Job summary
Communications and Engagement Manager
Department: Communications and Engagement team
Band 6-7 / Band 7
Hours: 37.5 per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working
This is a brilliant opportunity for experienced, passionate and enthusiastic comms professional to become an integral part of the well-established communications and engagement team at MKUH.
With an ambitious digital strategy and considerable financial investment to improve the estate, it is an exciting time to join the organisation and the communications team, which sits at the heart of the Trust and ensures staff, patients and the local community are kept well informed and involved through creative communications.
The Communications and Engagement Manager will have the opportunity to: lead communications and engagement work on large-scale projects; advise and influence senior figures in the Trust to encourage best practice in communications and engagement; and build effective relationships both internally and externally to promote the work of the hospital.
In exchange, the postholder will be joining a supportive, friendly, and vastly experienced team whilst having an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
The post will be offered at either Band 7 or Band 6 with progression to a Band 7 role within 12 months. This will be discussed with the successful candidate.
Main duties of the job
As the exceptional candidate you will be expected to demonstrate experience across the full range of communications activities, including proactive and reactive media management, staff and stakeholder engagement, and event and campaign management. An understanding and experience of all web-based communications will also be essential, as well as experience managing and mentoring others.
This is an opportunity for a talented, passionate and experienced communications professional to; lead communicationsand engagementworkon large-scale projects; advise and influence senior figures in the Trust to encourage best practice in communications and engagement; and buildeffective relationships both internallyand externallyto promote the work of the hospital.
About us
They have the highest score in the "We work flexibly" theme, scoring 6.86 out of 10.(NHS Staff Survey 2023)
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communications and Engagement
- Develop and design communications plans to assist with delivery of Trust campaigns
- Present communications on complex issues Trust-wide
- Ensure all communications are aligned to the Trusts communications strategy and its objectives
- Ensure effective timetabling of change communications for maximum impact and avoidance of confusion and duplication
- Curate digital content, including updating the website using a WordPress Content Management System (CMS)
Public relations
- Liaise with press and media, including developing media releases, hosting media briefings, and deciding how to respond to media issues on sensitive or complex issues
- Facilitate media and VIP activity on site
- Identify positive stories about the Trust and sell-in to the media
- Proactively build relationships with journalists locally and regionally
Stakeholder management
Build relationships with key stakeholders and partners across the region
Share good news stories, best practice and encourage skill development
Position the Trust as a leader in healthcare communications locally.
Branding
- Oversee all briefings to in-house creative resource, ensuring requests are managed appropriately and prioritised based on organisational need
- Ensure all materials published are in-line with corporate Trust brand guidelines
- Reguarly review Trust brand guidelines to ensure they are relevant and meet the organisations requirements
- Work with external suppliers to commission and deliver campaign designs and materials where appropriate.
Planning, organisational and leadership skills
- Responsible for developing and implementing project plans in line with the strategic direction, and making recommendations for changes which may improve programme outcomes
- Prioritise workload and manage frequently changing priorities
- Co-ordinate the input of a variety of partners
- Mentor members of the team to support their personal and professional development
- Hold a delegated budget for communication projects and events as required.
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Communications and Engagement
- Develop and design communications plans to assist with delivery of Trust campaigns
- Present communications on complex issues Trust-wide
- Ensure all communications are aligned to the Trusts communications strategy and its objectives
- Ensure effective timetabling of change communications for maximum impact and avoidance of confusion and duplication
- Curate digital content, including updating the website using a WordPress Content Management System (CMS)
Public relations
- Liaise with press and media, including developing media releases, hosting media briefings, and deciding how to respond to media issues on sensitive or complex issues
- Facilitate media and VIP activity on site
- Identify positive stories about the Trust and sell-in to the media
- Proactively build relationships with journalists locally and regionally
Stakeholder management
Build relationships with key stakeholders and partners across the region
Share good news stories, best practice and encourage skill development
Position the Trust as a leader in healthcare communications locally.
Branding
- Oversee all briefings to in-house creative resource, ensuring requests are managed appropriately and prioritised based on organisational need
- Ensure all materials published are in-line with corporate Trust brand guidelines
- Reguarly review Trust brand guidelines to ensure they are relevant and meet the organisations requirements
- Work with external suppliers to commission and deliver campaign designs and materials where appropriate.
Planning, organisational and leadership skills
- Responsible for developing and implementing project plans in line with the strategic direction, and making recommendations for changes which may improve programme outcomes
- Prioritise workload and manage frequently changing priorities
- Co-ordinate the input of a variety of partners
- Mentor members of the team to support their personal and professional development
- Hold a delegated budget for communication projects and events as required.
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience (significant experience advising an executive team on strategic communications)
Desirable
- Post-graduate communications related qualification to masters level or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a communications role
- Experience communicating change
- Experience developing and delivering communications plans
- Experience using a wide range of IT packages including or equivalent to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
- Experience managing budgets
- Project management experience
- Brand management experience
- Experience using a content management system to update websites or an intranet
Desirable
- Experience working with and advising senior figures
- Experience handling and responding to media requests
- Experience organising corporate events
- Experience working in the NHS
- Experience presenting information to large groups of people
- Experience managing content requests
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing
- Presentation skills
- Ability to work on own initiative without direct supervision
- Well-developed organisational skills
- Excellent people skills
- Excellent prioritising skills
- Ability to manage team workload
Desirable
- Analytical skills
- Ability to produce formal reports
Personal and people development
Essential
- Engaging and enthusiastic
- Ability to keep calm under pressure
- Attention to detail, but with ability to keep eye on big picture
- Strong team player
- Sound judgement
- Able to act independently, decisively and effectively
- Ability to respond to difficult organisational situations
- Ability to watch and listen to implicit key messages and respond appropriately
- Able to process complex and sensitive information
Desirable
- Able to mentor team members to support personal and professional development
Communication
Essential
- Ability to develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or in difficult situations, varying language and style as appropriate.
- Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options
- Ability to negotiate solutions in difficult situations
Desirable
- Ability to design strategies to ensure the engagement and involvement of essential stakeholders, and adapt own style and impact to encourage positive and effective partnerships
- Ability to recognise when change is necessary and has the greatest chance of success. Including planning strategies for enabling success and successfully managing people in an environment of change
Specific requirements
Essential
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience (significant experience advising an executive team on strategic communications)
Desirable
- Post-graduate communications related qualification to masters level or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a communications role
- Experience communicating change
- Experience developing and delivering communications plans
- Experience using a wide range of IT packages including or equivalent to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
- Experience managing budgets
- Project management experience
- Brand management experience
- Experience using a content management system to update websites or an intranet
Desirable
- Experience working with and advising senior figures
- Experience handling and responding to media requests
- Experience organising corporate events
- Experience working in the NHS
- Experience presenting information to large groups of people
- Experience managing content requests
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing
- Presentation skills
- Ability to work on own initiative without direct supervision
- Well-developed organisational skills
- Excellent people skills
- Excellent prioritising skills
- Ability to manage team workload
Desirable
- Analytical skills
- Ability to produce formal reports
Personal and people development
Essential
- Engaging and enthusiastic
- Ability to keep calm under pressure
- Attention to detail, but with ability to keep eye on big picture
- Strong team player
- Sound judgement
- Able to act independently, decisively and effectively
- Ability to respond to difficult organisational situations
- Ability to watch and listen to implicit key messages and respond appropriately
- Able to process complex and sensitive information
Desirable
- Able to mentor team members to support personal and professional development
Communication
Essential
- Ability to develop and maintain communication with people about difficult matters and/or in difficult situations, varying language and style as appropriate.
- Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options
- Ability to negotiate solutions in difficult situations
Desirable
- Ability to design strategies to ensure the engagement and involvement of essential stakeholders, and adapt own style and impact to encourage positive and effective partnerships
- Ability to recognise when change is necessary and has the greatest chance of success. Including planning strategies for enabling success and successfully managing people in an environment of change
Specific requirements
Essential
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
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.
