Job summary
We have approved the external recruitment of these/ several business-critical roles as fixed term contracts. This decision was made through the agreed recruitment controls process and endorsed by national directors.
As a Media Relations Manager at NHS England, you will play a pivotal role as a member of the senior team in one of the country's busiest media offices.
With the NHS taking major action to recover services, reduce waiting times and improve patient experience, excellent communication will play a vital role in the most ambitious catch-up programme in health history to address the backlogs that have inevitably built up. This will include finding and delivering proactive stories about the ongoing delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan ambitions and helping show how the NHS is safely delivering frontline services amid continued pressure.
Please note that the reason for the fixed term of your contract is short-term vacancy.
Main duties of the job
You will respond to emerging stories and issues to ensure that the NHS, its staff and their work are fairly represented, and the information that patients get through the media is accurate.
You will play an important role as part of the senior team, including in proactive planning, line-management responsibilities and stepping in to support or cover for the Head and Deputy Head of team.
About us
You will work closely with colleagues in other parts of the Strategy directorate, in the wider organisation and with local services, to ensure that stories support the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan and wider communications priorities, deliver clear and consistent messaging and are seen and understood across different audiences.
You will be expected to liaise effectively with stakeholders, government departments and other agencies. You will also need to be able to demonstrate the ability to build trust with senior internal stakeholders, including at board level.
Job description
Job responsibilities
First-hand knowledge of the NHS and the work of NHS England is an advantage, but the most essential requirements are impeccable news judgement, strong writing skills, an excellent understanding of the media landscape and experience of dealing with national media.
The post holder will beexpected to take part in theon-call rota
Job description
Job responsibilities
First-hand knowledge of the NHS and the work of NHS England is an advantage, but the most essential requirements are impeccable news judgement, strong writing skills, an excellent understanding of the media landscape and experience of dealing with national media.
The post holder will beexpected to take part in theon-call rota
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of dealing with the media
- Awareness of the expectations on public sector communications to be open, honest and non-political
- Extensive knowledge of specialist areas acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to master's level equivalent
- Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development
- Have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this on engagement
- Have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health and individual provider and commissioning organisations
- Experience of managing and motivating a team/virtual team and reviewing performance of the individuals
- Experience of identifying and interpreting national policy
Desirable
- Comprehensive experience of project principles techniques and tools such as Prince 2 and Managing Successful Projects
- Member of relevant professional body
Skills, Capabilities & Attributes
Essential
- Extremely strong writing skills
- Extremely strong verbal skills
- Developed communication skills for delivering key messages to a range of media and social both internal and external (including outside the NHS) to the organisation, some at very senior level
- Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups
- Ability to negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change
- Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options
- Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action, working to tight and often changing timescales
- Demonstrates a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference by focusing on goals
- Must be able to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others
- Must be able to use initiative to decide relevant actions and make recommendations with the aim of improving deliverables and compliance to policies
Values & Behaviours
Essential
- Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards in all they do. Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public
- Ability to operate in a value-driven style consistent with the values of the public services and specifically with the new organisational values
- Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
- Values diversity and difference; operates with integrity and openness
- Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
- Consistently looks to improve what they do, look for successful tried and tested ways of working, and also seeks out innovation.
- Actively develops themselves and supports others to do the same
- Needs to have a thorough understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
Other
Essential
- Able to travel across various sites where
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of dealing with the media
- Awareness of the expectations on public sector communications to be open, honest and non-political
- Extensive knowledge of specialist areas acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to master's level equivalent
- Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development
- Have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this on engagement
- Have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health and individual provider and commissioning organisations
- Experience of managing and motivating a team/virtual team and reviewing performance of the individuals
- Experience of identifying and interpreting national policy
Desirable
- Comprehensive experience of project principles techniques and tools such as Prince 2 and Managing Successful Projects
- Member of relevant professional body
Skills, Capabilities & Attributes
Essential
- Extremely strong writing skills
- Extremely strong verbal skills
- Developed communication skills for delivering key messages to a range of media and social both internal and external (including outside the NHS) to the organisation, some at very senior level
- Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups
- Ability to negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change
- Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options
- Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action, working to tight and often changing timescales
- Demonstrates a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference by focusing on goals
- Must be able to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others
- Must be able to use initiative to decide relevant actions and make recommendations with the aim of improving deliverables and compliance to policies
Values & Behaviours
Essential
- Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards in all they do. Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public
- Ability to operate in a value-driven style consistent with the values of the public services and specifically with the new organisational values
- Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
- Values diversity and difference; operates with integrity and openness
- Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others
- Consistently looks to improve what they do, look for successful tried and tested ways of working, and also seeks out innovation.
- Actively develops themselves and supports others to do the same
- Needs to have a thorough understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
Other
Essential
- Able to travel across various sites where
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).
