Senior Communications Manager – Electronic Patient Records Programme

• To oversee the development, delivery and evaluation of EPR communications and engagement plans and support the Trusts strategic objectives and build the Trusts reputation as a leading organisation within the NHS, ensuring that activity is in line with the Trusts overall communications and engagement strategy.
• To ensure that relationships with key stakeholders are maintained and proactively developed.
• To work with the EPR programme team to identify and develop communications campaigns to support the organisation in meeting its strategic objectives, providing strategic advice and expertise to enable opportunities for feedback, involvement and contribution to decision-making.
• To ensure that all communications materials and channels help build the Trusts reputation as a leading organisation within the NHS, that they are correctly tailored for the appropriate target audiences, including hard to reach audiences, and are in line with the Trusts overall communications strategy.
• To ensure the Trust brand and visual identity are protected, including supporting other staff in the correct application of corporate style guidelines, ensuring compliance and addressing inconsistencies.
• To ensure the organisational internal and external channels are kept uptodate with the relevant information from the EPR programmes and workstreams.
• To understand the internal environment, organisational development, and principles of culture change to ensure best practice is brought into internal programmes.
• To be responsible for the development and implementation of protocols to ensure the Trusts patient information complies with best practice guidance.
• To ensure organisational compliance with NHS and Trust Brand and Identity.
• The post holder will need to maintain a good knowledge of emerging policies and guidance from government departments such as DHSC, NHSE, ICB interpreting the guidance, assessing any impact and ensuring effective communication to the organisation.

Essential

• Educated to Masters level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable

• Professional qualification in marketing, journalism or public relations (CIM, CAM, IPR or similar)
• Prince 2 practitioner
• CIPR diploma or advanced certificate

Essential

• Experience of working on EPR communications programmes.
• Demonstrable experience of working in a communications/ PR/senior journalist role preferably within a large and complex organisation
• Experience of working in NHS communications
• Demonstrated experience of managing communications projects including development, planning, implementation and evaluation
• Experience of successfully delivering communications strategies and implementing communications programmes
• Experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment
• Experience of drafting briefing papers and correspondence at senior level
• Experience of managing/supervising staff
• Experience of managing stakeholder events, launches and campaigns

Essential

• Good understanding of the national government and the NHS, how it works, the issues it faces and how to communicate within it
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of current PR practice and theory
• Knowledge and understanding of digital communications including public websites and intranets
• Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required
• The ability to identify the target audience for any given issue, understand their needs and the best channels to reach them, adapting writing styles to suit and developing copy with speed and accuracy
• Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders