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Employer 279 University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site RSCH Town Brighton Salary £31,049 - £37,796 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 23/09/2025 23:59
About our Trust
At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.
Our hard-working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to always put our Patient First. In fact our mission is summed up by our ‘where better never stops’ motto and you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
As part of our commitment to access for all, please see the different ways you can access the application form:
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Job overview
University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts. The Charities have an annual income in excess of £2m and a long history of activity. The Communications function is key to the success of the charities, raising awareness both internally and externally with a view to increasing income and reach.
The post of Communications Officer is an important link between the hospital charity, the local community and hospital staff. The post holder will require good knowledge of modern communication channels and considerable energy and enthusiasm that will inspire the patients, visitors and local community to choose the charity as their preferred charity to support. Also to work with regional/local media, staff and volunteer networks and related charities (Leagues of Friends, Rockinghorse etc.) in support of the agreed Communications Strategy of the charities.
The postholder will ensure that PR and Communications are targeted to deliver high impact and increase awareness of the charity. The post holder must be creative and organised, to initiate and deliver successful publicity campaigns. Working closely with groups and individuals, the ideal candidate will have an outgoing personality, strong diplomacy skills and confidence.
Main duties of the job
* Contribute to the development of the Charities Communications strategies and plans
* Develop relationships with community-based groups
* Working with the Charities Fundraisers develop and maintain a schedule of charitable and fund-raising activity to drive publicity of fundraising activities
* Attend fundraising activities to maximise communications opportunities
* In consultation with the Communications Consultant (Charity) develop and deliver the long term and tactical communications plans and targets both internally and externally
* Adhere to the branding for the Charity and UHSx, define the guidelines for branding usage and on-going monitor to ensure compliance
* Work closely with UHSx Trust Communications to ensure alignment of messaging, with the highest standards met and to avoid any PR conflicts between Trust & Charity
* Ensure the Charity is well represented across the sites to build awareness
* Identify and cultivate case studies for use in internal / external media promotion including high profile publications eg annual report and impact report
* Support the Fundraisers with ad hoc copy required for activities / campaigns
* Manage and develop the photographic library including commissioning photographers as needed
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication
* Contribute to the development of the Charities Communications strategies and plans
* Develop relationships with community-based groups, including Leagues of Friends and other groups
* Working with the Charities Fundraisers develop and maintain a schedule of charitable and fund-raising activity to drive publicity of fundraising activities
* Attend fundraising activities to maximise communications opportunities
* When required, receiving, handling and processing donations (including digital) from patients and visitors in line with Charity and Trust policies
* Active participation in team meetings to drive performance and improvement
* Ensure appropriate and effective use of Charity resources and help educate all levels of staff on charity engagement, support, policy, procedures and regulations in line with charity law and trustee guidelines
* In consultation with the Communications Consultant(Charity) develop and deliver the long term and tactical communications plans and targets both internally and externally
* Adhere to the branding for the Charity and UHSx, define the guidelines for branding usage and on-going monitor to ensure compliance
* Work closely with UHSx Trust Communications to ensure alignment of messaging, with the highest standards met and to avoid any PR conflicts between Trust & Charity
* Partner with the Charity’s Fundraisers on messaging with local media to effectively communicate events / campaigns to increase publicity
* Accountability for all Charity pages on the UHSussex Intranet to provide access
* Work with the broader Charity Team to ensure the plans and projects of the Charity are presented effectively, and are accessible to staff and the public, including opportunities for targeted charitable giving
* Ensure the Charity is well represented across the sites to build awareness
* Lead on the delivery of Donor communications, newsletters, keeping in touch e-mails as appropriate
* Identify and cultivate case studies for use in internal / external media promotion including high profile publications eg annual report and impact report
* Support the Fundraisers with ad hoc copy required for activities / campaigns
* Manage and develop the photographic library including commissioning photographers as needed
Social Media
* Work in collaboration to manage and maintain all social media platforms
* Use creativity and innovation to develop effective social media posts
* Demonstrate and understanding with the ability to interpret key social media analytics
Service Delivery and Improvement
* Gather, consolidate and capture all Charity PR activity and maintain accurate records and archive systems
* Manage stock control for all Charity collateral to ensure it is maintained, up to date and refreshed across Trust sites
* Responsibility for raising requisitions for Communications expenditure through effective use of Iproc ensuring budget control measures are met
* Ensure that all data is handled confidentially and with regard to the Data Protection Act 2018, including records relating to donors and volunteers
* Lead on the monitoring of local media for reference to, or opportunities for, the Charity and respond as appropriate
* Use judgement to identify opportunities for improvement by collating information from multiple sources to establish options to progress and formalise recommendations based on sound rationale and facts
* Adhere to all Charity policies & procedures and comply with Charity Commission guidelines at all times
* Be aware of any Health & Safety requirements especially with regard to events
* Respect the customs, values and spiritual beliefs of audience in all communications
People Management and Development
* Identify own educational and training requirements to demonstrate on-going continuous professional development
* Participate in the Trust appraisal process and work towards meeting identified development opportunities or needs
Project management
* Required to work with minimal supervision after initial induction and training
* Required to manage own priorities in line with the demands of the charity team
* Required to manage a range of delegated projects (sometimes working autonomously)
* Problem-solve any issues that arise during a project, taking the most appropriate course of action to ensure issues are dealt with quickly and with effectiveness
Learning and Development
* Attend mandatory training updates as required
* Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process
* Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales
* Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager
* Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and the organisation.
Person specification
* Educated to ’A’ level or equivalent Marketing / PR experience
* Degree level or equivalent experience
* Development of marketing collateral
* Demonstrable experience of PR, marketing or communications
* Experience in creating and implementing internal & external communications plans
* Experience in brand management & guidelines
* Experience of handling media & news stories
* Communications experience in Health Sector / NHS
* Experience in formulating & implementing strategic communications plans
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
* Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
* Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications
Further Information
For help with the application process for Nursing vacancies, please email uhsussex.nursingteam@nhs.net.
For help with the application process for Non-Nursing vacancies, please email uhsussex.nonnursingteam@nhs.net.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
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