Communications Manager Divisional Business Partner

Title: Communications Manager - Divisional Business Partner

Pay rate: £200 Daily

Location: Flexible. Some travel to Leatherhead.

Hours of Work: 4 or 5 days per week

Job Purpose:

To business partner with, and provide strategic and operational management of communications for, divisional internal clients: principally, for one or two divisions but may be required to support other divisions and Business Partners when needed. This role will complement other Communications Managers (Business Partner) roles within the team covering all Trust divisions. The team is managed by the Director of Communications.

The role will include the creation and fulfilment of internal and external communications strategies and plans with significant emphasis on effective communication with our staff, people who use services and carers, our partners, and other key stakeholders. This will involve using a wide range of new and existing communications channels to ensure we reach all internal and external stakeholders and, where required, work with experienced colleagues to capture their views on our developments.

The postholder will be required to write and produce a range of promotional material suited for our target audiences, in collaboration with clinical staff and, where appropriate, people who use services and carers. The postholder will also proactively identify and generate good news stories arising from their clients and work with the communications managers to place these stories in the media. They will also assist the communications managers and Director of Communications with reactive stories.

To be successful, the postholder will develop strong relationships within the relevant division/s and have a forward view of work that is likely to impact on the Communications Team and an ability to influence projects early on when necessary.

The work is likely to include significant seasonal variations in workload and the postholder will be encouraged to pass work, where appropriate, to other Business Partners or other members of the team and work collaboratively. It is vital that the postholder does not feel overwhelmed by an excess of work due to coinciding deadlines.

Key Relationships:

• Directors, senior managers, and staff at all levels across corporate and operational divisions, particularly divisions which the Business Partner is responsible for

• Communications team colleagues, especially the other Communications Managers

• Key partners including our Foundation Trust membership, people who use services and carers, voluntary sector organisations and staff from the local health and social care organisations

• External audiences including journalists, local stakeholder groups and suppliers of digital, design, print and direct mail services

Principal Duties:

• Develop and implement communications strategies and targeted action plans for internal clients, including understanding what the projects/initiatives/issues are, when they will take place, influencing where appropriate, how the projects manifest and appropriately promoting the work

• Assess the likely impact of the project/initiative/issue in relation to:

• current workload and competing demands from other projects and services

• communications resource: make recommendations for appropriate levels of support to the internal client and advise the Communications leads accordingly

• the implications for media and social media, both reactive and pro-active, and liaise with the Communications leads as appropriate

• internal comms support (ebulletin, intranet, website) and liaise with the Communications leads as appropriate

• To attend relevant directorate meetings to ensure forward view and to cement role as a trusted expert adviser at the initiation of projects, as well as when the communications needs arise

• Where appropriate, work in partnership with commissioners and partners across voluntary sector, statutory and private providers to implement the agreed strategies and action plans on time and to budget
• Provide regular reporting to relevant managers and other senior leaders on the progress against the communications and engagement action plans, highlighting any risks or causes for concern
• Write, edit, and deliver communications including presentations, articles for internal and external newsletters, web and social media, and targeted messages to stakeholder groups identified, to:
  • Raise awareness
  • Ensure consistent messaging
  • Ensure engagement with key audiences
  • Keep informed of developments