Job summary
Are you a high-achieving communications professional? Want to go home at the end of the day knowing the work that you've done has made a difference? Then develop your career in the rewarding world of NHS Communications at Leicester's Hospitals.
Our External Affairs Manager role is a fast-paced and challenging one, working in one of the biggest and busiest NHS Trusts in the country.
With a strong focus on building external relationships and delivering our media strategy, the post-holder will ensure a quality driven, innovative communications and public relations service consistent with the Trust's aims and objectives.
A natural collaborator, you'll generate creative ideas and transform them into effective communications with measurable results, coaching and inspiring colleagues along the way.
You will be part of a team with a vital role in the delivery of Leicester's Hospitals' vision to be leading in healthcare and trusted in communities. Through stories, insight and reflections on the experiences of patients and colleagues we work to improve the use of NHS services and the health of the public. We manage all corporate communications, PR, social media, website and intranet activity. We also have a specialist medical illustration team, providing design and photography services and a patient and community engagement team.
Main duties of the job
You will have experience working as a trusted adviser to senior colleagues, and demonstrable experience of building effective relationships at all levels - including with external stakeholders and influencers.
Within your External Affairs portfolio, you will be responsible delivering our media function and securing positive coverage for UHL. We are a busy acute Trust, so you will be able to exercise excellent news judgement and make quick decisions in the face of short deadlines and complex information.
When you're not strengthening our relationships with the media and press, you'll be cultivating stories for publication in external and internal channels, crafting communications to our stakeholder groups, managing MP and local dignitary requests and overseeing the Freedom of Information process for the department.
You will also deputise for the Head of Communications and Engagement as required. You will generate creative ideas and transform them into effective communications with measurable results. You will also help to coach and inspire colleagues along the way.
As a busy hospital Trust, experience of crisis management, supporting on-call arrangements and an ability to stay focused and personable under pressure is essential.
About us
Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).
We have four primary goals:
- high-quality care for all,
- being a great place to work,
- partnerships for impact, and
- research and education excellence
And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.
Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:
- we are compassionate,
- we are proud,
- we are inclusive, and
- we are one team
This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.
About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:
http://www.leicestershospitals.nhs.uk/aboutus/work-for-us/current-vacancies/
Job description
Job responsibilities
The main duties of the role can be found in the job description and person specification shared with this advert.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The main duties of the role can be found in the job description and person specification shared with this advert.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent
- Post degree experience of 2 years or more in communications / press
- Able to demonstrate continuous professional development
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification in communications, or working towards this standard
- Membership of professional body
- Evidence of leadership development
Experience
Essential
- Experience of designing and delivering successful press/PR campaigns
- Ability to undertake strategic stakeholder mapping, segmentation and prioritisation
- Experience of directly managing and motivating a team of communications staff
- Experience of using insight to design successful communications plans and strategies
- Experience of account managing or business partnering internally
- Experience of complex channel management and reporting of engagement metrics
- Experience in building profile of senior leadership teams
- Good political awareness, understanding of government landscape and working with Ministers
- Experience of press handling during a crisis
- Working knowledge and relationships with UK business media
- Experience of Freedom of Information processes and parliamentary requests
Desirable
- Experience of working in a customer-facing environment
- Experience (or demonstrable appreciation) of the challenges facing public sector
- Experience of supporting and organising events and VIP visits
- Experience of developing and managing websites
- Experience of managing risks and reporting
- Demonstrated experience in a healthcare/ NHS environment
- Experience of CMS systems for lead generation or relationship management
Planning and organisation skills
Essential
- Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages with advanced keyboard use
- Evidence of success in efficient and effective project management
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and to prioritise own workload
- Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required
- Excellent IT skills, including ability to use desktop publishing software and content management systems
- Ability to research subject matter to produce engaging articles for staff
- Proven planning and organisational skills, and proven ability to work effectively at pace and under pressure
Communication and relationship skills
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Confident and able to establish credibility quickly at all levels of the organisation and outside of it
- Able to influence and interact with a diverse customer group
- Ability to be compassionate, inclusive and accountable, and lead staff, partners and other stakeholders
- Ability to manage confrontational situations and sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy
- Ability to translate often complex documents into 'plain English' - particularly for the purposes of briefing papers and press releases.
- Excellent knowledge of how communication techniques are evolving and ability to use this information to continually transform Trust communications and plans for all audiences
- Creative individual who keeps up to date with latest trends to help keep communications effective and current
- Crisis management experience
Desirable
- Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders
- Experience of facilitating discussions or focus groups to gain insight
- Experience of working on an on-call rotas
Analytical and Judgement skills
Essential
- Able to analyse issues quickly and make decisions
- Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales
- Ability to interpret data, produce reports and draw out recommendations to improve internal and external engagement.
Desirable
- Understanding of the public sector and awareness of the relevant social and political environments and impact on the health economy
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Able to demonstrate a commitment and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs
- Demonstrate understanding of, and commitment to, equal opportunities as an employee and as a provider of service to the public
- Evidence of a solid understanding of patient confidentiality and the relevant aspects of libel law, the Freedom of Information Act, Equality Act and Data Protection Act.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent
- Post degree experience of 2 years or more in communications / press
- Able to demonstrate continuous professional development
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification in communications, or working towards this standard
- Membership of professional body
- Evidence of leadership development
Experience
Essential
- Experience of designing and delivering successful press/PR campaigns
- Ability to undertake strategic stakeholder mapping, segmentation and prioritisation
- Experience of directly managing and motivating a team of communications staff
- Experience of using insight to design successful communications plans and strategies
- Experience of account managing or business partnering internally
- Experience of complex channel management and reporting of engagement metrics
- Experience in building profile of senior leadership teams
- Good political awareness, understanding of government landscape and working with Ministers
- Experience of press handling during a crisis
- Working knowledge and relationships with UK business media
- Experience of Freedom of Information processes and parliamentary requests
Desirable
- Experience of working in a customer-facing environment
- Experience (or demonstrable appreciation) of the challenges facing public sector
- Experience of supporting and organising events and VIP visits
- Experience of developing and managing websites
- Experience of managing risks and reporting
- Demonstrated experience in a healthcare/ NHS environment
- Experience of CMS systems for lead generation or relationship management
Planning and organisation skills
Essential
- Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages with advanced keyboard use
- Evidence of success in efficient and effective project management
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and to prioritise own workload
- Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required
- Excellent IT skills, including ability to use desktop publishing software and content management systems
- Ability to research subject matter to produce engaging articles for staff
- Proven planning and organisational skills, and proven ability to work effectively at pace and under pressure
Communication and relationship skills
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Confident and able to establish credibility quickly at all levels of the organisation and outside of it
- Able to influence and interact with a diverse customer group
- Ability to be compassionate, inclusive and accountable, and lead staff, partners and other stakeholders
- Ability to manage confrontational situations and sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy
- Ability to translate often complex documents into 'plain English' - particularly for the purposes of briefing papers and press releases.
- Excellent knowledge of how communication techniques are evolving and ability to use this information to continually transform Trust communications and plans for all audiences
- Creative individual who keeps up to date with latest trends to help keep communications effective and current
- Crisis management experience
Desirable
- Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders
- Experience of facilitating discussions or focus groups to gain insight
- Experience of working on an on-call rotas
Analytical and Judgement skills
Essential
- Able to analyse issues quickly and make decisions
- Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales
- Ability to interpret data, produce reports and draw out recommendations to improve internal and external engagement.
Desirable
- Understanding of the public sector and awareness of the relevant social and political environments and impact on the health economy
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Able to demonstrate a commitment and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs
- Demonstrate understanding of, and commitment to, equal opportunities as an employee and as a provider of service to the public
- Evidence of a solid understanding of patient confidentiality and the relevant aspects of libel law, the Freedom of Information Act, Equality Act and Data Protection Act.
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
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).
