Communications Associate - Freedom of Information

Supply Chain Corporation; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Annual bonus schemes

Long service awards

27 days holiday + 5

In-house training & external quals

Well-being day

Pension scheme 12% employer

Flexible benefits

Volunteering leave

NHS discounts

Job summary

NHS Supply Chain is seeking a Communications Associate to lead the organisation’s Freedom of Information (FOI) process, ensuring timely, accurate responses and compliance with the FOI Act. You will liaise across directorates, provide expert guidance, and deliver governance reporting to support transparency.

The role is hybrid, based in Nottingham, with a starting salary of £37,502 and a potential rise to £41,669 over three years. Closing date 27 September 2026.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act or willingness to learn.
• Proven ability to manage processes, deadlines and multiple requests.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage NHS Supply Chain’s FOI process.
• Coordinate responses across directorates and monitor statutory timelines.
• Record and securely store FOI information per SOPs.
• Provide guidance on FOI requirements and drafting responses.
• Identify FOI trends and provide governance reports.
• Collaborate with internal teams and DHSC/NHS England on requests.

Skills

FOI Act knowledge

Deadline management

Written communication

Legislation interpretation

Cross-team collaboration

Governance reporting

Stakeholder liaison

Attention to detail

Education

Experience with FOI processes

Job description

Job TitleCommunications Associate - Freedom of Information (FOI)

Function: Customer, Communications and Marketing

Location:Hybrid Worker – Expectation is two days per week at our Nottingham office

Contract type: Permanent

Salary:Offered on a starting salary of £37,502 with the potential to increase to £41,669 over the course of three years.

Closing Date: Sunday 27 September 2026

The role exists to lead, manage, and deliver NHS Supply Chain’s Freedom of Information (FOI) process in full alignment with the Freedom of Information Act. Acting as the organisation’s central coordination point, the postholder ensures that all FOI requests are handled efficiently, accurately, and within statutory timelines. By working collaboratively across all directorates, providing expert guidance, and maintaining robust reporting, the role safeguards transparency, supports compliance, and enables NHS Supply Chain to meet its legal obligations with consistency and professionalism.

Every day you will …

• Manage and oversee all Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to ensure full compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.
• Monitor deadlines, coordinate responses across directorates, and ensure all approval steps are followed.
• Ensure all FOI information is recorded and securely stored in line with standard operating procedures.
• Provide expert advice and guidance to colleagues on FOI requirements and compliant response drafting.
• Identify trends in FOI requests, share insights and provide governance monitoring reports.
• Collaborate with internal teams to gather information and liaise with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England on relevant requests.

What can we offer you?

We want to reward you for your passion, enthusiasm, and hard work so we offer much more than a competitive salary:

• Hybrid working opportunities, giving you the flexibility to work collaboratively in the office and remotely.
• We recognise our employees' hard work and contributions with annual bonus schemes, long service, and VIP colleagues awards.
• 27 days holiday plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days.
• We are dedicated to your development, through in-house training, support, and access to external qualifications to maximise your potential.
• A focus on your well-being offering 1 day of paid well-being leave and free access to the 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Generous pension scheme (with us contributing 12% when you contribute 6%)
• Access to our Flexible Benefits Scheme, where you can choose from a variety of benefits such as Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover, Income Protection, Health Cash Plan, Dental Insurance, and additional pension contributions that suit you.
• 2 days of paid volunteering leave allowing you to give back to your community.
• Access to many discounts from the Blue Light Card to NHS Discounts.

NHS Supply Chain, who are we?

Our role is to support the NHS to save lives and improve health. We are a part of the NHS family, and our role is to source, deliver and supply healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales.

We serve every NHS Trust and operate a national network of distribution centres, managing relationships with more than a thousand suppliers and delivering more than 8,000,000 orders each year to more than 17,000 locations.Doing all of this on behalf of the NHS gives NHS staff more time to focus on their main priority of providing excellent patient care.

What skills will help you thrive in this role?

• Knowledge of the Freedom of Information Act or a willingness to learn, supported by strong process and organisational skills.
• Proven ability to manage processes, deadlines, and multiple requests simultaneously.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, accurate and compliant responses and monitoring reports.
• Confident in interpreting legislation and providing guidance to colleagues at all levels.
• Skilled at building relationships and collaborating across teams and external stakeholders.
• High attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in logs, reports, and formal responses.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and follow structured processes.
• Analytical mindset, able to identify trends and provide meaningful insights.
• Proactive, calm under pressure, and comfortable working to statutory deadlines.
• Professional, diplomatic, and able to handle sensitive or complex information appropriately.

Our Inclusive Commitment

At NHS Supply Chain, we are committed to building an inclusive environment where difference is not only valued, but celebrated, giving everyone the opportunity to thrive in their career. Developing our people is key to our success, so if this role sounds like the right next step in your career but your experience doesn’t match perfectly with the job advert, we encourage you to still apply.