Job Summary

Were looking for a skilled communicator with a passion for health and care. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy creating engaging messaging that captivates your audience, we have the perfect opportunity for you!

Join our dynamic team as a Communications Officer in Dorset and play a crucial role in sharing stories to show how our integrated care system is working together to improve the lives of our local community. You'll work closely with our Communications and Marketing team to create engaging content for various channels, build strong relationships with the media, and coordinate proactive and reactive communications to uphold our organisation's reputation.

In this role, you will lead the coordination of media queries, develop communication plans based on audience insights, and measure the impact of your efforts to ensure our messages resonate with the right people. You'll also help with internal communications and create content for digital channels.

If you have experience in media relations, crisis management, social media, and content creation, and are ready to make a meaningful impact in the health and care sector, we want to hear from you. Join us in celebrating achievements, promoting excellence, and enhancing our reputation locally. Apply now and be part of a team dedicated to keeping our local communities well-informed.

Main duties of the job

In this role you will vital in sharing positive news, creating engaging content, and build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Key tasks include sourcing good news stories, developing communication plans, evaluating the impact of communication activities, and ensuring they are written in plain English.

You will create content for various channels such as corporate publications, press releases, promotional material, presentations, articles, newsletters, and reports. You will handle media relations, including proactive and reactive media handling, media monitoring, and build relationships with the media and stakeholders. Coordinating Freedom of Information and MP requests and responsesis a part of the role.

You will support the development and delivery of marketing and communication plans, as well as creating content for digital communication channels like social media and the website. You will work closely with other members of the team to align activities and ensure consistency in messaging.

You will monitor and evaluate the impact of communication activities to identify areas for improvement and also support on all aspects of production of digital and print publications, ensuring branding and style guidelines are followed effectively.

This role is crucial in promoting the achievements and excellence of NHS Dorset, enhancing its reputation, and ensuring that communications resonate with the right audiences both internally and externally.

About Us

We know many use AI to enhance their applications. While AI brings efficiency, we value authenticity and urge applicants to reflect their true skills and experiences. NHS Dorset evaluates each application fairly, acknowledging AI's benefits and limitation.

We are joining up to tackle all the things that affect our health and wellbeing, make real change, and improve things for our communities.

Dorset ICS Is Made Up Of

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board
University Hospitals Dorset Foundation Trust
Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust
Dorset HealthCare University Foundation Trust
Dorset Council
Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council
194 town and parish councils
18 primary care networks (made up of 73 GP practices)
Southwestern Ambulance Service Foundation Trust
Dorset Police
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
7,300 voluntary organisations

What We Do

The Health and Care Bill puts ICSs on a statutory footing empowering them to better join up health and care services, improve population health, and reduce health inequalities.

ICSs Have Four Core Purposes

Improve outcomes in population health and healthcare
Tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience, and access
Enhance productivity and value for money
Help the NHS support broader social and economic development

Date posted

04 March 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£29,970 to £36,483 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

D9467-ICB-024-25

Job locations

NHS Dorset - County Hall

Colliton Park

Dorchester

Dorset

DT1 1XJ

NHS Dorset - Canford House

Wallisdown Road

Poole

Dorset

BH12 5AG

Job Description

Job responsibilities

Please See Attached For Full Job Description

Were looking for a great communicator with a passion for health and care that can hit the ground running in this fast-paced and challenging role.

You may already be in a press office, journalism or communications role looking for your next opportunity.

As our new Communications Officer youll get the chance to create meaningful comms that help our local communities stay well. Youll translate complex ideas into plain English that really grab peoples attention. Youll tell the story of the great work were doing to improve the lives of people in Dorset, and share it with the public, our partners, and our colleagues across a variety of channels. Youll build good relationships with the media to ensure the right messages reach local people and coordinate reactive communications to help protect and enhance the organisations reputation.

Youll be working as part of our creative and supportive Communications and Marketing team. The team is responsible for producing award-winning campaigns and high-quality messaging for the public, the media, our partners and colleagues.

Reporting To The Senior Communications Officer, You Will

lead on the coordination of media queries, working with colleagues from across the system to develop strong, open and honest messages
build strong relationships internally and externally that help us better understand our audiences and enhance our reputation
work with colleagues to source and develop good news stories for sharing with colleagues, partners and the public
support internal communication activities including our daily staff bulletin, board meetings and all staff live sessions
use audience insight and wider research to help develop and deliver communication plans which ensure our comms resonate with the right people
measure the impact of your comms activities using quantitative and qualitative insights, and report regularly on outcomes and learning.

Were looking for someone with a range of comms and marketing skills, including experience working with the media, public relations, crisis management, social media and digital content creation, blog writing, content creation for campaigns and patient information. Youll also be able to provide communications support for our priority areas including equality, diversity and inclusion, and culture and transformation across Dorsets integrated care system.

Responsibilities

Job description Job responsibilities

Reporting to the Senior Communications Officer, you will:

lead on the coordination of media queries, working with colleagues from across the system to develop strong, open and honest messages
build strong relationships internally and externally that help us better understand our audiences and enhance our reputation
work with colleagues to source and develop good news stories for sharing with colleagues, partners and the public
support internal communication activities including our daily staff bulletin, board meetings and all staff live sessions
use audience insight and wider research to help develop and deliver communication plans which ensure our comms resonate with the right people
measure the impact of your comms activities using quantitative and qualitative insights, and report regularly on outcomes and learning.

Specialist training and/or relevant experience and knowledge in a digital communications or marketing field.
Evidence of ongoing professional development in related fields.

Experience Essential

Recent previous experience within a comparable role.
Experience of working with local/national media to ensure the right message and story is told.
Experience of writing and producing communications for a range of audiences and channels.
Working in partnership with multiple stakeholders to coordinate high quality messages.
Experience of developing and implementing highly effective communication plans.
Experience of turning complex messaging into plain English.
Evaluating the impact and effectiveness of your communication activities and reporting on the impact and lessons learnt.
Experience of working in a busy communications and/or marketing environment.
Experience of delivering and evaluating communications plans.
Experience of design and photo editing programmes is desirable.
Experience/knowledge of the health sector is desirable.

Personal Values Essential

Personal commitment to the values of the NHS.
Lives by the values of openness and integrity and has supported the development of teams where this thrives.
Excellent team player.

Skills, abilities and knowledge Essential

Ability to create engaging content to use across a range of platforms.
Evidence of managing projects from start to finish including on-going evaluation.
Good writing and copy-editing skills for a variety of channels and audiences.
Knowledge of websites, social media and newsletter content management and customer relationship management systems.
WordPress skills to help update websites an advantage.
SharePoint skills an advantage but not essential.
Knowledge of evaluation tools including Google Analytics and Twitter Analytics an advantage.
Ability to work collaboratively as part of a broader team, recognising the importance of integrated communications.
Ability to develop productive, professional working relationships with internal colleagues, stakeholders and suppliers.
Ability to act on initiative, to work under pressure and exercise judgment.
Good personal presentation and verbal communication skills.
Attention to detail with good organisational skills.
Ability to work under pressure, to tight deadlines, and to prioritise workload.
Knowledge in social media and best practices
Creative, innovative, and detail-oriented
Excellent communication skills, with an enthusiasm for communicating challenging messages creatively and effectively
Networking skills, and the ability to proactively build productive working relationships with internal and external partners
A proven ability to write engaging and accessible copy and develop other content in a variety of styles for different audiences and channels, conveying key points clearly and concisely
Excellent proofreading and editorial skills with exceptional attention to detail
Ability to remain calm, effective and positive even when under pressure and to take ownership for delivering outcomes
Initiative in identifying and recommending new approaches
Willingness to work flexibly as part of a team and respond to urgent requests

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

Specialist training and/or relevant experience and knowledge in a digital communications or marketing field.
Evidence of ongoing professional development in related fields.

Experience Essential

Recent previous experience within a comparable role.
Experience of working with local/national media to ensure the right message and story is told.
Experience of writing and producing communications for a range of audiences and channels.
Working in partnership with multiple stakeholders to coordinate high quality messages.
Experience of developing and implementing highly effective communication plans.
Experience of turning complex messaging into plain English.
Evaluating the impact and effectiveness of your communication activities and reporting on the impact and lessons learnt.
Experience of working in a busy communications and/or marketing environment.
Experience of delivering and evaluating communications plans.
Experience of design and photo editing programmes is desirable.
Experience/knowledge of the health sector is desirable.

Personal Values Essential

Personal commitment to the values of the NHS.
Lives by the values of openness and integrity and has supported the development of teams where this thrives.
Excellent team player.

Skills, abilities and knowledge Essential

Ability to create engaging content to use across a range of platforms.
Evidence of managing projects from start to finish including on-going evaluation.
Good writing and copy-editing skills for a variety of channels and audiences.
Knowledge of websites, social media and newsletter content management and customer relationship management systems.
WordPress skills to help update websites an advantage.
SharePoint skills an advantage but not essential.
Knowledge of evaluation tools including Google Analytics and Twitter Analytics an advantage.
Ability to work collaboratively as part of a broader team, recognising the importance of integrated communications.
Ability to develop productive, professional working relationships with internal colleagues, stakeholders and suppliers.
Ability to act on initiative, to work under pressure and exercise judgment.
Good personal presentation and verbal communication skills.
Attention to detail with good organisational skills.
Ability to work under pressure, to tight deadlines, and to prioritise workload.
Knowledge in social media and best practices
Creative, innovative, and detail-oriented
Excellent communication skills, with an enthusiasm for communicating challenging messages creatively and effectively
Networking skills, and the ability to proactively build productive working relationships with internal and external partners
A proven ability to write engaging and accessible copy and develop other content in a variety of styles for different audiences and channels, conveying key points clearly and concisely
Excellent proofreading and editorial skills with exceptional attention to detail
Ability to remain calm, effective and positive even when under pressure and to take ownership for delivering outcomes
Initiative in identifying and recommending new approaches
Willingness to work flexibly as part of a team and respond to urgent requests

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Dorset

Address

NHS Dorset - County Hall

Colliton Park

Dorchester

Dorset

DT1 1XJ

Employer's website

https://nhsdorset.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

NHS Dorset jobs

Communications Officer