Marie Curie UK is hiring a Head of Communications based in London. The role sits at the heart of one of the UK's most respected charities, the country's largest non-NHS provider of end-of-life care. This is not an entry-level position. It demands a specific combination of strategic thinking, leadership experience, and communications expertise.
Understanding exactly what skills this role requires can help you assess your own readiness. Here is a detailed breakdown of what Marie Curie is looking for and how you can work toward meeting those expectations.
What the Role Actually Involves
The Head of Communications at Marie Curie UK leads the external communications strategy for a complex, mission-driven organisation. You will shape how the public, media, stakeholders, and regulators perceive Marie Curie. That is a significant responsibility.
The role also involves cross-directorate collaboration, crisis communications leadership, and team development. You will work closely with the Director of Corporate and Strategic Communications and the Head of PR and Media. These are senior relationships that require confidence, diplomacy, and clarity.
Technical Skills Required
Strategic Communications Planning
At the core of this role is the ability to develop and implement organisation-wide communications strategies. Marie Curie expects you to align external messaging with broader organisational goals. This means understanding how communications supports fundraising, policy, and service delivery simultaneously.
You need experience creating multi-channel communication plans. These plans must work across digital, print, broadcast, and stakeholder engagement channels. Knowing how to measure their impact is equally important.
Campaign Management
Marie Curie explicitly requires a strong track record of leading major communication campaigns. This includes change communications, which are among the most complex campaigns to manage. Change communications require internal sensitivity while maintaining a consistent external voice.
You should be comfortable overseeing campaigns from concept through to evaluation. Budget management, supplier relationships, and agency oversight all fall within this skillset. Experience running campaigns in the charity or public sector is a strong advantage here.
Crisis Communications
Crisis communications experience is a specific requirement in this role. Marie Curie operates in a sensitive space, end-of-life care, where reputational risks can emerge quickly. You must be able to lead response planning and develop key messages under pressure.
This requires more than drafting statements. It means having a structured approach to crisis scenarios before they happen. Organisations that handle crises well do so because their teams prepared in advance, not in the moment.
Media and Public Relations Knowledge
While the Head of PR and Media handles day-to-day press relations, you still need solid knowledge of media relations. Understanding how journalists work, what makes a story, and how to position a charity as a sector authority is essential. Marie Curie wants to be recognised as the leading voice on end-of-life care in the UK.
Digital and Content Strategy
Modern communications leadership requires fluency in digital platforms and content ecosystems. Social media strategy, SEO-informed content, email communications, and website messaging all fall under a broad communications remit. You do not need to be a technical expert, but you must understand how these tools work together.
Soft Skills That Matter in This Role
Leadership and People Management
Leading, guiding, and developing a team is listed explicitly as a key requirement. This is not a role where you can focus solely on strategy while others handle delivery. You need to coach your team, manage performance, and build capability over time.
Good people managers create environments where teams feel supported. In a charity context, staff are often mission-driven and emotionally invested in the work. Understanding how to manage that dynamic with empathy and professionalism is critical.
Stakeholder Management
Marie Curie operates across all four UK nations and works with NHS partners, government bodies, community groups, and the public. Managing complex stakeholder relationships requires political awareness, active listening, and the ability to adapt your communication style. Different stakeholders need different messages delivered in different ways.
Collaboration Across Directorates
This role works closely across multiple internal departments. That means navigating competing priorities and finding common ground. Strong collaborative instincts and the ability to influence without direct authority are essential traits for success here.
Resilience Under Pressure
End-of-life care is an emotionally charged subject. Communications around death, bereavement, and serious illness require sensitivity and care. You need the personal resilience to work in this environment consistently. Professionals who thrive here tend to be emotionally intelligent and mission-aligned.
Experience Required for the Role
Marie Curie is looking for candidates who have already worked in a similar senior communications role. The job description points to several specific experience markers you should be able to demonstrate.
- Delivering organisation-wide communication plans that support business objectives
- Leading major communication campaigns, including change communications
- Managing and developing a communications team
- Working within a complex organisation, ideally in the charity, healthcare, or public sector
- Contributing to or leading crisis communications responses
- Collaborating with senior leadership and across multiple departments
Most candidates applying at this level will have at least eight to ten years of communications experience. Several of those years should be in a leadership capacity. A background in the charity sector, NHS, or a similarly complex public-facing organisation strengthens your application significantly.
How to Build These Skills
Gain Progressive Leadership Experience
If you are not yet at Head of Communications level, focus on taking on leadership responsibilities in your current role. Volunteer to manage junior colleagues, lead projects, or oversee campaign delivery end to end. These experiences build the evidence base you need to apply confidently for senior positions.
Develop Your Crisis Communications Knowledge
Many communications professionals lack formal crisis training. Seek out workshops, simulations, or professional courses in crisis and issues management. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) both offer relevant training and accreditation in the UK.
Work Across Sectors
Exposure to the charity or healthcare sector gives you a real advantage for this specific role. If you currently work in the private sector, consider taking on pro bono communications projects with charities or nonprofits. This builds sector knowledge and demonstrates genuine commitment to mission-driven work.
Build Your Strategic Planning Skills
Strategy is a learnable skill. Read widely about communications planning frameworks. Seek mentors who operate at director level and can share how they approach long-term strategic decisions. Offer to contribute to your organisation's communications strategy even if it falls outside your current job description.
Strengthen Your Stakeholder Engagement Skills
Practice engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in your current role. Ask to join meetings with senior leaders, trustees, or external partners. The more exposure you have to complex stakeholder dynamics, the more confident and capable you will become at managing them.
Apply for the Marie Curie UK Head of Communications Role
This is a rare opportunity to lead communications for one of the UK's most impactful charities. The role demands seniority, strategic depth, and a genuine connection to the mission of improving end-of-life care. Candidates who combine strong technical communications skills with authentic leadership experience are best placed to succeed.
You can apply for the Marie Curie UK Head of Communications position directly at this link.
