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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key relationships

Developing key relationships and networks within the department, across the Trust and King’s Health Partners and with external stakeholders are essential to the successful delivery of duties and responsibilities.  Inspiring confidence and trust in professional and personal capabilities and conduct will provide the cornerstone for the key relationships. 

Internal

• Director of Communications
• Head of Media and Corporate Communications
• Colleagues in the communications department
• Trust Executives and Directors
• Trust governors
• Clinical Directors, Heads of Nursing and General Managers
• Capital projects and estates team
• Other corporate department leads and staff
• GP liaison officer
• Members of The GiST readers panel and editorial board
• King’s Health Partners communications colleagues
• Senior and communications fundraising team colleagues
• Senior and communications colleagues at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity brands

External

• Local and national media
• Designers, printers, photographers and other suppliers
• Specialist media, including medical, nursing, scientific and management publications
• NHS England (national and London)
• Department of Health and Social Care
• Local Integrated Care Boards
• MPs, local authorities and the GLA

Duties and responsibilities

Professional

Be a principal point of contact for the media and manage a wide range of media enquiries, liaise with colleagues to produce media statements in response to specific issues, set up interviews with and brief appropriate Trust staff and oversee filming on site.

Establish good working relations with journalists to enhance the Trust’s reputation, ensuring media enquiries are managed promptly and professionally, developing stories and promoting case studies to support this.

Contribute news items to corporate publications and multi media channels working closely with colleagues in the department ensuring they are briefed as necessary on media activities and initiatives.

Maintain and enhance detailed personal knowledge and understanding of current healthcare sector priorities and politics and use this to inform media handling approaches and advice to senior colleagues.

Produce press releases and promote new developments to relevant media.

Support events and VIP and ministerial visits, often at short notice, liaising with staff and managing any media on site.

Participate in the out-of-hours on-call rota for media calls outside normal working hours, briefing colleagues as appropriate. This may involve attending one of our hospital sites at short notice to co-ordinate media work relating to a major incident or any other incidents that require handling on site. Also providing support and advice to less experienced staff on the rota.

Support the communications department Major Incident Plan and crisis media response, including internal incidents and other sensitive issues.

Oversee the development and delivery of the media team’s strategy to support the Trust’s fundraising priorities, supporting the senior media officer and working closely with the senior teams and communications colleagues in the fundraising team and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity brands. 

Plan and implement communications strategies to support a wide range of internal and external projects and campaigns aimed at staff, patients and the public, our membership and other audiences. 

Work with clinical and non-clinical directorates, such as capital projects and estates, human resources, training and development and nursing and infection control to support their communications requirements. 

Write and produce content for leaflets, posters and other materials.  Also write web content and use digital and social media channels where appropriate in accordance with Trust guidelines. 

Coordinate the editorial process, content management and production of The GiST - the Trust’s flagship quarterly publication for staff, members of the public and other stakeholders. 

Coordinate the editorial process, content management and production of the e-Gist, the Trust’s monthly e-newsletter for staff, members of the public and other stakeholders. 

Ensure a wealth of content that reflects the diversity of our services and audience, oversee the proposed readers panel and respond to content suggestions, as well as be a member of the Trust’s editorial board. 

Research and write content and plan and oversee photography for The GiST, e-Gist and other corporate publications.

Establish effective networks internally and externally to maximise knowledge and understanding of the Trust’s work and new developments.

Contribute ideas and suggestions to a forward planner of content, including for The GiST and the e-Gist, proactive media stories, campaigns and events. Also develop and promote case studies of individual achievement for use in campaigns and other communications.

Develop and deliver regular readership surveys for both the GiST and e-Gist and make improvements based on the feedback and evidence received.

Other

Provide support to the wider team covering a range of ad hoc activities such as event management, including open days and politician/VIP visits; supervising filming access; lectures and seminars etc.

All team members will work with colleagues to ensure that office systems are effective and run smoothly and that the department deploys its resources efficiently. 

Management and leadership

Line manage the Senior Media Officer, providing professional support and development, including annual appraisals and objective setting, performance management and identifying training requirements.

Manage relationships with colleagues at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity brands and the fundraising teams including issues management and coordinating regular performance reviews against shared objectives.

Manage a busy workload and ensure appropriate prioritisation of projects and activities to meet a range of deadlines, for both The GiST and work on behalf of the communications team and other departments.

Represent the department at internal and external meetings and events as required and directed by senior colleagues.

Direct and advise Trust staff through any media contacts and enquiries.