Communications Officer - Strategic Projects Nottingham, England
Job description
The EMAS Communications team is growing, which presents an exciting opportunity to join the team and make #EMAZING things happen!
New EMAS strategic ambitions have recently been approved by our Trust Board, and we’re looking for experienced communications and engagement professionals to join our team and use their skills to effectively support and lead the work underway to deliver the overall vision.
This role guarantees variety eg geographical areas covered, tasks undertaken, and promises exposure to a variety of topics, people, and organisations. Alongside the skills and experience detailed in the job description, the successful candidate will need to be compassionate and committed to equality and diversity, be able to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically, be politically aware with strong negotiation skills, an excellent team player who is agile, with a motivational approach and the ability to work under pressure.
The successful candidate will join our supportive and busy Communications team who, together with EMAS colleagues, work hard to make a difference for patients, staff and volunteers.
Communicating and engaging with staff, volunteers, and a wide range of stakeholders across the East Midlands means the Communications team works in a busy and challenging environment, where no two days are the same.
Under the direction of the Senior Communications Officer, and whilst living the EMAS values, the successful candidate will provide an internal and external communications and engagement service to support strategic projects designed to achieve the EMAS vision, ensuring the delivery of high-quality care and services to our patients and staff.
They will be responsible for the delivery of tasks within allocated projects, as well as day-to-day communications, online services (website, intranet, and social media channels), and a variety of other regular and bespoke communications, including major incident and business continuity communications, and staff and stakeholder engagement.
This post is suitable for a professional, experienced, agile and enthusiastic candidate who produces a high standard of communications, engaging positively and in a timely manner with a diverse group of people and organisations.
The development and then the efficient and effective delivery of communications plans created to support high-level corporate and change management projects and activities is an essential part of this role.
The individual may be required to support other Communications team activity eg to cover annual leave or when large programmes of work require additional focus.
The Communications team is based within the EMAS Directorate of Strategy and Transformation, with the Assistant Director of Communications reporting to the Deputy Director of Strategy. This Communications Officer post will report to the Senior Communications Officer role within the Communications team. Members of the Communications team work from home, with a requirement to travel to and work from EMAS bases and other locations to deliver specific communications and engagement activities.
The post-holder will:
1) Be responsible for day-to-day operations and tasks, effective planning, and creation of resources and materials using the internal and external channels and methods available to provide a proactive, effective, accurate, robust and accessible service. For example, contribute to the weekly digital staff and volunteer internal magazine (articles, photographs, videos), online staff engagement platform (Workplace by Meta); intranet; social media engagement; website and intranet; proactive and reactive media handling; taking part in the rota to monitor the communications inbox; produce and contribute to EMAS reports and publications (eg patient information leaflets, stakeholder briefing packs, presentations, Annual Report, Quality Account, and Annual General Meeting).
2) Support the Assistant Director of Communications and Senior Communications Officer by leading the creation and delivery of Communication plans including engagement, involvement and promotion/marketing (and designed to change behaviours, raise awareness, increase understanding, and/or encourage action), understanding and presenting complex and/or sensitive information in more accessible formats, and supporting the achievement of EMAS and Communications strategic objectives, project-based assignments, and campaigns. This may include formal staff and/or public consultation and will require the effectiveness of the methods adopted to be monitored and evaluated, identifying lessons learned to enhance future approaches.
3) As directed by the Assistant Director of Communications, Head of Communications, or Senior Communications Officer, represent them at meetings which include other members of the senior management team, offering strategic communications and engagement advice; attend/represent the service at external engagement events; and provide formal briefings to key stakeholders, all in line with the EMAS Values, Big 3 strategic objectives, Communications strategy, and associated plans.
4) Offer expert guidance and advice to senior managers and colleagues for business continuity, crisis management, and emergency planning, training and incident response, including being actively involved in serious untoward incidents and independent inquiries where appropriate.
5) Support the Assistant Director of Communications and Senior Communications Officer with the arrangements for, and participation in, Conversation Cafe tours (staff and volunteer engagement across the region) and Virtual Conversation Cafe events.
6) Build close working relationships with the Communications team to ensure effective cross-role cover as appropriate eg annual leave cover, and in support of large projects that impact all EMAS colleagues and volunteers, and/or stakeholders.
7) Be committed to updating their knowledge and skills continuously to ensure that the organisation makes maximum use of the most appropriate and proactive face-to-face, online, social media and media communications and engagement techniques.
Other responsibilities
1) Strengthen reputation and proactively showcase EMAS and its people, proactively identifying opportunities to increase internal and external stakeholder awareness of and confidence in services.
2) Work in collaboration with Communications and Engagement colleagues in partner agencies (NHS, social care, council organisations, other emergency and essential services, and Healthwatch etc) to deliver joined-up external messages and patient information.
3) In conjunction with the Communications team, provide support to EMAS colleagues, volunteers and teams taking part in recruitment and career events.
4) Support the provision of media training opportunities for EMAS staff as required. This includes providing one-to-one media briefings and training for staff, including Board members, in preparation for media interviews or high-profile stakeholder events.
5) Responsible for managing own routine administration processes, including maintaining databases.
6) When arranging VIP, media, celebrity visits and filming or photography opportunities, ensure relevant policies and procedures are adhered to particularly relating to patient confidentiality, data protection and safeguarding; business code of conduct; and infection prevention and control.
7) Work independently (and in line with the Communications team weekly and monthly planners), being managed rather than supervised.
8) Deputise for other Communications team members at key meetings or events as appropriate and guided by the Communications Manager.
9) Full driving licence is essential as is the ability to travel across the East Midlands and on occasions further afield.
The duties and responsibilities of the post will be undertaken in accordance with the policies, procedures and practices of the trust, which may be amended from time to time.
Patient Safety is a key priority for the trust. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully compliant with EMAS policies and procedures in respect of patient safety, for example Risk Management, Infection Prevention and Control, Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, but to give an indication of the main areas of activity and involvement.
