This vacancy is only open at this stage to internal employees of the following organisations within the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System:
Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, inclusive of Black Country Procurement Group and North Midlands and Cheshire Pathology Service.
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board.
Are you a passionate communications professional looking for a role where you can make a real impact on our communities and tell the stories of our colleagues, teams and patients? If so, we’d love to hear from you as we’re recruiting for a Communications Officer to join our comms team.
We’re looking for a proactive and enthusiastic comms professional to help showcase the amazing work that takes places across MPFT every day.
This is a diverse role in a fast-paced environment covering all aspects of internal and external communications, including media relations, corporate and operational comms campaigns, events support, digital comms, and more.
Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust’s (MPFT) communications team is responsible for internal and external communications. The team manages a diverse range of comms channels including the Trust’s website, intranet, and a variety of social media channels. The team are also responsible for wider public affairs and media/ stakeholder relations, alongside corporate events and VIP visits. Working closely with internal and external partners, the team helps to tell the stories of MPFT’s staff, teams and patients in line with the Communications Strategy and the Trust’s wider strategic ambitions, supporting its mission that ‘Together we are making life better for our communities’.
Working as part of a busy and dynamic team, the post holder will support in delivering the Communications Strategy and wider Trust strategic ambitions by:
Generating content that promotes the work of our 10,500+ colleagues across the Trust, including media releases, features, videos, podcasts, digital comms, corporate documents and more
Responding to media enquiries and briefing reporters, colleagues and other stakeholders as appropriate
Providing comms, marketing, and media guidance to colleagues
Planning and implementing communications projects
Being a first point of contact for the Trust within the comms team on a range of topics
The post holder will have the opportunity to learn new skills, with coaching and professional support provided.
Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.
We have around 10,500 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.
We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.
We are ‘United in our Uniqueness’ and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.
Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.
Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.
This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. If it is identified that you require sponsorship to undertake this role your application may be withdrawn
Media relations
Managing and processing incoming media enquiries from local, regional, national and specialist media.
You will be expected to frequently work with complex, contentious and confidential information in high pressure situations, supported and encouraged by the Communications Managers and Assistant Director of Communications.
Researching and planning opportunities for proactive positive coverage, developing the stories and sharing them through the most appropriate channels.
Turning content submitted for internal publications into proactive external content for the media and stakeholders.
Monitoring media coverage and compiling an up-to-date coverage record for relevant internal and external stakeholders.
Assisting with the organisation of media interviews.
Assisting with filming/photo opportunities for use in internal and external communications.
Maintaining an up-to-date media contacts database.
External Communications/ Stakeholder and Public Relations
Assisting with timely, accurate and informative communications with local stakeholders including but not limited to MPs, Local Authorities, Integrated Care Systems and other stakeholders of the Trust.
Assisting with event organisation and management including media tours, VIP visits, or the launch/opening of new services/buildings.
Working with the wider communications team on the development and production of corporate publications (in various formats including print and digital), telling the MPFT story in an inclusive, informative and accessible way.
The individual will be expected to arrange and co-ordinate external communication projects on behalf of the Trust.
Develop professional communication materials which are reflective of national and organisational guidance and are in line with current best practice. The post-holder will be expected to adhere to the Trust’s corporate style guidelines and corporate branding to provide clear, consistent and accessible communications across the Trust.
Lead on developing complex content, including video content and social media content alongside more traditional written communications such as briefings, media releases and internal emails.
Publish information on the Trust intranet and public-facing website. Ensuring news and events are regularly uploaded and updated and deciding how best to present items for internal and external audiences.
Working with the wider communications team to ensure the Trust’s website, intranet and social media presence are well-presented and managed and take full advantage of the latest trends in digital communications.
Internal communications
Support the planning and organising of staff engagement events, such as the Annual Members Meeting and awards ceremonies, staff briefings and manager updates.
Proactively develop case studies for internal audiences.
Systems and equipment
Advanced keyboard use to produce publications, presentations and processing of appropriate communication documents.
Ability to use design software such as Adobe Creative Suite and Canva to develop creative assets.
Ability to use basic video editing software.
Ability to use basic CMS to support updating of the Trust website.
Administration support
Act as main point of contact for the communications team including via telephone and inbox. Respond accurately and professionally to all queries signposting to other services or colleagues as needed.
Lead on the development of the weekly Your Update communication including processing submitted content and deciding what is appropriate to include. Develop key messages and have the technical confidence to format and distribute independently.
Decisions and judgements
Carry out work requiring consideration of a range of facts and options, e.g. communication methods, how to present information for relevant audiences.
Manage personal workload and use own initiative when prioritising workload and dealing with incoming enquiries.
Undertake audits and evaluate own work and outputs. For example, evaluation of media coverage, staff engagement at events and through wider communications outputs where tracking is achievable.
The post holder will be required to work with minimal supervision in relation to administrative processes, exercising discretion when responding to enquiries, prioritisation of own workload and using initiative to make suggestions for improvements to working practices.
Communication and relationships
Communicate professionally and effectively both written and verbally with senior management, clinicians and colleagues internally and in external organisations.
You will be able to build respectful and mutually beneficial relationships with staff at all levels of the organisation as well as external audiences, including briefing the media, communicating with patients and carers, the wider public and national and local stakeholders.
Provide and receive complex, sensitive, contentious and confidential information in high pressure situations.
Provide non-clinical advice to patients/clients/relatives, e.g. regarding events.
Contribute to a positive working environment focussed on high performance and delivery of results.
Support new employees or staff in other departments on communication issues as appropriate.
Physical demands of the job
Light physical effort to lift materials (such as filming equipment) for short periods.
Frequent sitting in a restricted position at a computer to produce detailed and lengthy documents – uses VDU for large parts of the day.
Mental effort
Frequent concentration; work pattern is unpredictable when dealing with media relations as newsworthy issues can arise at any time and without notice; how the media responds to particular issues is also unpredictable.
Concentration required for video editing, drafting press releases, publications, researching articles, providing communications advice, interruptions to deal with urgent requests.
Freedom to act
Clearly defined occupational policies, work is managed, rather than supervised. Works within communications department, manages own workload, required to act independently.
Most challenging/ difficult parts of the job
Working in a highly-pressured corporate environment dealing with complex and contentious issues where significant internal demands have to be balanced with an unpredictable external environment that creates conflicting deadlines.
Constant interruptions from colleagues providing and requesting information and advice (often at short notice) and from the public and media. Both often require immediate action and interrupts any planned activity.
