About me

Adriaan Taljaard
Strategic communications leader - Education health and care research
Oxfordshire area | Right to work in the UK | Skilled worker visa (transferable sponsorship)
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Professional profile
Senior strategic communications leader with over 25 years of experience across higher education, health and care research and government. Proven at operating at director level in high-trust, publicly funded systems where credibility, governance, and public confidence are critical.
Track record of leading national communications strategies that strengthen understanding and trust in health and care research, influence policy and professional audiences, and support system-wide change across the NHS, universities, and government. Trusted adviser to executive leaders, with strong experience in accountability, assurance, and organisational transition.
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Strategic leadership and national impact
- Led organisation-wide strategic communications frameworks aligned to government policy and health and care research priorities
- Advised senior leaders and ministers on public trust, reputational risk, and stakeholder confidence
- Designed national audience and engagement strategies spanning public communities, researchers, policymakers, NHS organisations, and professional audiences
- Delivered integrated communications campaigns supporting understanding, engagement, and adoption of research and innovation
- Established monitoring and evaluation approaches to evidence reach, influence, and value
- Led teams, budgets, suppliers, and governance processes within complex public systems
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Professional experience
Communications and Events Officer (contract)
Department of chemistry / Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research, University of Oxford
July 2025 to present
- Lead strategic communications for a nationally significant health and care research institute focused on antimicrobial resistance
- Translate complex scientific research into clear, accessible narratives for public, professional, and policy audiences
- Deliver integrated communications across media, digital, stakeholder engagement, and internal channels
- Lead high-profile research engagement events, including the annual early career researcher conference
- Support senior researchers with public engagement, research visibility, and policy relevance
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Marketing and Communications Lead (contract)
University of Bath
August 2024 to June 2025
- Led strategic communications for a multi-institution health and care research consortium
- Positioned research evidence to inform policy debate and public understanding
- Designed engagement strategies for researchers, policymakers, and local authorities
- Managed reputational risk, media engagement, and digital channels
- Implemented evaluation frameworks to demonstrate communications impact
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Strategic Communications Manager, research and innovation (contract)
University of Oxford
August 2023 to July 2024
- Led strategic communications for vaccine and global health research programmes
- Advised senior academics on high-profile and politically sensitive research communications
- Delivered integrated national and international research communications campaigns
- Developed governance approaches for research communications and public engagement
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Communications Manager
Digital Health and Care Wales, NHS
October 2021 to July 2023
- Led communications for national health and care research, data, and digital transformation programmes across seven health boards
- Supported system-wide change through transparent and trust-building communications
- Managed high-risk issues, ministerial briefings, and public confidence matters
- Delivered integrated internal and external communications aligned to NHS governance
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Director of communication and engagement
National Department of Transport, South Africa
January 2018 to September 2021
- Executive lead for communications, public engagement, and reputation management
- Adviser to ministers and senior officials during high-scrutiny national programmes
- Official spokesperson for major infrastructure and policy initiatives
- Led teams, budgets, procurement, and executive-level governance
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Earlier senior roles
Senior communications leadership roles in regulated and public-facing organisations, including national research bodies, healthcare funders, regulators, and telecommunications.
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Education and professional standing
PhD in communication management, University of Pretoria
Postgraduate certificate in education, Liverpool John Moores University
Member, Chartered Institute of Public Relations, UK
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Reference

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