Job summary
Were looking for a skilled
communicator with a passion for health and care. If you thrive in a fast-paced
environment and enjoy creating engaging messaging that captivates your
audience, we have the perfect opportunity for you!
Join our dynamic team as a
Communications Officer in Dorset and play a crucial role in sharing stories to
show how our integrated care system is working together to improve the lives of
our local community. You'll work closely with our Communications and Marketing
team to create engaging content for various channels, build strong
relationships with the media, and coordinate proactive and reactive
communications to uphold our organisation's reputation.
In this role, you will lead
the coordination of media queries, develop communication plans based on
audience insights, and measure the impact of your efforts to ensure our
messages resonate with the right people. You'll also help with internal
communications and create content for digital channels.
If you have
experience in media relations, crisis management, social media, and content
creation, and are ready to make a meaningful impact in the health and care
sector, we want to hear from you. Join us in celebrating achievements,
promoting excellence, and enhancing our reputation locally. Apply now and be
part of a team dedicated to keeping our local communities well-informed.
Main duties of the job
In this
role you will vital in sharing positive news, creating engaging
content, and build strong relationships with internal and external
stakeholders. Key tasks include sourcing good news stories, developing
communication plans, evaluating the impact of communication activities, and
ensuring they are written in plain English.
You will
create content for various channels such as corporate publications, press
releases, promotional material, presentations, articles, newsletters, and
reports. You will handle media relations, including proactive and reactive
media handling, media monitoring, and build relationships with the media and
stakeholders. Coordinating Freedom of Information and MP requests and responsesis a part of the role.
You will
support the development and delivery of marketing and communication plans, as
well as creating content for digital communication channels like social media
and the website. You will work closely with other members of the team to align
activities and ensure consistency in messaging.
You will monitor
and evaluate the impact of communication activities to identify areas for
improvement and also support on all aspects of production of digital and print
publications, ensuring branding and style guidelines are followed effectively.
This role
is crucial in promoting the achievements and excellence of NHS Dorset,
enhancing its reputation, and ensuring that communications resonate with the
right audiences both internally and externally.
About us
We know many use AI to enhance their
applications. While AI brings efficiency, we value authenticity and urge
applicants to reflect their true skills and experiences. NHS Dorset evaluates
each application fairly, acknowledging AI's benefits and limitation.
We are joining up to tackle all the things that affect our health and wellbeing, make real change, and improve things for our communities.
Dorset ICS is made up of:
- NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board
- University Hospitals Dorset Foundation Trust
- Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust
- Dorset HealthCare University Foundation Trust
- Dorset Council
- Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council
- 194 town and parish councils
- 18 primary care networks (made up of 73 GP practices)
- Southwestern Ambulance Service Foundation Trust
- Dorset Police
- Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
- 7,300 voluntary organisations
What we do
The Health and Care Bill puts ICSs on a statutory footing empowering them to better join up health and care services, improve population health, and reduce health inequalities.
ICSs have four core purposes:
- Improve outcomes in population health and healthcare
- Tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience, and access
- Enhance productivity and value for money
- Help the NHS support broader social and economic development
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached for full job description
Were looking for
a great communicator with a passion for health and care that can hit the ground
running in this fast-paced and challenging role.
You may already be
in a press office, journalism or communications role looking for your next
opportunity.
As our new Communications Officer youll get the chance to create
meaningful comms that help our local communities stay well. Youll translate
complex ideas into plain English that really grab peoples attention. Youll
tell the story of the great work were doing to improve the lives of people in
Dorset, and share it with the public, our partners, and our colleagues across a
variety of channels. Youll build good relationships with the media to ensure
the right messages reach local people and coordinate reactive communications to
help protect and enhance the organisations reputation.
Youll be working
as part of our creative and supportive Communications and Marketing team. The
team is responsible for producing award-winning campaigns and high-quality
messaging for the public, the media, our partners and colleagues.
Reporting to the Senior Communications Officer, you will:
- lead on the coordination of media queries,
working with colleagues from across the system to develop strong, open and
honest messages
- build strong relationships internally and
externally that help us better understand our audiences and enhance our
reputation
- work with colleagues to source and develop
good news stories for sharing with colleagues, partners and the public
- support internal communication activities including our daily staff
bulletin, board meetings and all staff live sessions
- use audience insight and wider research to
help develop and deliver communication plans which ensure our comms resonate
with the right people
- measure the impact of your comms activities
using quantitative and qualitative insights, and report regularly on outcomes
and learning.
Were looking for someone with a range of comms and marketing skills,
including experience working with the media, public relations, crisis
management, social media and digital content creation, blog writing, content
creation for campaigns and patient information. Youll also be able to provide
communications support for our priority areas including equality, diversity and
inclusion, and culture and transformation across Dorsets integrated care
system.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached for full job description
Were looking for
a great communicator with a passion for health and care that can hit the ground
running in this fast-paced and challenging role.
You may already be
in a press office, journalism or communications role looking for your next
opportunity.
As our new Communications Officer youll get the chance to create
meaningful comms that help our local communities stay well. Youll translate
complex ideas into plain English that really grab peoples attention. Youll
tell the story of the great work were doing to improve the lives of people in
Dorset, and share it with the public, our partners, and our colleagues across a
variety of channels. Youll build good relationships with the media to ensure
the right messages reach local people and coordinate reactive communications to
help protect and enhance the organisations reputation.
Youll be working
as part of our creative and supportive Communications and Marketing team. The
team is responsible for producing award-winning campaigns and high-quality
messaging for the public, the media, our partners and colleagues.
Reporting to the Senior Communications Officer, you will:
- lead on the coordination of media queries,
working with colleagues from across the system to develop strong, open and
honest messages
- build strong relationships internally and
externally that help us better understand our audiences and enhance our
reputation
- work with colleagues to source and develop
good news stories for sharing with colleagues, partners and the public
- support internal communication activities including our daily staff
bulletin, board meetings and all staff live sessions
- use audience insight and wider research to
help develop and deliver communication plans which ensure our comms resonate
with the right people
- measure the impact of your comms activities
using quantitative and qualitative insights, and report regularly on outcomes
and learning.
Were looking for someone with a range of comms and marketing skills,
including experience working with the media, public relations, crisis
management, social media and digital content creation, blog writing, content
creation for campaigns and patient information. Youll also be able to provide
communications support for our priority areas including equality, diversity and
inclusion, and culture and transformation across Dorsets integrated care
system.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Specialist training and/or relevant experience and knowledge in a digital communications or marketing field.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development in related fields.
Experience
Essential
- Recent previous experience within a comparable role.
- Experience of working with local/national media to ensure the right message and story is told.
- Experience of writing and producing communications for a range of audiences and channels.
- Working in partnership with multiple stakeholders to coordinate high quality messages.
- Experience of developing and implementing highly effective communication plans.
- Experience of turning complex messaging into plain English.
- Evaluating the impact and effectiveness of your communication activities and reporting on the impact and lessons learnt.
- Experience of working in a busy communications and/or marketing environment.
- Experience of delivering and evaluating communications plans.
- Experience of design and photo editing programmes is desirable.
- Experience/knowledge of the health sector is desirable.
Personal Values
Essential
- Personal commitment to the values of the NHS.
- Lives by the values of openness and integrity and has supported the development of teams where this thrives.
- Excellent team player.
Skills, abilities and knowledge
Essential
- Ability to create engaging content to use across a range of platforms.
- Evidence of managing projects from start to finish including on-going evaluation.
- Good writing and copy-editing skills for a variety of channels and audiences.
- Knowledge of websites, social media and newsletter content management and customer relationship management systems.
- WordPress skills to help update websites an advantage.
- SharePoint skills an advantage but not essential.
- Knowledge of evaluation tools including Google Analytics and Twitter Analytics an advantage.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a broader team, recognising the importance of integrated communications.
- Ability to develop productive, professional working relationships with internal colleagues, stakeholders and suppliers.
- Ability to act on initiative, to work under pressure and exercise judgment.
- Good personal presentation and verbal communication skills.
- Attention to detail with good organisational skills.
- Ability to work under pressure, to tight deadlines, and to prioritise workload.
- Knowledge in social media and best practices
- Creative, innovative, and detail-oriented
- Excellent communication skills, with an enthusiasm for communicating challenging messages creatively and effectively
- Networking skills, and the ability to proactively build productive working relationships with internal and external partners
- A proven ability to write engaging and accessible copy and develop other content in a variety of styles for different audiences and channels, conveying key points clearly and concisely
- Excellent proofreading and editorial skills with exceptional attention to detail
- Ability to remain calm, effective and positive even when under pressure and to take ownership for delivering outcomes
- Initiative in identifying and recommending new approaches
- Willingness to work flexibly as part of a team and respond to urgent requests
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Specialist training and/or relevant experience and knowledge in a digital communications or marketing field.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development in related fields.
Experience
Essential
- Recent previous experience within a comparable role.
- Experience of working with local/national media to ensure the right message and story is told.
- Experience of writing and producing communications for a range of audiences and channels.
- Working in partnership with multiple stakeholders to coordinate high quality messages.
- Experience of developing and implementing highly effective communication plans.
- Experience of turning complex messaging into plain English.
- Evaluating the impact and effectiveness of your communication activities and reporting on the impact and lessons learnt.
- Experience of working in a busy communications and/or marketing environment.
- Experience of delivering and evaluating communications plans.
- Experience of design and photo editing programmes is desirable.
- Experience/knowledge of the health sector is desirable.
Personal Values
Essential
- Personal commitment to the values of the NHS.
- Lives by the values of openness and integrity and has supported the development of teams where this thrives.
- Excellent team player.
Skills, abilities and knowledge
Essential
- Ability to create engaging content to use across a range of platforms.
- Evidence of managing projects from start to finish including on-going evaluation.
- Good writing and copy-editing skills for a variety of channels and audiences.
- Knowledge of websites, social media and newsletter content management and customer relationship management systems.
- WordPress skills to help update websites an advantage.
- SharePoint skills an advantage but not essential.
- Knowledge of evaluation tools including Google Analytics and Twitter Analytics an advantage.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a broader team, recognising the importance of integrated communications.
- Ability to develop productive, professional working relationships with internal colleagues, stakeholders and suppliers.
- Ability to act on initiative, to work under pressure and exercise judgment.
- Good personal presentation and verbal communication skills.
- Attention to detail with good organisational skills.
- Ability to work under pressure, to tight deadlines, and to prioritise workload.
- Knowledge in social media and best practices
- Creative, innovative, and detail-oriented
- Excellent communication skills, with an enthusiasm for communicating challenging messages creatively and effectively
- Networking skills, and the ability to proactively build productive working relationships with internal and external partners
- A proven ability to write engaging and accessible copy and develop other content in a variety of styles for different audiences and channels, conveying key points clearly and concisely
- Excellent proofreading and editorial skills with exceptional attention to detail
- Ability to remain calm, effective and positive even when under pressure and to take ownership for delivering outcomes
- Initiative in identifying and recommending new approaches
- Willingness to work flexibly as part of a team and respond to urgent requests
