Communications Associate – Strategic Priorities

Job Title: Communications Associate - Strategic Priorities

Function: Customer, Communications and Marketing

Location: Hybrid - within our Nottingham office

Contract type: 12 months fixed term contract

Salary: £37,502 with potential to rise to £41,669 over 3 years

Closing Date: Friday 19 June 2026

NHS Supply Chain currently has an opportunity for a Communications Associate - Strategic Priorities to join our team during an exciting period of transformation, working to enable smarter, simpler, more connected care.

The Communications Associate – Strategic Priorities plays a key supporting role in the planning and delivery of strategic, system-wide communications that bring NHS Supply Chain’s 2030 strategy, business plan, and priority programmes of work to life.

This role ensures colleagues, customers, and stakeholders understand how our collective work contributes to delivering improved patient outcomes, value for the NHS, and transformative change across the supply chain.

Using a multi-channel, insight-led approach, the postholder provides expert counsel, creates compelling narratives, and leads communications activity that builds clarity, alignment, and engagement across the organisation.

The ideal candidate will have experience in internal and external communications within complex organisations, particularly in change programmes, with strong stakeholder engagement and content creation skills.

• Support the development and delivery of communications plans directly linked to the NHS Supply Chain 2030 strategy and annual business plan.
• Work collaboratively with strategic programme leads to ensure communication activity supports key milestones, decision points, and change impacts.

• Support with the development and coordination of end-to-end communications for priority programmes, ensuring accuracy, clarity and alignment with the overall organisational narrative. Produce communication materials that build understanding, support change and reinforce programme objectives.
• Monitor emerging risks and issues, supporting the development of scenarios, mitigations and responses.

• Support with the creation of high-quality, audience-led content including narrative frameworks, briefings, toolkits, presentations, stories, video scripts, intranet content and social content.
• Support integrated channel planning, ensuring effective use of digital, face-to-face, internal and leadership channels.

• Build strong relationships across NHS Supply Chain, enabling early visibility of developing programmes and priorities.
• Work with the wider Communications, Brand and Customer Voice team to ensure consistency, alignment, and clarity of messaging. Partner with key directorates to support cross-functional initiatives.

• Use insight, feedback and data to assess impact and inform improvements.
• Contribute to the development of standards, processes and best practice within the Communications function.

• Hybrid working opportunities, giving you the flexibility to work collaboratively in the office and remotely.
• We recognise our employees' hard work and contributions with annual bonus schemes, long service, and colleague recognition awards.
• 27 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• We are dedicated to your development, through in-house training, support, and access to external qualifications to maximise your potential.
• A focus on your well-being offering 1 day of paid well-being leave and free access to the 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• Generous pension scheme (with us contributing 12% when you contribute 6%).
• Access to our Flexible Benefits Scheme, where you can choose from a variety of benefits such as Life Insurance, Critical Illness Cover, Income Protection, Health Cash Plan, Dental Insurance, and additional pension contributions that suit you.
• 2 days of paid volunteering leave allowing you to give back to your community.
• Access to many discounts from the Blue Light Card to NHS Discounts.

• A proven track record of…