Job summary
There are approximately two million people in the UK living with or affected by cancer, with more than 360,000 new diagnoses every year. Are you passionate about improving the lives of people with cancer? Work in collaboration with the national NHS Cancer Programme.
The West Midlands Cancer Alliance (WMCA) is one of 21 Cancer Alliances across England. Hosted by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT), it is one of the largest Alliances in the country.
Cancer Alliances were set-up to deliver the ambitions identified by the National Cancer Taskforce, with the aim of increasing survival rates across the area and the experience of those living with and beyond cancer, ensuring they address inequalities and improve patient experience wherever possible. They do this by bringing together all the organisations that commission, provide, and contribute to cancer services across the region to enable quality improvement and better outcomes for patients through effective and coordinated partnership working.
An opportunity has arisen to join the dynamic, high profile, busy WMCA team as their primary point of contact for communications. You will sit within the RWT's friendly and well-regarded communications team and report into the Trust's Head of Communications, but you will act as communications business partner to the Alliance, leading on all aspects of their day-to-day communications and managing relationships with key partners across the West Midlands region.
Main duties of the job
The Senior Communications Officer will play a critical role in developing and implementing effective internal and external communications plans for the West Midlands Cancer Alliance. This position will involve all aspects of the communications mix, including managing media relations, digital communications, and stakeholder engagement, to enhance the reputation and profile of the Alliance. You will support the WMCA for a minimum of three days per week, but the role will be based within the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust communications team and will support broader team resilience, including leading on cancer-related internal and external communication campaigns and projects for the Trust as required.
About us
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands, providing primary, acute and community services and we are incredibly proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve.We are delighted that we have been rated as"Good"by the CQC and have achieved numerous awards.
We are committed to building a workforce that can help us to fulfil our values, improve quality of care for patients, and solve the healthcare problems of tomorrow. We're passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings in enabling us to become a learning organisation and a leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients.
The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities include:
Working proactively to develop and maintain the WMCAs positive reputation
Ensuring the WMCA workforce is kept engaged and informed
Communicating achievements and initiatives openly and transparently via PR, social media and other communications channels
Building and supporting strong local stakeholder relationships
Increasing engagement with the WMCA brand
Delivering the local response to national NHS cancer campaigns
Ensuring the WMCA operates in line with national brand guidelinesand communications guidelines
Achieving value-for-money from communications activities using a range of tools
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities include:
Working proactively to develop and maintain the WMCAs positive reputation
Ensuring the WMCA workforce is kept engaged and informed
Communicating achievements and initiatives openly and transparently via PR, social media and other communications channels
Building and supporting strong local stakeholder relationships
Increasing engagement with the WMCA brand
Delivering the local response to national NHS cancer campaigns
Ensuring the WMCA operates in line with national brand guidelinesand communications guidelines
Achieving value-for-money from communications activities using a range of tools
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Communication or PR specific qualification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Demonstrated experience in a communications role in a large organisation
- Able to work unsupervised and be decisive within a specialised field.
- Experience of working in a highly pressured, deadline-driven and customer-focused environment, delivering a high volume of work within timescales, deadlines and within budget.
Desirable
- Experience of working within the NHS
Experience
Essential
- Knowledge and experience of a wide area of communication techniques, including new advances in technology within the field
Desirable
- Be inquisitive and aware of topical and relevant issues that affect the organisation at a local and national level.
Skills
Essential
- Advance IT skills, and be able to understand and use alternative IT systems and platforms.
- Project management skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
- Excellent verbal and written skills, able to write copy to a high standard.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Communication or PR specific qualification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Demonstrated experience in a communications role in a large organisation
- Able to work unsupervised and be decisive within a specialised field.
- Experience of working in a highly pressured, deadline-driven and customer-focused environment, delivering a high volume of work within timescales, deadlines and within budget.
Desirable
- Experience of working within the NHS
Experience
Essential
- Knowledge and experience of a wide area of communication techniques, including new advances in technology within the field
Desirable
- Be inquisitive and aware of topical and relevant issues that affect the organisation at a local and national level.
Skills
Essential
- Advance IT skills, and be able to understand and use alternative IT systems and platforms.
- Project management skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
- Excellent verbal and written skills, able to write copy to a high standard.
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).
