HEAD OF BRAND, COMMUNICATIONS AND PR
Thank you for your interest in joining the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA). We are a friendly, inclusive and dynamic team focussed on ensuring we deliver the best possible prehospital critical care for the people of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. We are here to help save lives. Our highly skilled crews of doctors, paramedics and pilots take an emergency department to the scene. We respond to more missions every year, tending to patients in what is often their greatest hour of need.
Karen CEO Karen Jobling
WHO WE ARE Rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission across all five areas that were inspected – Safe, Caring, Effective, Responsive and Well led, we are a friendly, inclusive, and dynamic team focused on ensuring we deliver the best possible service. We aspire to be by the side of more patients. We serve a population of almost 1.6m across Lincs & Notts. Since we first took to the air in 1994, we have responded to over 32,000 emergencies. Accidents and medical emergencies can change lives forever and that’s why we are committed to saving lives and providing cutting-edge, prehospital critical care. In 2025 we were called to respond to over 1,600 incidents. Our crews respond 24/7, 365 days a year. Our highly skilled team operate at the very forefront of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). They perform life-saving interventions, including emergency chest and heart surgical procedures, deliver emergency anaesthesia and administer blood transfusions to patients suffering from life-threatening blood loss.
HOW WE WORK OUR VISION To be by the side of more patients, enabling the delivery of worldclass care.
OUR MISSION To provide outstanding care, by helicopter and car, 24/7 to the people of Lincs, Notts and beyond.
OUR VALUES We have four values (TRIC) that underpin everything we do.
TEAMWORK
RESPECT
Staff, crew, partners, volunteers and the community: one indivisible team.
We treat everyone with consideration, appreciation and acceptance.
INNOVATION
COMPASSION
We aim high and embrace opportunities to improve and advance everything we do.
We treat others with sensitivity, consideration and kindness.
MAIN PURPOSE The Head of Brand, Communications & PR is responsible for leading the strategic development and delivery of the charity’s brand, communications and public relations activity. The role will ensure the charity has a strong, trusted and consistent voice, protecting and enhancing its reputation while increasing awareness, engagement and support. As a leader, the postholder will develop and implement integrated communication strategies that inspire supporters, influence stakeholders, strengthen the charity’s profile and demonstrate the impact of our life-saving service. Working across the organisation, they will ensure all communications reflect the charity’s values, strategic objectives and commitment to patients, supporters and our communities. The role provides strategic leadership of the communications function through the direct line management and development of the Communications & PR Manager, ensuring delivery of high-quality, integrated communications that support the charity’s strategic priorities.
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HOURS 37.5 per week
SALARY £42,000 to £50,000 (FTE), dependent upon skills and experience
TYPE Permanent contract
REPORTING TO Director of Income and Engagement
BASE Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance HQ, HEMS Way, Lincoln LN4 2GW
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Strategic Leadership: Develop and deliver a long-term brand, communications and PR strategy aligned to the charity’s strategic plan. Lead the evolution and stewardship of the charity’s brand and key messages ensuring consistency across all channels and audiences. Provide expert communications advice to the Executive Leadership Team. Identify emerging trends, opportunities and risks to strengthen organisational reputation and supporter engagement. Champion audience insight and evidence-based decision making across all communications activity.
Brand Management: Act as the guardian of the charity’s brand identity and messaging. Ensure all communications (both internal and external) consistently reflect the charity’s mission, vision and personality. Lead brand development projects, including awareness campaigns, creative direction and brand positioning. Lead on occasional opportunities to promote the work of LNAA outside Lincs and Notts. Drive continuous improvement in brand recognition, perception and audience engagement maximising opportunities to be picked up via AI searches. Develop promotional strategies and plans to raise brand awareness of LNAA.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Communications: Working closely with marketing colleagues, lead the development of integrated communications plans supporting income generation, operational activity, volunteering, recruitment and organisational priorities. Oversee content planning across owned and shared media channels. Ensure compelling storytelling that demonstrates the impact of donations and the charity’s life-saving work. Responsible for our website branding, corporate content and its overall development. Guide and support the Communications and PR Manager in leading internal communications strategies that engage colleagues and volunteers, and support organisational culture. Public Relations and Media: Develop proactive media strategies, alongside the Comms & PR Manager, to maximise positive coverage and build relationships with journalists and influencers. Act as senior communications lead during high-profile incidents or major organisational announcements. Oversee crisis communications planning and reputation management. Identify opportunities to position the charity as a trusted voice within the charity and pre-hospital critical care sector. Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with the Comms and PR Manager to: Build strong relationships across all areas of the organisation to ensure communications support strategic objectives. Develop productive partnerships with external agencies, media organisations and sector stakeholders. Represent the charity at events, networking opportunities and external meetings when appropriate.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Leadership and People Management Provide effective line management, leadership and coaching to the Communications & PR Manager, setting clear objectives, supporting professional development and fostering high performance. Provide strategic direction while empowering the Communications & PR Manager to lead the day-to-day delivery of communications, media relations and content activity. Build a collaborative, innovative and high-performing communications function that supports organisational objectives. Work with the Director of Income & Engagement to ensure the communications function has the capability, capacity and resources to meet current and future priorities. Manage departmental budget, agency relationships and external suppliers, ensuring value for money and effective delivery. Promote a culture of continuous improvement, learning and innovation across the communications function.
Performance and Governance: Establish meaningful KPIs to evaluate communications effectiveness and return on investment. Monitor brand health, media performance and audience engagement, providing regular reports to the ELT. Ensure compliance with charity sector regulations, media law, GDPR and brand governance. Manage reputational risk and ensure appropriate governance processes are followed.
PERSON SPECIFICATION Knowledge and Experience - Essential Significant experience in a senior communications, brand or PR leadership role. Experience of developing and delivering integrated communication strategies. Proven experience of line managing, coaching and developing communications professionals. Strong experience of reputation management and media relations. Experience of leading complex, multi-channel campaigns. Demonstrable experience of managing organisational brand. Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience of influencing senior leaders. Experience of crisis communications and issues management. Strong analytical skills, using insight and evaluation to inform strategy. Experience of managing budgets and external suppliers.
Knowledge and Experience - Desirable Experience within the charity, healthcare or emergency services sectors. Knowledge of fundraising communications. Experience working with volunteers and community audiences. Understanding of public affairs and advocacy communications.
Personal Qualities Ability to work flexibly, including occasional evenings or weekends for events.
JAN - DEC 2025 MISSION STATS Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance | ambucopter.org.uk
1608 MISSIONS THIS YEAR These included 337 night patients, 48 patients that received blood and 133 RSI Patients.
MISSION LOCATIONS 824 Lincolnshire 604 Nottinghamshire 135 Derbyshire 29 Leicestershire 7 Rutland 4 Yorkshire 3 Northamptonshire 2 Humberside
INCIDENT TYPE
Registered Charity No. 1017501
672 Medical 273 Accidental Injury 352 Road Traffic Collision 112 Assault 42 Sports / Leisure 157 Other
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance is an equal opportunities employer and aims to ensure all applicants are treated fairly and equitably regardless of gender, race, colour, ethnicity, age, disabilities, social economic background, religious or political beliefs, marital status, maternity or paternity, or sexual orientation.
Recruitment@ambucopter.org.uk LNAA HQ, HEMS WAY, Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, LN4 2GW ambucopter.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1017501