Communications Officer (XN06)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

The closing date is 14 April 2025

Job summary

The Communications Officer will support regional and national communications as part of the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) Communications Team, across the 12 Regional RDNs (RRDNs) and the RDN Coordinating Centre (RDNCC).

The Communications Officer will seek to adopt and share the best practice approach to their work and support the RDN in achieving its objectives and ensuring it delivers the best communications service, including developing new channels and opportunities to reach colleagues and communities, where engagement and involvement is needed the most. They will promote the reputation of the RDN as a high-quality health and care research provider using a range of different channels. They will support the delivery of a corporate communication strategy and associated communication activities, engagement events and marketing initiatives to enable the RDN to deliver on its strategic objectives and showcase the RDNs impact.

Expected Shortlisting Date

10/04/2025

Planned Interview Date

22/04/2025

Main duties of the job

Organise and manage communications campaigns to engage with public and health and care professionals in research, including external events.

Support campaigns targeting Life Science industry partners and building relationships with commercial organisations.

Maintain a contacts and communications asset database for use in engagement campaigns.

Ensure the website is compliant with NHS and NIHR accessibility guidelines and Information Governance and Data protection requirements.

Support the evaluation of multi-media campaigns including the value for money elements.

Ensure compliance with NIHR corporate identity and brand guidelines.

About us

The following information is added as part of the standard process (835 characters).

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). NIHR works in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public. The NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth. NIHR is a major funder of applied health research in low and middle-income countries.

The whole of England will be supported through 12 NIHR Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs). The RRDNs will work with the national Research Delivery Network Coordinating Centre (RDNCC) to provide a joint RDN leadership function so that the NIHR RDN as a whole functions as a single organisation with a shared vision and purpose across England.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Date posted

24 March 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9298-TEX-0074

Job locations

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Communications Officer will support regional and national communications as part of the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN)

Communications Team, which is dispersed across the 12 Regional RDNs (RRDNs) and the RDN Coordinating Centre (RDNCC). The

Communications Officer will report to the Communications Manager and support the provision of a high quality, professional and proactive

communications service to the RDN regionally and nationally.

The Communications Officer will promote the reputation of the RDN as a high-quality health and care research provider using a range of different channels. They will support the delivery of a corporate communication strategy and associated communication activities, engagement events and marketing initiatives to enable the RDN to deliver on its strategic objectives and showcase the RDNs impact.

ROLE OF THE NIHR RESEARCH DELIVERY NETWORK

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks across the U.K. These work with the national

Coordinating Centre (RDNCC) and the Department of Health and Social Care to provide a joint RDN leadership function via the RDN Board, so that the NIHR RDN operates as a single, transparent organisation with a shared vision and purpose.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is Host Organisation for the Yorkshire RRDN region. The RDN supports the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of funded research across the health and care system in England for the benefit of patients, the health and care system and the economy.

The RDN supports:

Clinical trials and other well-designed health and social care research studies (including studies that are delivered outside of an

NHS setting);

Public health studies that require the recruitment of individuals within an NHS setting (that is, acute, ambulance, mental health,

community or primary care) or an episode of care which involves contact with the NHS.

The RRDNs have three key roles:

Providing support to research sites to enable the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of funded research across the health

and care system in England.

Enabling the strategic development of new and more effective research delivery capability and capacity. This includes bringing

research to under-served regions and communities with major health and care needs.

Working jointly with the Coordinating Centre in the strategic oversight of the NIHR RDN. This ensures that the Portfolio is maintained as a cohort of high-quality, fully funded, viable and deliverable studies. It will also ensure that the NIHR RDN serves the research delivery needs of investigators and R&D teams and is responsive to the changing domestic and global environment for health and care, life sciences and health research.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Communications Officer will support regional and national communications as part of the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN)

Communications Team, which is dispersed across the 12 Regional RDNs (RRDNs) and the RDN Coordinating Centre (RDNCC). The

Communications Officer will report to the Communications Manager and support the provision of a high quality, professional and proactive

communications service to the RDN regionally and nationally.

ROLE OF THE NIHR RESEARCH DELIVERY NETWORK

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has 12 Regional Research Delivery Networks across the U.K. These work with the national

The RDN supports:

Clinical trials and other well-designed health and social care research studies (including studies that are delivered outside of an

NHS setting);

Public health studies that require the recruitment of individuals within an NHS setting (that is, acute, ambulance, mental health,

community or primary care) or an episode of care which involves contact with the NHS.

The RRDNs have three key roles:

Providing support to research sites to enable the effective and efficient initiation and delivery of funded research across the health

and care system in England.

Enabling the strategic development of new and more effective research delivery capability and capacity. This includes bringing

research to under-served regions and communities with major health and care needs.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Relevant experience in a relevant speciality i.e. public relations, communications, marketing and/or journalism to post graduate level or demonstrable experience. This must include social / web-based

Desirable

Experience of working at a similar level in the NHS or other healthcare environment
Experience of providing communications
Demonstrable experience in a large, complex organisation
Experience of inter-agency working involving multiple and diverse partners
Proven experience of working successfully as part of several teams
Experience of managing a customer-focused service
Experience of managing a wide range of complex duties

Skills & behaviours

Essential

Ability to work autonomously and to exercise initiative, with creativity, drive and flexibility
Excellent organisational skills
Excellent interpersonal skills
Ability to operate at all levels throughout an organisation
Attention to detail
Ability to manage challenging and stressful situations
Strong problem-solving skills

Additional Requirements

Essential

Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Proficiency in preparing communication materials eg website copy and newsletter articles, and their distribution
Ability to write concise and clear reports and to write Standard Operating Procedures
Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to a high standard
Ability to plan, manage and deliver projects and activities, involving multiple agencies and individuals and to tight deadlines
Media handling skills
Ability to communicate complex information to a range of audiences at all levels within the organisation and externally
Excellent IT literacy including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or equivalent Google applications and relevant design packages e.g. Adobe InDesign, CANVA
Resilient and calm under pressure Compassionate
Understanding of change and adaptable, Politically aware

Qualifications

Essential

Degree level education and/or equivalent level of qualification or relevant experience (e.g. Health; Media / Journalism / Web publishing)

Desirable

Background in research and development, science or healthcare
European Computer Driving Licence

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Relevant experience in a relevant speciality i.e. public relations, communications, marketing and/or journalism to post graduate level or demonstrable experience. This must include social / web-based

Desirable

Experience of working at a similar level in the NHS or other healthcare environment
Experience of providing communications
Demonstrable experience in a large, complex organisation
Experience of inter-agency working involving multiple and diverse partners
Proven experience of working successfully as part of several teams
Experience of managing a customer-focused service
Experience of managing a wide range of complex duties

Skills & behaviours

Essential

Ability to work autonomously and to exercise initiative, with creativity, drive and flexibility
Excellent organisational skills
Excellent interpersonal skills
Ability to operate at all levels throughout an organisation
Attention to detail
Ability to manage challenging and stressful situations
Strong problem-solving skills

Additional Requirements

Essential

Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Proficiency in preparing communication materials eg website copy and newsletter articles, and their distribution
Ability to write concise and clear reports and to write Standard Operating Procedures
Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to a high standard
Ability to plan, manage and deliver projects and activities, involving multiple agencies and individuals and to tight deadlines
Media handling skills
Ability to communicate complex information to a range of audiences at all levels within the organisation and externally
Excellent IT literacy including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or equivalent Google applications and relevant design packages e.g. Adobe InDesign, CANVA
Resilient and calm under pressure Compassionate
Understanding of change and adaptable, Politically aware