External Communications Officer

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust; West Bromwich; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust is seeking an external communications officer with a flair for writing and creating engaging content for staff and communities across the region. You will work with the External Communications team to handle media enquiries, draft statements, and produce multimedia content.

The role involves developing campaigns, updating websites and social channels, plus organising public and stakeholder events to promote the Trust and its services.

Qualifications

• Degree level or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of further professional development.
• Professional qualifications in media, public relations or marketing.
• NHS experience.

Responsibilities

• To support ongoing communication with staff, public, patient and stakeholder groups and undertake other communications, engagement, and marketing activities.
• Provide extensive support to Head of External Communications and External Communications Manager in delivering the external elements of the communications strategy.
• Help develop and implement a marketing strategy to promote Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust as the hospitals of choice for patients and showcase new and innovative services.
• Organise and run public and stakeholder events to promote the Trust, its services, plans and strategies, including fun days, public meetings, conferences and roadshows and seize appropriate promotional opportunities, ensuring the Trust is adequately represented at public and stakeholder events

Skills

Journalistic writing

Highly organised

Ability to work under pressure

Flexible in approach

Proactive and able to use initiative

Education

Degree level or equivalent experience

Evidence of further professional development

Professional qualifications in media/public relations/marketing

NHS experience

Job description

Here at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust we’re committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce and we welcome applications from all parts of the community. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities whilst employing people to our organisation who meet our Trust values of ambition, respect and compassion. With the opening of our new hospital, Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, it’s the coming together of expertise from every corner of our organisation and a show of our commitment to provide better healthcare and create more jobs and so much more. We at the Trust actively encourage Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and disabled applicants, as well as members of the armed forces community and value the positive impact that difference has on our teams. We are committed to equality and diversity within our workforce.

Job overview

Creativity is key when it comes to delivering crucial NHS messaging to our staff and communities across Sandwell and West Birmingham, and as part of our wider group working with The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.

That’s why we’re looking for an external communications officer with a real flair for writing and creating eye-catching campaign content —someone who can bring important messages to life for our diverse and vibrant population.

The Communications team is a busy, fast-paced environment, so you can expect a steep learning curve but also constant opportunities to develop your skills. From handling media enquiries and drafting statements, to producing videos and animations, updating websites and social media channels, and exploring new ways to reach our audiences, no two days are the same.

Across both organisations you’ll play a key role in shaping how we communicate with our communities. You’ll use video editing and animation tools to create engaging content, respond to media enquiries, and generate stories that resonate both locally and regionally.

We’re looking for someone who is confident communicating with people- whether over the phone, on camera or face-to-face, who can film and edit content, and who is quick to learn in a dynamic environment.

Main duties of the job

To support ongoing communication with staff, public, patient and stakeholder groups and undertake other communications, engagement, and marketing activities.

Provide extensive support to Head of External Communications and External Communications Manager in delivering the external elements of the communications strategy.

Help develop and implement a marketing strategy to promote Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust as the hospitals of choice for patients and showcase new and innovative services.

Organise and run public and stakeholder events to promote the Trust, its services, plans and strategies, including fun days, public meetings, conferences and roadshows and seize appropriate promotional opportunities, ensuring the Trust is adequately represented at public and stakeholder events

Working for our organisation

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) serves Birmingham and the Black Country – one of the country’s most culturally diverse areas. It’s a friendly and welcoming place – a place where you can belong, and a place where you can grow.

We care for our patients, we care about our population, and we care about our people.

Our values – Ambition, Respect and Compassion – are at the heart of who we are. They guide us every step of the way; how we work with each other, and how we look after our patients and their families; how we respect and value the rich diversity of our team and our community.

Our Trust has always aspired to be more than a hospital, more than a healthcare provider. Our purpose is “Improve the Life Chances and Health Outcomes of our Population.” It is what inspires, drives, and unites us every day. It’s what makes us unique.

We want working at SWB to feel like more than just a job. We want our Trust to be a place where you can feel you belong. A place where you feel happy, safe, and rewarded. A place where you can develop your career in whatever way you choose.When we say we’re ‘with you all the way’ we want you to know that we mean it. Visit the SWB website to find out more about our ambitions and people plans.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information, please see the attached job description and person specification for the role.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Degree level or equivalent experience
• Evidence of further professional development
• Professional qualifications in media, public relations or marketing.
• NHS experience

Experience

• Experience in public relations or business administration
• Journalistic writing or publications experience
• Public relations experience
• Experience of filming and editing

Personal Qualities

• Highly organised
• Ability to work under pressure
• Flexible in approach
• Proactive and able to use initiative

The four partner Trusts of the Black Country Provider Collaborative (Dudley Group NHS FT, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust) are actively working in partnership to deliver a collective vision focused on providing “better, faster and safer care to the population of the Black Country and beyond”.

To support this vision, we are (where appropriate and safe to do so) actively looking at new models of care which:

Better protect elective / planned care service delivery across the system by organising on a 'hot and cold' arrangement

Consider the optimal use of resources through consolidation and specialisation, and

Seek to reduce unwarranted variance, level up / standardise care through a 'Networked Service Solution' approach across the four sites

Against this context, although this post is hosted by Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, there may be an expectation to work flexibly acrossthefour partner Trusts to better meet patient and service needs.

As a major employer in the Black Country and West Birmingham region we are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance. We want the Black Country and West Birmingham region to be the best place to work and as such will consider all requests to work flexibly taking into account personal and individual circumstances alongside the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the Recruiting Manager as part of the on-boarding process.

Healthcare services have a significant impact on the environment. We are committed to embedding sustainable practices. We expect all colleagues to support the delivery of our Green Strategic Plan and to drive positive changes in their department by joining our Green Impact programme.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.