Senior Internal Communications Officer

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

You'll use your impressive skills in channel management, strategy setting, content development, organising and staff engagement to support the Head of Internal Communications and Internal Communications Manager to produce creative internal campaigns, develop and maintain the right mix of corporate channels for our diverse workforce, craft content and give strategic and tactical advice to all areas of the Trust.

Your positive, 'can do' attitude will mean you'll be a core part of the team, building relationships across the organisation and using your negotiating and influencing skills when needed to achieve the best outcomes, being recognised as the 'go to' person for internal communications advice when needed.

You'll be flexible and adaptable dealing with the different demands of the role, whether that be working on exciting staff events and initiatives or the more routine aspects of general maintenance of the channels, appreciating that all have a part to play in making first class internal communications and staff engagement.

You'll be part of a wider communications team which also includes media, digital and stakeholder colleagues with the internal communication team set up as below:

Main duties of the job

Provide internal communications expertise to colleagues as appropriate within the Trust, thinking creatively, being open and transparent and, acting fairly.

Support urgent out-of-hours requirements for internal communications advice required outside normal working hours, briefing colleagues as appropriate and liaising with other Trust team members as necessary. This may involve attending Headquarters, local ambulance stations or scenes of incidents at short notice and preparing/maintaining specific internal communications plans and templates.

In the event of a major incident, provide internal communications support as required to Trust.

Develop internal news releases, publications, presentations using desk top software, intranet content management software packages, managing a photo library and departmental databases.

About us

London Ambulance Service serves one of the worlds most dynamic and diverse cities and is the busiest ambulance service in the UK. We handle over 1.9 million emergency calls from across the capital every year as well as delivering a 24 hour NHS 111 Integrated Urgent Care Service in South East and North East London that we estimate will respond to around 1.4million urgent care calls by the end of the year.

We employ over 9,000 people who work or volunteer, across London to respond to the health needs of over 8 million people who live, work and travel in the capital.

We work closely with our NHS partners and are commissioned by 32 clinical commissioning groups spread across 5 STPs and NHS England for our specialist services.

As the only pan-London NHS provider we have a unique opportunity to play a leading role in integrating access to emergency and urgent care right across London.

Date posted

29 September 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£42,471 to £50,364 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

308-CORP-2697

Job locations

Waterloo Headquarters

220 Waterloo Road

London

SE1 8SD


Job description

Job responsibilities

Key delivery and result areas for the role include:

o Using your expertise to ensure staff are well informed about developments within the organisation, including in times of major incident or pressure which could be distressing or emotional in nature.

o Leading a portfolio of internal communications projects, taking ownership for setting the communication strategy, and creating engaging content for a range of channels from intranet articles/features, developing/deploying bulletins, leadership team presentations, event management and developing Trust wide plasma screen information.

o Using your comms instinct, excellent judgement and proactivity to identify what makes a good story for internal channels, updating the external team if it could be considered for media activity.

o Advising and supporting staff across the Trust at all levels on the day-to-day delivery of internal communications activities and initiatives, including members of the executive leadership team and chief executive.

o Receiving complex, sensitive information and influencing, persuading and advising staff on appropriate internal communications handling techniques, where persuasive, motivational and developed negotiating skills are required and briefing of external contacts may be necessary.

o Maintaining and managing intranet content as required by the different departments across the Trust, including being part of the rota to deal with our inbox and monitoring our internal digital channel and other two way engagement channels, ensuring questions, emerging issues or inappropriate content is responded to. Responsibility for producing our weekly bulletin is also part of this rota.

o Using your strong writing and organisational skills to script and produce our live weekly livestream to staff, including liaising and briefing the internal guests and presenter.

Please see the Job Description for further details.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key delivery and result areas for the role include:

o Using your expertise to ensure staff are well informed about developments within the organisation, including in times of major incident or pressure which could be distressing or emotional in nature.

o Leading a portfolio of internal communications projects, taking ownership for setting the communication strategy, and creating engaging content for a range of channels from intranet articles/features, developing/deploying bulletins, leadership team presentations, event management and developing Trust wide plasma screen information.

o Using your comms instinct, excellent judgement and proactivity to identify what makes a good story for internal channels, updating the external team if it could be considered for media activity.

o Advising and supporting staff across the Trust at all levels on the day-to-day delivery of internal communications activities and initiatives, including members of the executive leadership team and chief executive.

o Receiving complex, sensitive information and influencing, persuading and advising staff on appropriate internal communications handling techniques, where persuasive, motivational and developed negotiating skills are required and briefing of external contacts may be necessary.

o Maintaining and managing intranet content as required by the different departments across the Trust, including being part of the rota to deal with our inbox and monitoring our internal digital channel and other two way engagement channels, ensuring questions, emerging issues or inappropriate content is responded to. Responsibility for producing our weekly bulletin is also part of this rota.

o Using your strong writing and organisational skills to script and produce our live weekly livestream to staff, including liaising and briefing the internal guests and presenter.

Please see the Job Description for further details.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level in a communications related field or, possessing an equivalent level of knowledge and expertise.

Experience

Essential

  • Proven experience of delivering effective internal communications in a complex organisation including events management, stakeholder engagement, and successfully delivering campaigns and features.
  • Experience and evidence of achieving results in line with strategic aims and objectives
  • Proven experience of developing, implementing and evaluating internal communications strategies / plans / activities.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Demonstrable and up-to-date experience of working in a fast paced, internal communications function
  • Experience of handling complex, sensitive or challenging subject matters and proposing internal communications plans and strategies to achieve agreed outcomes
  • Understanding of media, PR / campaigns, digital design media, staff recognition programmes and the close alignment with internal communications
  • Experience of developing internal communication campaigns, crafting, curating and managing content, publishing to appropriate channels for audience groups, to ensure impactful internal communications activities
  • The ability to speak confidently, articulately and persuasively and use specialist knowledge to advise on internal communications approaches across a range of subject areas working with a range of audiences.
  • Developed physical skills / advanced keyboard use, working at a VDU and knowledge / proficiency with office software packages including expertise in creating presentations and processing documents.
  • Strong written skills, with the ability to work with and develop relationships with various stakeholders to deliver engaging internal communications for a range of audiences
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level in a communications related field or, possessing an equivalent level of knowledge and expertise.

Experience

Essential

  • Proven experience of delivering effective internal communications in a complex organisation including events management, stakeholder engagement, and successfully delivering campaigns and features.
  • Experience and evidence of achieving results in line with strategic aims and objectives
  • Proven experience of developing, implementing and evaluating internal communications strategies / plans / activities.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Demonstrable and up-to-date experience of working in a fast paced, internal communications function
  • Experience of handling complex, sensitive or challenging subject matters and proposing internal communications plans and strategies to achieve agreed outcomes
  • Understanding of media, PR / campaigns, digital design media, staff recognition programmes and the close alignment with internal communications
  • Experience of developing internal communication campaigns, crafting, curating and managing content, publishing to appropriate channels for audience groups, to ensure impactful internal communications activities
  • The ability to speak confidently, articulately and persuasively and use specialist knowledge to advise on internal communications approaches across a range of subject areas working with a range of audiences.
  • Developed physical skills / advanced keyboard use, working at a VDU and knowledge / proficiency with office software packages including expertise in creating presentations and processing documents.
  • Strong written skills, with the ability to work with and develop relationships with various stakeholders to deliver engaging internal communications for a range of audiences

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Address

Waterloo Headquarters

220 Waterloo Road

London

SE1 8SD


Employer's website

https://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Address

Waterloo Headquarters

220 Waterloo Road

London

SE1 8SD


Employer's website

https://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Internal Communications Manager

Elaine Foster-Searle

e.foster-searle@nhs.net

07385538074

Date posted

29 September 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£42,471 to £50,364 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

308-CORP-2697

Job locations

Waterloo Headquarters

220 Waterloo Road

London

SE1 8SD


Supporting documents

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