Job summary
- Main area
- Communications
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (You will be required to work on site)
- Job ref
- 423-7520117
- Employer
- Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Airedale Hospital
- Town
- Steeton
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 11/12/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 12/12/2025
Employer heading
Communications and Engagement assistant (Band 4)
NHS AfC: Band 4
Be part of our future landscape
At Airedale, we are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. We actively encourage applications irrespective of people’s age, lived experience of living with a disability or long-term conditions, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances.
Increasing our diversity and supporting our organisation to be more inclusive is a key priority here at Airedale and our teams are at the centre of how we work towards this.
We appreciate all people may have diverse and individual needs and we pride ourselves on supporting all people to thrive and flourish at work. We have frameworks in place that support reasonable adjustments and flexible working for colleagues throughout their working lives which starts at recruitment.
These are exciting times for Airedale. We have the once-in-a-career opportunity to be involved in the planning and building of a completely new hospital here on our Steeton site by 2030. By joining us now you’ll be a key part of our journey over the next few years, with the chance to input into a state-of-the-art, modern healthcare facility that will deliver care to our communities for decades to come. We are also on the journey to a new electronic patient record, part of our wider ambition for our digital future – a future that builds on our significant telemedicine and digital care success. Ultimately, what makes Airedale special is our people. Not just our staff, but our volunteers, patients, visitors, and wider population who make up the Airedale family. This is a Trust that sits at the heart of our community, and our communities are very proud of their Trust.
Please read the attached AI statement prior to submitting any application
Job overview
These are exciting times for Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, as we develop a new, state-of-the-art hospital, and this role offers a great opportunity to join the team behind this major programme.
The work is fast-paced, varied and interesting – so if you want a completely new challenge, this could be for you. As communications and engagement assistant, you will be an important member of the Securing the Future Programme communications and engagement team, and the wider programme team.
The work to develop the new Airedale hospital is complex and fascinating, and the programme is working through the double-challenge of continuing to run the current hospital while building a new hospital on the same site.
In this role we need someone who has good written and verbal communication skills, is well-organised and flexible and calm under pressure.
You will support the team to proactively engage all our stakeholders in the work of the programme, including our staff, patients, carers and local communities.
You will provide administrative support across a wide range of communications and engagement activity, giving you the opportunity to be involved in varied work and develop your communications, public involvement and public relation skills.
This is an excellent opportunity to develop your expertise in an exciting programme, as part of a small team.
Main duties of the job
- Supporting a wide range of internal and external communications and engagement activities, including staff engagement, media relations, and public involvement.
- Writing clear and engaging content for a range of channels including our website, social media accounts, intranet, internal and external newsletters and press releases.
- Supporting the development and delivery of activities to involve patients, carers, local communities and the public in designing the new hospital.
- Managing a range of administrative duties including keeping the involvement register and media log up to date, maintaining the stakeholder database and monitoring the involvement inbox.
- Other duties will include creating visual communications, assisting with filming and video editing, and helping to arrange events and visits relating to the programme.
Working for our organisation
We are delighted to offer a wide range of benefits to employees including:
- Cycle to Work
- Travel Scheme
- Childcare Vouchers with Salary Sacrifice
- Onsite Nursery
- Buying and Selling Annual Leave
- Car Leasing
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Employee Health and Wellbeing
- Extensive Reward Scheme
- Counselling Service
- Financial packages including Vivup and Wagestream
- Staff Networks, Enable, Rainbow, Gender, Race Equality Ecoaware & Admin Network.
Our values:
We understand that it’s down to the hard work, effort and dedication of our staff that makes a difference for our patients. Our people really do make our Airedale experience – we take pride in fostering a friendly, effective and caring work environment. Our values are part of our DNA, which are:
- Committed to Quality of Care
- Compassion
- Working together for patients
- Improving Lives
- Everyone Counts
- Respect and Dignity
Got questions before you apply, please contact the recruiting manager to find out more.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information and full details of the job role please see the attached job description and person specification.
This position is not currently eligible for a certificate of sponsorship in line with Home Office guidance as it does not appear on the skilled worker visa occupation list.
If you currently hold a different type of visa allowing you to work in the UK we would welcome an application from you. If your visa expires or there is a change in status during your employment, the Trust will be required to review your employment which may result in the termination of your employment to comply with the relevant immigration legislation
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Three A-levels or equivalent NVQs
- Level 4 Diploma / NVQ / Certificate or equivalent in a related area (e.g. community development; marketing;PR; journalism; media studies; creative writing)
Desirable criteria
- Educated to degree level in a related area or a professional qualification in PR/marketing (eg CIPR) or community development
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
- Experience of working in the public sector/large and complex organisation
Experience and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of communications or public involvement theory and practice.
- Experience of working with people.
- Experience of writing for digital and online audiences, including blogs, websites, social media and online publications, which requires speed and accuracy.
- Experience of working with sensitive and complex information and adapting it for different audiences.
- Knowledge of the media, with due regard to handling sensitive and complex information.
- Previous experience of preparing content for newsletters and online bulletins.
Desirable criteria
- Awareness of communications and engagement techniques and approaches.
- Knowledge of the NHS Constitution, the NHS’s structures and its issues.
- Understanding of NHS branding guidelines.
- Experience of organising events
Skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent and creative written and verbal communications skills.
- Good administrative skills and attention to detail.
- Graphic design skills using desktop publishing packages or ability to develop these
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to develop positive relationships
- Ability to manage own workload including multiple priorities and to work to tight deadlines.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of planning communications campaigns and involvement activities.
- Ability to drive.
- Video/digital editing skills.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Kate Jackson
- Job title
- Communications Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01535 294013
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