions the College as a powerful champion for the profession its membership and through them, patients and the public.

 Combining strategic vision with operational leadership, the role raises the profile and strengthens the reputation of the College and the pharmacy profession among key audiences. Through compelling communications, distinctive brand and messaging, and thought leadership, it drives visibility, relevance and impact.

 Working in close partnership with the Director of Pharmacy, who leads the organisation’s policy agenda, and the Director of Publishing and Product, who leads the website and the Pharmaceutical Journal, the post is central to amplifying the College’s voice, extending its influence and increasing its value to members and the wider profession.

 Specific Accountabilities:

1. Strategic Communications Leadership

• Develop and lead the college’s integrated communications strategy across all channels (digital, media, stakeholder engagement, brand, internal communications, events, content and campaigns). 

• Ensure the College has a strong and influential voice, with powerful messaging that resonates with pharmacy professionals, government, public and other stakeholders.

• Ensure customer experience and engagement is at the heart of all Royal College communications

• Develop communications that align with the purpose and strategic plan, accounting for member priorities. 

• Advise and support the CEO, Chair of the Board, President and other execs/NEDs on communications issues including briefing for events, speaking engagements and media interviews.  

• Monitor reputational risks and develop proactive and reactive messaging frameworks. 

• Partner closely with the Policy and Public affairs teams to amplify influence. 

• Build relationships with media, partners, and key stakeholders. 

2. Membership Engagement Strategy 

• Lead a clear engagement strategy to improve member experience, acquisition, retention, and satisfaction. 

• Design and deliver high-impact communication strategies that drive measurable growth in income and membership engagement.

• Create structured approaches to listening to member needs (e.g., advisory groups, forums, surveys, roundtables). 

• Ensure members feel represented, valued, and part of a cohesive community. 

• Drive compelling content creation that supports member engagement and thought leadership. 

• Oversee delivery of engagement programmes, outreach work, advisory groups, and networks, that support a strong member community. Work closely with events colleagues to utilise this channel. 

• Establish and oversee robust systems for gathering and analysing data on member behaviour to improve communication performance. 

• Ensure timely and professional responses to member queries and effective management of digital member communities. 

 3. Brand, Reputation & Positioning 

• Safeguard and Strengthen the college's brand, ensuring consistent messaging and positioning across all channels and safeguarding the use of the brand with partnership arrangements. 

• Ensure strong, credible positioning on issues affecting the profession and members. 

• Maintain and lead an effective approach to crisis communications. 

4. Leadership, Culture & Team Management 

• Contribute to broader strategy and effective collegiate organisational management as a member of the executive leadership team.

• Lead and develop high performing communications, brand, marketing, and engagement teams. 

• Instil a culture of creativity, responsiveness, and collaboration. 

• Establish clear KPIs and performance measures across the communications and engagement function, including management of budgets, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and high-performance. 

5. Internal Communications 

• Align staff understanding with organisational priorities and evolving member needs, ensuring clarity of purpose and consistent delivery against strategic objectives. 

• Design and lead effective leadership communication and cascade frameworks, enabling clear timely and two-way engagement across all levels of the organisation.

• Develop and embed a structured approach to representing member voice, strengthening organisational visibility, credibility and connection to member priorities. 

• Cultivate a high-performance culture rooted in creativity, evidence-based decision-making, and member-centricity, driving innovation and continuous improvement across services.

**This list is a summary of the main accountabilities of this role and is not exhaustive. The role holder may be required to undertake other reasonable duties from time to time.

Success Measures:

Member Engagement & Satisfaction 

• Improved member experience scores, satisfaction levels, acquisition and retention rates. 

• Increase in member participation in activities across our membership portfolio working constructively across directorates to maximise impact. 

 Brand Strength & Reputation 

• Growth in positive media profile, digital reach, and stakeholder recognition. 

• Demonstrable influence in shaping public or sector conversations. 

 Communication Effectiveness 

• Strong performance of communication channels (reach, engagement, sentiment). 

• Clear, consistent messaging that resonates with members and stakeholders. 

 Organisational Impact 

• Successful alignment of communications and engagement with organisational strategy. 

• Effective support for policy, advocacy, and corporate priorities. 

Operational Delivery 

• Strong budget stewardship and efficient resource use. 

 Leadership Contribution 

• High-performing teams with strong capability and morale. 

• Positive feedback from colleagues, members and stakeholders on collaboration and leadership. 

Knowledge & Skills for this job:

Experience & Qualifications: 

• Exceptional leadership and team membership experience gained in a complex, private, public or third sector organisation, ideally within a membership body or royal college

• Proven track record of developing and implementing communication strategies to support income and membership growth, in particular with skills in delivering growth 

• Experience of strategy development, implementation and evaluation, ideally as part of a senior leadership team, including working with a Board, translating the outcomes into a communications strategy and supporting the organisation to monitor impact. 

• Exceptional senior stakeholder engagement skills and people management 

• A proven commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and how to enable positive change in an organisation. 

Knowledge:  

• A senior communications professional, from any sector, with the ability to lead across the spectrum of College’s wide communications portfolio. 

• Significant experience in leading proactive and reactive strategic communications. 

• Outstanding advocacy, presentation and interpersonal skills to promote and represent the College to a diverse set of audiences and stakeholders.

• A blend of performance management and interpersonal skills to promote and represent the College to a diverse set of audiences and stakeholders.

• Knowledge of or interest in our sector 

• Demonstrable digital skills and awareness of digital trends 

Skills:

• A strong understanding of brand and marketing  

• A strategic and innovative big picture thinker and doer

• The ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing and in person  

• The ability to make critical decisions, and to be able to justify them  

• Good analytical and diagnostic skills  

• Vision, creativity, energy, commitment  

• Strong decision-making skills in the face of uncertainty   

Key Competencies for the Role 

Strategic Thinking 

• Ability to translate organisational goals into clear communications and engagement strategies. 

• Strong horizon scanning and risk-awareness. 

 Member Focus 

• Deep understanding of membership expectations, behaviours and drivers. 

• Commitment to delivering value and meaningful engagement. 

 Delivery Focus 

• Proven to drive communications and engagement plans that deliver the required outcomes/KPI’s  

 Leadership & People Management 

• Inspirational leadership style; ability to build and motivate multidisciplinary teams. 

• Skilled at influencing senior leaders and navigating complex stakeholder environments. 

 Communication Excellence 

• Outstanding written, verbal, and visual communication skills. 

• Ability to craft compelling narratives for diverse audiences. 

 Relationship Building 

• Demonstrated ability to build strong networks with members, partners, media, and stakeholders. 

• Skilled collaborator across departments and disciplines. 

 Digital & Data Literacy 

• Strong understanding of digital strategy, analytics, user experience, and content design. 

• Ability to translate data into actionable insight. 

 Resilience & Crisis Management 

• Calm, confident, and strategic under pressure. 

• Experience in managing reputation challenges. 

 Commercial Awareness 

• Understanding of value drivers in a membership organisation—retention, growth, relevance, and service quality. 

Date Job Description drafted: May 2026