Job summary
We are one of the world's busiest ambulance services. We have around 8,000 staff and volunteers in our Service comprising frontline crews in ambulance stations across London, 999 emergency call handlers, 111 health advisors and hundreds of support staff based in our offices across the city.
Working for us is an experience like no other, in a city like no other.
Working for the London Ambulance Service you'll be helping people who need us the most. All roles whether directly related to caring for patients, or working corporate departments, come together, to ensure we can respond to anyone needing our help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We are looking for an experienced Internal Communications Manager who can join our Communications and Engagement team, bringing excellent skills in channels management, content development and staff engagement.
You will be supporting the Head of Internal Communication to lead the internal communications team, ensuring we have efficient and effective processes that respond to the business and that the team are nurtured and developed to their best potential. You'll use your professional skills to produce creative internal campaigns, develop and maintain the right mix of digital channels for our diverse workforce, organise leadership engagement events and ensure we provide an outstanding recognition programme for our people
Main duties of the job
- Lead planning and implementation of all internal communications plans ensuring they benefit the organisation and people at all levels of LAS
- Ensure all team members are aware of communication and business processes, their individual responsibilities, that their contributions are valued and talent is nurtured
- Ensure internal communication campaigns are built on insight and robustly demonstrate the value and impact of high standard internal communications, and respond to organisational need
- Build strong relationships across key business areas, acting as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and key project leads to advise, challenge and influence communication approaches and key messages
- Create clear and purposeful messages which inform, inspire and drive action
- Lead development, delivery, management and evaluation of corporate channels, ensuring they are an effective blend to reach the right audiences and support the business - from use of face to face, written and digital channels
About us
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the busiest ambulance Trust in the UK. We are seeking someone who will fit with the Trust values of being respectful, professional, innovative and collaborative.
The team works widely across the Trust at all levels up to Board and with a variety of other partners such as external NHS Trusts, commercial organisations, Heathrow Airport, Stadia, London's Air Ambulance and Healthcare UK and Department for International Trade.
You will, therefore, have the opportunity to join the team at an exciting time of growth and to gain experience of being involved in a varied portfolio.
Annual leave starts at 27 days rising to 33 days, plus bank holidays, in line with agenda for change (NHS terms and conditions).
Employees can access Blue Light (emergency services) discounts as well as NHS discount schemes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key delivery and result areas for the Internal Communications Manager include:
- Supporting the Head of Internal Communications to deliver and evaluate the overall internal communications strategy, with responsibility as the lead specialist on key strategic campaigns and activities.
- The Internal Communications Manger would be responsible for implementing and evaluating individual internal communications projects, materials, events and campaigns on specific issues involving high profile stakeholders / regarding high profile issues.
- The post holder will deputise for the Head of Internal Communications as required and represent the Communications Department at internal and external events/meetings.
- The post holder would provide specialist internal communications advice to staff at all levels across the Trust around adopting appropriate internal communications approaches on high profile, sensitive or complex issues, requiring strong influencing and persuading skills.
- The Internal Communications Manger would decide how to respond to internal communications requests on sensitive or complex issues, which could arise from staff at all levels, including the CEO, Chair, members of the leadership team, staff side representatives or clinical colleagues. When leading high profile Service wide internal communications, events, or campaigns, internal communications decisions are in their hands, requiring sound judgement and decision making skills.
- The post holder would have incidental contact with patients and members of the public through the undertaking of their role.
- As appropriate, the Internal Communications Manager would provide specialist training in internal communications areas to staff.
- The role would involve ensuring that staff are well-informed about developments within the organisation and that resilient lines of two-way communications are maintained and improved to drive engagement.
- The Internal Communications Manager would commission, write, edit, proof read and coordinate (sometimes complex) internal communications such as news articles, bulletins, presentations, advice and guidance documents, video content, management briefings, digital content.
- The role would involve undertaking surveys as necessary on a regular basis to inform delivery, success and improvement of internal communications, alongside research and development into internal communications related areas to drive innovation. Key performance indicators for the Internal Communications Manager would include both formal and informal measurement, such as the capture and analysis of readership statistics and staff feedback gained through a range of methods.
- The post holder is hybrid, with 50-50 time working at home and in the office subject to business need.
- The Internal Communications Manager would be responsible for budget management in relation to individual projects.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key delivery and result areas for the Internal Communications Manager include:
- Supporting the Head of Internal Communications to deliver and evaluate the overall internal communications strategy, with responsibility as the lead specialist on key strategic campaigns and activities.
- The Internal Communications Manger would be responsible for implementing and evaluating individual internal communications projects, materials, events and campaigns on specific issues involving high profile stakeholders / regarding high profile issues.
- The post holder will deputise for the Head of Internal Communications as required and represent the Communications Department at internal and external events/meetings.
- The post holder would provide specialist internal communications advice to staff at all levels across the Trust around adopting appropriate internal communications approaches on high profile, sensitive or complex issues, requiring strong influencing and persuading skills.
- The Internal Communications Manger would decide how to respond to internal communications requests on sensitive or complex issues, which could arise from staff at all levels, including the CEO, Chair, members of the leadership team, staff side representatives or clinical colleagues. When leading high profile Service wide internal communications, events, or campaigns, internal communications decisions are in their hands, requiring sound judgement and decision making skills.
- The post holder would have incidental contact with patients and members of the public through the undertaking of their role.
- As appropriate, the Internal Communications Manager would provide specialist training in internal communications areas to staff.
- The role would involve ensuring that staff are well-informed about developments within the organisation and that resilient lines of two-way communications are maintained and improved to drive engagement.
- The Internal Communications Manager would commission, write, edit, proof read and coordinate (sometimes complex) internal communications such as news articles, bulletins, presentations, advice and guidance documents, video content, management briefings, digital content.
- The role would involve undertaking surveys as necessary on a regular basis to inform delivery, success and improvement of internal communications, alongside research and development into internal communications related areas to drive innovation. Key performance indicators for the Internal Communications Manager would include both formal and informal measurement, such as the capture and analysis of readership statistics and staff feedback gained through a range of methods.
- The post holder is hybrid, with 50-50 time working at home and in the office subject to business need.
- The Internal Communications Manager would be responsible for budget management in relation to individual projects.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to masters degree level or equivalent level of theoretical knowledge, preferably in the communications field
Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing and developing staff to deliver organisation wide, departmental and personal goals
- Proven experience of developing, implementing and evaluating internal communications strategies / plans / activities
- Proven experience of delivering effective internal communications in a complex organisation, including seeking feedback and undertaking audits / surveys
- Experience of providing specialist internal communications advice and making decisions on responding to communications requests on complex, sensitive or high profile issues
Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrable and up-to-date experience of working in a fast paced, staff engagement or internal communications function in a high profile communications environment
- Understanding and having experience of strategic integrated communications functions - how internal communications and staff engagement are related to media relations and, stakeholder engagement, brand/design
- Experience (or demonstrable appreciation) of the challenges facing the NHS
- Strong written skills, with the ability to draft internal articles, features and content for a range of audiences
- Experience of creating digital content such as video and publishing to intranets and social media platforms
- Working a with VDU, and competencies with office software (Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel in particular) and of using online survey tools and metric tracking packages
- Standard keyboard skills with experience of utilising relevant software tools to for online content such as images and video
- Experience of strong relationship development skills, and working with various stakeholders to deliver engaging internal communications for a range of audiences
Personal Abilities
Essential
- Adhere to the Trusts values and behaviours
- The ability to remain calm under pressure and to balance multiple priorities effectively.
- The ability to focus and concentrate when drafting releases/developing content/dealing with key stakeholders balancing various demands to achieve agreed outcomes
- Emotional intelligence and awareness of handing difficult / challenging content in a sensitive and appropriate manner, including the ability to undertake challenging and courageous conversations as required with key stakeholders and colleagues at all levels in relation to internal communications drafting and deployment, to achieve agreed objectives and deliverables.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to masters degree level or equivalent level of theoretical knowledge, preferably in the communications field
Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing and developing staff to deliver organisation wide, departmental and personal goals
- Proven experience of developing, implementing and evaluating internal communications strategies / plans / activities
- Proven experience of delivering effective internal communications in a complex organisation, including seeking feedback and undertaking audits / surveys
- Experience of providing specialist internal communications advice and making decisions on responding to communications requests on complex, sensitive or high profile issues
Knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrable and up-to-date experience of working in a fast paced, staff engagement or internal communications function in a high profile communications environment
- Understanding and having experience of strategic integrated communications functions - how internal communications and staff engagement are related to media relations and, stakeholder engagement, brand/design
- Experience (or demonstrable appreciation) of the challenges facing the NHS
- Strong written skills, with the ability to draft internal articles, features and content for a range of audiences
- Experience of creating digital content such as video and publishing to intranets and social media platforms
- Working a with VDU, and competencies with office software (Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel in particular) and of using online survey tools and metric tracking packages
- Standard keyboard skills with experience of utilising relevant software tools to for online content such as images and video
- Experience of strong relationship development skills, and working with various stakeholders to deliver engaging internal communications for a range of audiences
Personal Abilities
Essential
- Adhere to the Trusts values and behaviours
- The ability to remain calm under pressure and to balance multiple priorities effectively.
- The ability to focus and concentrate when drafting releases/developing content/dealing with key stakeholders balancing various demands to achieve agreed outcomes
- Emotional intelligence and awareness of handing difficult / challenging content in a sensitive and appropriate manner, including the ability to undertake challenging and courageous conversations as required with key stakeholders and colleagues at all levels in relation to internal communications drafting and deployment, to achieve agreed objectives and deliverables.
