Job summary
- Main area
- Communications
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (From Start Date)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 390-COR-BA-0025
- Employer
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Basildon
- Town
- Basildon
- Salary
- £27,485 Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 10/04/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 05/05/2026
Employer heading
Communications Officer - External Affairs
Band 4
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the only acute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.
Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.
We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.
Job overview
Communications Officer
We are looking for a proactive and skilled Communications Officer to join our External Affairs team. Reporting to the External Affairs Manager, you will play a key role in ensuring our stakeholders and local community are informed, engaged, and connected to the Trust’s vision, strategy, and objectives.
In this dynamic role, you will help deliver clear, consistent, and compelling communications across a range of channels. You will support the development of campaigns, create high‑quality content, and help manage media, digital platforms, and community engagement activity. Your work will strengthen relationships, enhance our reputation, and ensure our services and achievements are well understood by patients, partners, and the wider public.
You will work closely with colleagues across the Trust, providing communication advice, supporting projects, and helping coordinate responses to emerging issues. This role requires excellent writing skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to work confidently in a fast‑paced environment.
If you are creative, organised, and passionate about making a positive impact through effective communication, we would love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
In this role, you will:
maintain and improve external communication and engagement channels on an ongoing basis. This includes supporting the External Affairs Manager and wider team to develop stories and briefings spanning a range of subject areas and requires excellent written and relationship management skills.
support the delivery, implementation and evaluation of various communications activities. This could include high profile strategic projects such as external briefings on high profile topics, newsletters, small scale events and creating digital content.
support the team to deliver external events, campaigns and projects as required, using a range of channels to deliver engaging two-way communications.
Working for our organisation
Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.
We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For more information on this varied and rewarding role, please see the attached Job Description.
We look forward to your application!
Please be aware that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should a high number of applications be received.
Unfortunately, there is no Visa Sponsorship available for this role.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Degree or equivalent experience
- PR training or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience or understanding of the media and writing releases
- Experience of writing for a range of stakeholders
- Experience of communications policies and procedures
Desirable criteria
- NHS or other public sector experience
- Experience of using content management systems
- Experience of working as part of a busy team
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- A high level of accuracy and attention to detail, for example for proofreading.
- Ability to translate complex information into clear, concise text
Desirable criteria
- Understanding and appreciation of working with and handling sensitive or confidential personal and commercial information
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lauren Oldershaw
- Job title
- Communications Manager - External Affairs
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07817 132676
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