Job summary
- Main area
- Communications
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 990-STR-6831058-E
- Employer
- NHS England
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Wellington House
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £44,806 - £53,134 per annum (inclusive of London weighting)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- Today at 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Public Affairs Officer
NHS AfC: Band 6
Our Organisation
The NHS is building a culture that is positive, compassionate and inclusive – and we all have our part to play.
As employers we are committed to protecting and promoting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of all our colleagues. This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution and supports us to be an Employer of Choice, while helping our colleagues to deliver high quality services for our patients and communities.
As a flexible employer, we want to support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a ‘home’ office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Job overview
As the Senior Public Affairs officer, the post holder will work as part of a dynamic team in delivering an effective service supporting managers and staff across the communications Directorate, based in the fast past External Affairs team.
The post holder will help the organisation build excellent strategic and operational working relationships with key stakeholders in health and care, Government and Westminster. They will ensure that all engagement is co-ordinated, focused and effective in conveying key corporate messages as well as advising senior NHS England managers on how information is likely to affect our organisational reputation
Main duties of the job
Be a key member of the team as well as supporting effective communication and stakeholder management, both internally and externally. Write external briefings for stakeholders and parliamentarians as required.
Monitor parliament and media activity and identify opportunities for proactive stakeholder engagement to support the work of NHSE. Support other Directorates and teams across NHSE/ I with stakeholder engagement activity
Liaise with the media team and programme teams to support high profile announcements with appropriate stakeholder management Support engagement with parliamentarians by both written briefing, face to face meetings and events
Attend key external events and meetings, and support the team in representing the organisation at these events. Help provide intelligence from key stakeholders to feed into senior management team
Working for our organisation
The NHS England board have set out the top-level purpose for the new organisation to lead the NHS in England to deliver high-quality services for all, which will inform the detailed design work and we will achieve this purpose by:
- Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities.
- Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential.
- Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
- Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
- Delivering value for money.
If you would like to know more or require further information, please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
NHS England hold a Sponsor Licence; this means that we may be able to sponsor you providing the Home Office requirements are met. To be eligible for sponsorship through the Skilled Worker route you’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £38,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher. You can find more information on the Government website.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The stakeholder relations and public affairs team provides guidance and advice for programmes and directorates in NHS England on the external stakeholder and political landscape. The team is responsible for communications with key stakeholders in Westminster.
The team manages relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders and is responsible for routine and major policy communications to external audiences. This includes (but is not limited to) MPs, Peers, Parliamentary Select Committees, and All-Party Parliamentary Groups.
Person specification
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- • Experience of stakeholder and public affairs activities, ideally in the health sector, with the ability to deliver an ambitious and impactful engagement strategy for the External Affairs team and wider colleagues
- • Good understanding of current healthcare policy and media environment and the implications for NHS England and our stakeholders
- • Have practical experience of running events and stakeholder networks
- • Excellent written skills and the ability to deliver accurate briefing materials for senior colleagues and external partners
Skills Capabilities & Attributes
Essential criteria
- Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences
- Ability to analyse and interpret information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues.
- Independent thinker with demonstrated good judgement, problem-solving and analytical skills
- Good ability to spot the “story” in the detail of policy, whether that be one of opportunity or risk.
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
- The post holder will have experience of working in either public affairs, external communications, a health policy role, campaigns or parliamentary environment
- Further training or significant experience in project management, financial management or supporting change management processes.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Chris Warren
- Job title
- Senior Stakeholder and Public Affairs Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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