Senior Media Officer

Posted 12 hours 25 minutes ago by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

Permanent
Full Time
Media, Digital & Creative Jobs
Sussex, Worthing, United Kingdom, BN111
Job Description
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Employer 279 University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Worthing or Brighton Town Worthing or Brighton Salary £38,682 - £46,580 Per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 31/08/:59

About our Trust

At UHSussex we're proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK's largest acute Trusts , we're a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.

Our hard-working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal - to always put our Patient First . In fact our mission is summed up by our 'where better never stops' motto and you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in ourWellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

As part of our commitment to access for all, please see the different ways you can access the application form:

We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.

Job overview We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Senior Media Officerto join the Trust's communications and engagement team, with a particular focus on media relations.

We're one of the biggest NHS hospital Trusts in the country - so we need to find someone who can be a key part of our team representing around 20,000 colleagues working across seven hospitals, and serving a huge population in Sussex.

This role is crucial in shaping and delivering our media strategy, effectively handling enquiries from journalists into our busy press office, and ensuring our messages reach the right audiences effectively.

The role is full-time (37.5 hours), Agenda for Change Band 6, and based at Worthing Hospital or Brighton, with travel as required to Haywards Heath, Chichester, and Shoreham.

Main duties of the job
  • Manage media relations, including responding to inquiries and proactively pitching stories.
  • Develop and implement media strategies to enhance the NHS Trust's public profile.
  • Monitor media coverage and provide analysis to senior leaders
  • Create compelling content for press releases, social media, and other communication channels (both internal and external).
  • Collaborate with internal teams to ensure consistent messaging across all platforms.
  • Organise and manage press events and media briefings.
  • Work with clinical teams to ensure patient-focused information is effectively communicated, helping to improve patient engagement and overall experience.
Working for our organisation At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in ourWellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.

We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
  • The primary responsibility of this post will be to lead on reactive external media management - the successful candidate will take responsibility for handling the many media enquiries received by the team, in terms of liaising with (often senior) colleagues to source and agree content, liaising with journalist s to ensure good relationships and smooth interaction, and liaising with other system partners to promote partnership with hea lth and care colleagues.
The role will also involve working in the following key areas , in addition to the primary task of media relations ; Internal communications and engagement; External communications and stakeholder engagement; social media

Working with the Head of Content to d evelop high quality communic ations content to support Patient F ir st and organisational priorities as well meeting day-to-day communications requests from colleagues and external stakeholders, including local, national and trade media.

Wo rk with the wider team to develop content via the content management system for the trust website, and intranet , and other online communications platforms (including social media management tools such as Hootsuite) . Must consider and meet the interests of a wide range of audiences from many and varied backgrounds and perspective both within and outside the organisation.

Work independently , with minimal supervision and using complex and sensitive information , such as including serious incident reports, service change programmes and public health campaigns, to use judgement to make decisions regarding the creation of content across print, digital, and social media platforms , for both internal and external communicatio ns , including in support of events and briefings . This include s using software such as Adobe, Canva and systems such as Hootsuite on a daily basis .

Represent the team in discussions with colleague s from the wider Trust, bringing influence to bear in decisions about appropriate and optimal communications support

Take the lead on liaising with senior colleagues, and decision-making around content, for internal communications requirements during business continuity issues including industrial action, and other potential interruptions to patient care services

D eputise for the Head of Content as required

P rovide instruction, support and guidance to Communication Officers as needed.

Media relations

The postholder will be the main point of contact with journalists , and will:

Decide how to respond to difficult organisational situations and significant reputation threats , including sensitive content and requests from local, national and trade media.

Represent the communications team in high media profile and difficult inquests.

Prioritise workload to handle interruptions for urgent requests.

Manage information for difficult or sensitive stories, presenting information in a clear and concise way .

Undertake proactive media engagement, media plans and events and reporting on coverage.

Assist with organising and briefing for media interviews, filming/photo opportunities and press conferences.

Responsible for overseeing the management of the media inbox and handle reactive requests as required .

Liaise with senior Trust colleagues, as appropriate , to respond to media enquiries to ensure accurate , impactful information is organised and presented in a way to promote/protect the reputation of the Trust

Liaise directly with senior communications staff at key partners - notably NHS England and NHS Sussex - to negotiate and agree approaches and responses to high profile, challenging media requests

Support briefings of colleagues - both internally and externally - as appropriate with regard to media coverage

External communications and stakeholder relations;

The postholder will support the wider work of the team in producing excellent external communications and building strong relationships with key partners, by:

Creat ing timely , accurate and informative communications with local stakeholders including MPs, Local Authorities, NHS system partners and other NHS stakeholders.

Taking responsibility for the planning and delivery of event organisation including media tours . click apply for full job details