Communications Officer (maternity cover)

The role of Communications Officer within the Charity is key to helping patients, families and staff at our hospitals, by promoting the work of the Charity and celebrating the generous fundraisers and donors who raise money for the Charity. This role is for someone who has a proven track record in Communications, preferably within a charity or public sector setting. As Communications Officer you will work closely with colleagues from across the hospital charity, in particular the Communications Manager and Director of Fundraising, to efficiently promote the activities of the hospital charity to a wide audience.

You will have experience in pitching stories to TV, radio, press and magazine contacts, hosting media ops and supporting those stories on social media as well as planning innovative and exciting social media campaigns. You will also have the ability to create engaging press releases, marketing materials, such as posters/leaflets and help the team strategize around our wide range of fundraising events and appeals. You will help the Comms Team create supporter journey marketing campaigns to raise awareness of our work, build our digital communities, and help drive income generation through targeted engagement activity. As well as generating positive media coverage, the successful candidate will help update the Charity’s website, attend Charity events (some of which can be in the evening and at weekends) and help compile the Charity’s newsletter.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES

• Help to build and deliver branded marketing campaigns mixing traditional and digital media, ensuring key messages are consistently delivered to generate the income needed to meet the Charity’s annual income target.
• Alongside the Comms team you will produce, distribute and maintain up-to-date, accessible information about the Charity – including advertising, leaflets, newsletters and website and social media content.
• You will be responsible for helping the Comms Manager grow relationships with the media and other organisations, identifying and utilising opportunities for positive coverage and profiling.
• Act as the Charity’s representative with the media.
• Source, interview and photograph diverse case studies that represent the make-up of the West Midlands.
• Create press releases and liaise with media to achieve coverage in a wide range of publications and online to promote the Charity’s fundraising events, as well as external events and awareness dates, to a wide-ranging audience.
• Attend and photograph fundraising events and cheque presentations on and off-site (some evening/weekend working may be necessary).
• Be a Brand Advisor for the Charity, ensuring all collateral reflects the Charity’s brand and adheres to guidelines.
• Managing and prioritising unpredictable and frequently interrupted busy workload.
• Supporting fundraising events put on by the Charity and its supporters by attending and assisting the fundraising team as and when required.

COMMUNICATION

• Relaying accurate and timely information to the fundraising team, the Charity Chief Executive and Charity Trustees on a regular basis.
• Communicating with clinical and non-clinical staff within the hospital.
• Communicating with donors and fundraisers.
• Dealing with enquiries from the general public and media, disseminating information and ensuring that the appropriate action is taken, whilst maintaining the Charity’s policies and procedures.

ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Keep regular, up-to-date recordings of the Charity’s performance on social media.
• Use Google Analytics to measure relevant website data.
• Help compile regular media coverage reports and analyse the Charity’s performance.
• Monitoring and managing stock levels of Comms materials.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ability to present oneself in a professional manner as a representative of the hospital and the Charity.
• To maintain an accurate, effective database, recording essential information and providing statistical data in accordance with guidelines and policy using Raiser’s Edge and Microsoft Office.

Salary: £28,000 pa - 18-month Maternity Cover (with the potential to become a permanent position in the future)

Hours: 37.5 hrs/wk (Part time hrs considered: 22.5 hrs/wk)

Reporting to: Communications Manager

Location: Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and Solihull Hospital

Closing date for applications is Sunday, 29 June. The Charity may offer interviews to suitable candidates in advance of the closing date.