NHS AfC:
Band 8bContractPermanentHoursFull time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref914-BSA7016161 SiteStella HouseTownNewcastle-upon-TyneSalary£62,215 - £72,293 per annumSalary periodYearlyClosing07/04/2025 23:59
Job overview
If you have significant experience of brand management, and are an excellent copywriter and proofreader, we have the opportunity for you! We’re looking for a Strategic Communications Manager to join our team in Newcastle. It’s a great chance to take the next step in your career!
You’ll be part of our Communications and Marketing senior team, expert in use of our brand, ensure our key publications reflect our tone of voice and develop a strategy to promote these externally. You’ll work with senior managers to identify external opportunities to enhance our reputation e.g. conference speaking, exhibiting at exhibitions, awards entries, case studies etc.
You’ll lead on our employee value proposition (EVP) for the wider Communications and Marketing team, which will include working with our Talent Acquisition team and our wider team on recruitment marketing campaigns.
You’ll provide inspiring leadership for a small team of creative design and marketing and events professionals. You must be passionate about what you do and encourage creativity in others!
What do we offer?
1. 27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus 8 bank holiday
2. Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
3. Hybrid working model (we are currently working largely remotely)
4. Career development
5. Active wellbeing and inclusion networks
6. Excellent pension
7. NHS Car lease scheme
8. Access to a wide range of benefits and high street discounts!
Main duties of the job
9. Developing, implementing and evaluating a brand strategy and approach for the NHSBSA in collaboration with the broader Communications and Marketing tea
10. Protecting and promoting the NHSBSA identity, providing guidance to the organisation on its use and developing and implementing a strategy for its misuse.
11. Working closely with the People team, internal communications and engagement team and digital and social media team to embed the EVP, ensuring appropriate use of brand and narrative as well as bringing the colleague experience to life.
12. Quality assuring press releases, media responses and collateral within your corporate area to ensure appropriate tone of voice and that the wider NHSBSA narrative and key messages are reflected where appropriate.
13. Acting as a senior business partner to the Strategy, Performance Business Development and Growth directorate, representing the wider team and developing a communications strategy in support of the customer goal and area of focus outlined in the business strategy.
14. Writing, editing, proofreading and co-ordinating complex internal and external publications for example the NHSBSA annual report and accounts, case studies and marketing collateral to ensure the NHSBSA’s narrative and tone is reflected.
15. Managing the commissioning process for external design work, photography or video to ensure high quality and best value for money.
Working for our organisation
Here at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), what we do matters.
We manage the NHS Pension scheme, process prescription payments and much more. Our services are used by NHS organisations, contractors and the public: we take pride in being part of something so meaningful, that touches millions of lives.
Just as we design our services around the needs of our customers, we place our people at the heart of our organisation. That’s why when you join us, you’ll be empowered and given the right support to help your career grow.
As one of the UK’s Best Big Companies to work for, we’re all connected to our values: Collaborative, Adventurous, Reliable and Energetic. We care about our people, our purpose, and your progress.
We strive to offer a fantastic colleague experience, where every voice is heard, and every colleague is supported and respected. Wellbeing, diversity and inclusion is at the centre of this, so when you join us, you can connect with our Lived Experience Networks who help us to bring our authentic selves to work.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and circumstances. We are committed and proud to be a flexible employer and will endeavour to offer a working pattern that suits you wherever possible, whether that be hybrid working, flexible hours, job sharing and more.
Ready to join us on our journey to be a catalyst for better health? Apply today and see where the NHSBSA can take you.
We are people connected to care.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As part of the Communications and Marketing SMT, you will have accountability for designing and delivering a brand strategy to promote our organisation externally among key stakeholders. You will develop a series of metrics to measure the outcomes of this strategy. You will be responsible for aligning our key publications including our business strategy with our corporate brand and tone of voice, as well as developing a communications strategy to promote them externally with target audiences, including media and stakeholders. You will be responsible for how these are portrayed outside the organisation, and you will need to manage any associated issues which could negatively impact the reputation of the NHSBSA. You will also provide expert advice to the organisation on brand, ensuring our identity is correctly used internally and externally. You will work collaboratively with our People team to further develop our employee value proposition (EVP) and create guidance for weaving the EVP into our corporate brand and using it when appropriate. You will lead on the EVP on behalf of the wider Communications and Marketing team, which will include working with our Talent Acquisition team to develop recruitment marketing campaigns for specific areas of the business when required, working collaboratively with our wider team to embed the EVP within the NHSBSA, bringing our colleague experience to life, communicating our benefits and opportunities. You will work with senior managers and stakeholders to proactively identify external opportunities e.g. conference speaking, exhibiting at events, award entries, case studies etc as part of the overall strategy to promote the NHSBSA and enhance its reputation, manage the end-to-end process and evaluate activity in line with Government Communications Service (GCS) best practice. As part of this you will take a strategic approach and advise what activities will most enhance the reputation of the NHSBSA. You will need to manage the expectations of senior managers and in some cases persuade them to accept why we are taking this approach. You will need to lead your team through ambiguity at times and manage competing priorities which can change frequently. You will need to manage the expectations of both senior managers and key stakeholders in this so you will need to have experience of dealing with high pressure situations. You will be responsible for providing regular reports to the Communications and Marketing SMT and support quarterly updates which are presented to the Leadership team. 1. Developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with the wider Communications and Marketing team, and Senior Managers at the NHSBSA. 2. Developing, implementing and evaluating a brand strategy and approach for the NHSBSA in collaboration with the broader team. This will be agreed with the Executive Director of People and Corporate Services, Head of Communications and Marketing and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). 3. Protecting and promoting the NHSBSA identity, providing guidance to the organisation on its use and developing and implementing a strategy for its misuse. 4. Leading the EVP project from the Communications and Marketing team perspective anddeveloping guidance weaving the EVP in where appropriate as part of the corporate brand. 5. Working closely with the People team, internal communications and engagement team and digital and social media team to embed the EVP, ensuring appropriate use of brand and narrative as well as bringing the colleague experience to life. Quality assuring press releases, media responses and collateral within your corporate area to ensure appropriate tone of voice and that the wider NHSBSA narrative and key messages are reflected where appropriate. 6. Dealing with highly complex and sensitive information where you will need to influence and persuade senior managers to take an appropriate communications approach. 7. Working closely with the Digital and Social Media team to understand sentiment and perception of the NHSBSA on social media, understanding the customer perspective and working closely with the Business Innovation and Customer Experience team to provide a holistic picture of the customer journey. 8. Acting as a senior business partner to the Strategy, Performance Business Development and Growth directorate, representing the wider team and developing a communications strategy in support of the customer goal and area of focus outlined in the business strategy. 9. Identifying and advising on appropriate awards opportunities for the organisation, and quality assuring entries. 10. Writing, editing, proofreading and co-ordinating complex internal and external publications for example the NHSBSA annual report and accounts, case studies and marketing collateral to ensure the NHSBSA’s narrative and tone is reflected. 11. Reviewing and updating corporate collateral annually to ensure messages are reflective of the service offer and carry the NHSBSA tone and narrative. 12. Budget management to ensure any paid for activity delivers value for money and is in line with DHSC spend controls. 13. Keeping up to date with communications trends and techniques with a commitment to sharing and embedding best practice. 14. Ensuring your team’s communications activity uses data and insight to understand what our customers need, how they behave, how we can change behaviour and to evaluate our work. 15. Working with the wider Communications and Marketing team to develop a communications forward plan to map out activity. 16. Managing the commissioning process for external design work, photography or video to ensure high quality and best value for money. 17. Working closely with the Media and Campaigns Officers to create a suite of case studies and position these within targeted media and specialist publications to showcase the work of the NHSBSA. 18. Providing inspiring leadership and develop professional capability and expertise within the team, driving continuous improvement by empowering, motivating and inspiring the team to deliver timely results, systematically reviewing progress and team performance. 19. Deputising for the Head of Communications and Marketing when required.
Person specification
Essential and desirable
Essential criteria
16. •Knowledge and experience of managing high-profile brands, ideally management of a corporate brand in a professional communications/marketing environment. •Ability to operate dynamically in an environment of change and manage and prioritise multiple programmes of work. •Proven ability to work collaboratively with clients to understand communications challenges and design innovative solutions. •Strong team player, committed to an ethos of continuous improvement including championing work-based learning, self- development and talent management to enhance organisational capability. •Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills for both internal and external publications. •Strong leadership qualities with experience in persuading and negotiating with organisational leadership, and coaching and developing direct reports and colleagues. •Specialist media handling skills - demonstrable success in the handling of high profile, complex, sensitive issues with potential to damage reputation. •Budget, resource planning and supplier management experience. •A positive outlook and attitude, acting with passion, enthusiasm and commitment. •Good understanding of data and audience insight to inform communications activity.
17. •Ability to build and maintain relationships at the highest levels to provide strategic communications direction and advice based on professional expertise. •Ability to analyse highly complex and sensitive information and persuade others to take an appropriate communications approach. •Understanding of and use of new digital technologies including social media and apps. •Demonstrates a high level of emotional intelligence to build trust and inspire others. •Ability to identify decision bottlenecks and unblock swiftly. •Anticipates economic, social, political, environmental and technological developments to keep own business activity relevant and targeted.
Desirable criteria
18. •Understanding of how an Arm’s Length Body operates and governance procedures. •Understanding of intellectual property protection, including copyright and trademark law. •Commercial experience, including contract management, quality control and commercial scrutiny.
The NHSBSA is passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, which is a great place to work and truly reflects the diversity of our customers. We welcome applications from talented people of diverse characteristics including age, disability, gender identity and expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any marginalised group. We also welcome applications from all those in the Armed Forces Community.
At the NHSBSA we pride ourselves on being a Disability Confident Leader, Stonewall Top 100 employer and we’ve recently been awarded the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion Gold Standard benchmark.
We offer an invitation to the first stage of the selection process for people with disabilities that wish to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme, and for members of the Armed Forces Community, where all of the essential criteria in the person specification are met.
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