The role of communications officer is an absolutely critical one at North Mid, providing a first point of contact for a wide range of high priority demands, including media queries, campaign advice, and requests for digital content.

The post-holder will be an integral part of the communications, engagement and fundraising team, working alongside other team members to advise colleagues at all levels throughout the Trust, develop and implement communications activity, and evaluate effectiveness and continually improve.

You will have excellent writing skills, be skilled and experienced in using digital and social media, have the ability to manage a range of priorities, and be unfazed by working to tight or changing deadlines. You will need to be able to work with people at all levels, in a busy, pressured, diverse and completely awesome organisation, which is both respected and expected by a wide range of audiences to deliver on demanding expectations.

While the majority of the role will be centred on communications activity (90%), a small portion of your time will be dedicated to conducting administrative duties (10%) that help deliver the team's objectives.

Main duties of the job

Play a full role in the communications activity of North Mid, producing high quality content, including written text, digital content, and audio-visual materials, demonstrating a strong commitment to accuracy, Plain English, audience engagement, and responsiveness.

Demonstrate a strong and effective commitment to forward planning, including full use of our bespoke Forward Planner, and identify opportunities and risks for activity to support delivery of Trust communication priorities and key messages, taking account of external and internal drivers and demands as appropriate.

Demonstrate a strong adherence to accessible communications formats and design, and work to best practice principles with regard to consistent brand voice and visual identity across all formats.

About us

The communications, engagement and fundraising team works very closely with the Trust's board members and executive team, acting as trusted advisors, strategic goalkeepers, and creative solution-providers.

We set and support teams and the Trust to meet high standards for communication and engagement practice, including internal campaigns, everyday information sharing, active and targeted listening, and responding to what has been heard.

We lead and manage all corporate internal and external communications activity, from strategic to operational, and provide a 24/7 on call service for communication risks, incidents, and responses.

We maintain responsive relationships with local, regional and trade media organisations and journalists oversee all social media activity for North Mid and lead on corporate publications and platforms, including our intranet, website and bespoke digital spaces for priority audiences such as our sexual health service.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Internal communications:

Support the internal communications manager and work with the staff engagement manager to develop the effectiveness of our internal communication and engagement channels and activity.

Provide advice and support to senior, frontline and service-lead colleagues on internal communication challenges and opportunities, in line with our Trust priorities and communications support offer.

Lead on discrete internal and staff-facing projects as agreed within communications team, such as awareness events, fundraising activities, engagement projects, etc.

Digital and social channels:

Proactively use and monitor for risk and opportunities a wide range of known and emerging digital and social media channels, advising on opportunities and/or areas for development of Trust communications activity.

Identify, create, agree and deploy content and activity opportunities through existing and new channels, which support communication of Trusts overarching and specific campaign messaging and engagement with key audiences.

Media:

Provide first point of contact for incoming media queries and requests, assessing opportunities and risk for communicating Trust messages and priorities to audiences, and recommending appropriate course of action.

Identify and shape opportunities for communicating with key audiences through relevant media channels, and building and maintaining strong constructive relationships with relevant stakeholders.

Support the successful delivery of activity leading to effective media relations, including briefing colleagues inc. at very senior levels and overseeing all kinds of elements of media activity, including research, filming, interviews, background briefing, and media event management.

Maintain awareness of and deliver to media deadlines, and monitor progress, including appearance and impact of coverage.

Support development of evaluation framework for media coverage, and play a key role in monitoring, assessing, and evaluating coverage for successes and opportunities for development.

Other areas of work:

Provide administrative support to the team, in particular around procurement of materials to support communications activity, organising team meetings and communications rota activity.

Maintain a commitment to both professional development and wider awareness of progress in the field of communications and associated disciplines, in order to support continual improvement in North Mids communications, engagement and fundraising work.

Work flexibly where necessary, including developing the scope of this role, and undertake other duties appropriate to it where required, while maintaining a commitment to work-life balance, for sustainability and resilience.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Postgraduate qualification in a communications related subject

Experience and knowledge

Essential

• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills, and an ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences at all levels
• Ability to establish and maintain credibility with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with ability to influence and negotiate
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex information
• Ability to identify and tailor key messages to target audience
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and work with uncertainty
• Calm, flexible, resilient and assertive approach to work
• Ability to work to tight deadlines in a busy environment, and manage competing priorities

Desirable

• Understanding and experience of audience segmentation theory and tools

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Experience of working in a busy communications or engagement environment, either agency or in-house
• Strong copywriting skills, and ability to write in plain, jargon-free English
• Experience of working with the media, including handling proactive and reactive media interest
• Experience of creating and implementing engaging and accessible digital and social media content, including video web content
• Good level of political and social awareness

Desirable

• Experience of measuring and evaluating effectiveness of communications activity and campaigns
• Experience of using platforms and online tools like Hootsuite, Survey Monkey, Mailchimp and Google Analytics
• Experience of working in a large complex organisation
• Understanding and appreciation of NHS structure, and main issues
• Experience of working in a health or social care environment

Employer details

Employer name

North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

Address

North Middlesex University Hospital

Sterling Way

London

N18 1QX

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

393-NMUH-629