- Grade: Band 4 (£23,949)
- Hours: Full-time 37.5 hours (Fixed-term contract for 12 months)
- Site: Doncaster Royal Infirmary
- Closing date: 16 February 2023
- Apply for this position here.
A new opportunity has arisen to work with both Communications and Engagement department and Education and Research directorate at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals.
Based primarily at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, as Communications and Engagement Assistant you will form part of the Communications and Engagement Department, specifically and exclusively undertaking projects related to Education and Research at the Trust.
A wide and varied role requiring excellent writing and journalistic skills, you will create engaging, people based, content including case studies, feature articles and press releases, assist in social media work, help to develop promote the achievements and developments of the Trust’s Education and Research directorate.
This is the perfect role for someone who is looking to begin their career within NHS and public sector communication, or alternative someone within a similar, junior, role, to take their next steps.
For an informal chat about the role, please contact adam.tingle@nhs.net.
Main duties of the job
You will also meet regularly with leaders within the Education and Research directorate, as well attend team meetings, in order that you can fulfil the remit of individual communications projects, supporting as required and developing a change of materials to suit their needs.
As the post-holder you will be expected to help administrate our social media profiles and arrange and attend photo opportunities and other media events related Education and Research, as well as produce film and graphical content wherever necessary.
You will also support the directorate to further develop their online presence by administering the team’s extranet and website pages. This will include updating content as well as creating new pages, with the help of relevant colleagues.
To understand the impact of this work, you will monitor local and national newspapers and websites, compiling stories relevant to the organisation into a weekly media update for the attention of the Trust’s Executive Team.
While you will work with the Education and Research team, you will form part of the Trust’s wider Communications and Engagement team, reporting to the Acting Director of the department.
Working for our organisation
Doncaster & Bassetlaw NHS FT provides the full range of local hospital services and provide some community and specialist tertiary services, including vascular surgery. We serve a population of more than 420,000 across South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, and the surrounding areas through three main hospital sites with a small community site at Retford. We are also a teaching hospital operating within the Yorkshire region, working closely with the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.
As an organisation, it is our vision to be the ‘safest Trust in England, outstanding in all that we do’. To serve this ambition, we have an embedded ethos of Quality Improvement (Qi), a strong focus upon performance, and a values-based culture which places the patient at the heart of everything we do as health professionals. We are currently refreshing our organisational strategy to ensure a strong focus on recovery and renewal post pandemic – this is a very exciting time for the Trust. With an expanding quality improvement programme, we are striving to establish a position as one of the best in class for health, whilst also completing a journey to become Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated ‘Outstanding’.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Perform general administrative and reception duties for the department
Help in the creation and distribution of internal and external Education and Research messages and publications with a focus on writing press releases, feature stories, case studies and award entries.
Assist in the monitoring and publication of content on the Trust’s social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) with a specific focus on Education and Research messaging.
Help to develop and manage any specific Education and Research social media pages/groups.
Edit and administrate the Trust’s external and internal websites as necessary to update, amend and create Education and Research related content.
Research and write award entries to celebrate good practice within the directorate.
Create related graphics as well as films for Education and Research projects.
Alongside the wider team, be the first point of contact for general enquiries into the department and manage them appropriately.
Regularly meet with the directorate’s leadership team to ensure good communications support across breadth of activity.
Arrange and attend photo opportunities and other events and visits as required.
Maintenance and content refreshment of staff and public notice boards, as well as ensuring Trust magazines are routinely replenished.
Assist with the answering of press queries, collecting data as needed and supporting the Senior Communications and Engagement Manager.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience using IT, as well as software such as Microsoft Word, Outlook and similar programmes.
- The ability to plan, develop, organise and prioritise your work to meet deadlines and changes in priority
- Excellent writing skills and ability to write content to deadlines.
- Good understanding of Microsoft Office programmes and ability to use WordPress.
- To be able to work effectively as part of a team and under own supervision using initiative
Desirable criteria
- Experience of journalistic or marketing roles or undertaking such work as part of a college or university module.
- Enrolment within or completion of a relevant BA/BSc undergraduate degree (such as Journalism, Marketing or similar).
- Experience using Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite of programmes (InDesign, Photoshop and Premiere).
- NHS or education experience.
Qualifications / Training
Essential criteria
- GSCE English and Maths grades A to C or equivalent.
- A Level in English or media, or equivalent (NVQ, BTEC etc).
- Good standard of general education
Desirable criteria
- A full UK Driver’s License
- Degree-level education in relevant subject.
- Completion of NCTJ education programme or similar.
Interpersonal Skills
Essential criteria
- Determined, confident and possessing of excellent communications skills
- Ability to organise own time and workload
- Understanding of services within DBTH and what the team offers.
- Ability to work with a team with competing workloads and priorities.
- Ability to take telephone enquiries.
- Ability to work confidentially in regards to media enquiries as well as handling sensitive information.
- Good listening skills.
- Flexible and versatile team member.
- Good organisational and planning skills, and ability to plan own diary.
- Capable of working under pressure and to competing deadlines.
- Capable of team work and working on own initiative.
- Self-motivated with an ability to deliver work within agreed timescales.
- Calm under pressure, displaying confidentiality, tact and diplomacy.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of meeting with clients or stakeholders regularly.
- Experience developing, supporting and hosting events.
- Comfortable delivering presentations.
Organisational Skills
Essential criteria
- Effective administrative skills.
- Ability to undertake reception duties as required.
- Ability to work within a busy office environment dealing with telephone enquiries.
- Ability to work flexibly and adapt to new demands.