Job summary
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is looking for a communications and engagement professional to join our team as maternity cover in a key role. The ideal candidate will have experience of developing and implementing effective internal and external communications campaigns, engaging with key stakeholders including members of the public and trust colleagues, and the ability to provide a professional, strategic communications and engagement advice and support.
Working in partnership with others (both within the trust and with system partners) is a critical part of the role, so great interpersonal skills are essential, as is the ability to be creative, have a can do attitude and the resilience to work under pressure.The post provides an excellent opportunity to further existing, or gain new, experience of working within the NHS within a senior communications role.
Main duties of the job
To support the Associate Director of Communications and Engagement in providing strategic communications and engagement advice and delivery, ensuring that the trust communicates and engages well with all its key audiences.
About us
We are proud to provide 'Outstanding' care and be a great place to work
We provide safe, compassionate and high quality care to half a million people living or visiting East Sussex. We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex, the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex. Our extensive services are provided by 7000 + members of staff working from acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites and in people's own homes.
In 2020 the Care Quality Commission rated us as 'Good' overall, and 'Outstanding' for being caring and effective. The Conquest Hospital and our Community Services are rated 'Outstanding'. Eastbourne DGH rated 'Good'.
In 2020, the Trust launched its ambitious 'Building for our Future' programme. This once in a lifetime programme aims to repair, redevelop and expand our hospitals, transforming the environment in which we provide care for generations to come.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description. For any further questions or queries, please contact the appointed manager of this vacancy,
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description. For any further questions or queries, please contact the appointed manager of this vacancy,
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or proven equivalent experience and knowledge
- Evidence of continued professional development to Masters level in relevant field or equivalent level of knowledge and experience
- Evidence of continued professional development in communication field
Desirable
- Specialist communications qualification or equivalent professional communications experience and knowledge
- Project management (Prince 2) qualification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing, motivating and developing staff
- Experience of working effectively with and advising senior leadership teams on a broad range of communications and engagement issues
- Experience of devising, and implementing and evaluating effective communications and engagement strategies and the ability to identify the right channel for a particular audience
- Recent relevant experience of managing complex media enquiries, as well as reputation management and crisis communications handling
- Experience of using social media to communicate and engage effectively with internal and external audiences
- Highly developed interpersonal skills in order to maintain excellent working relationships with colleagues at all levels both internally and externally
Desirable
- Public sector experience in a communications role
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, able to confidently present highly complex information and ideas in a straightforward and consistent, engaging way to a range of audiences
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to influence at all levels
- Excellent ability to write well with experience of developing messaging and content in a compelling, engaging style with appropriate language and tone for a range of audiences
- Excellent analytical skills to ensure key issues are identified and appropriate action taken
- Excellent organisational skills
- Ability to handle highly sensitive and complex information
- Ability to work under pressure and manage a varied workload
- Use evidence to make improvement; seeks out innovation and best practice to improve outcomes
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or proven equivalent experience and knowledge
- Evidence of continued professional development to Masters level in relevant field or equivalent level of knowledge and experience
- Evidence of continued professional development in communication field
Desirable
- Specialist communications qualification or equivalent professional communications experience and knowledge
- Project management (Prince 2) qualification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing, motivating and developing staff
- Experience of working effectively with and advising senior leadership teams on a broad range of communications and engagement issues
- Experience of devising, and implementing and evaluating effective communications and engagement strategies and the ability to identify the right channel for a particular audience
- Recent relevant experience of managing complex media enquiries, as well as reputation management and crisis communications handling
- Experience of using social media to communicate and engage effectively with internal and external audiences
- Highly developed interpersonal skills in order to maintain excellent working relationships with colleagues at all levels both internally and externally
Desirable
- Public sector experience in a communications role
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, able to confidently present highly complex information and ideas in a straightforward and consistent, engaging way to a range of audiences
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to influence at all levels
- Excellent ability to write well with experience of developing messaging and content in a compelling, engaging style with appropriate language and tone for a range of audiences
- Excellent analytical skills to ensure key issues are identified and appropriate action taken
- Excellent organisational skills
- Ability to handle highly sensitive and complex information
- Ability to work under pressure and manage a varied workload
- Use evidence to make improvement; seeks out innovation and best practice to improve outcomes
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.
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.
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).
