Communications & Engagement Assistant

Contract: 12-month fixed term with review
Reports to: Communications Manager
Location: St John of God University Hospital
Entities Supported: St John of God University Hospital, St Joseph’s Centre, Mental Health First Aid Ireland

Purpose of the Role
The Communication & Engagement Assistant will support the delivery of high-quality communications and engagement activity across the hospital and its associated services. This early career role provides hands-on support for internal communication, external messaging, content creation, stakeholder engagement, event coordination and analytics.

The role helps ensure consistent, accurate and accessible communications that support service visibility, referrer relationships, stakeholder understanding and staff engagement. It contributes to the smooth operation of the Communications and Engagement function and plays a key part in maintaining organisational standards and reputation.

Key Responsibilities

A. Content and Digital Support
• Assist in preparing content for internal and external communications, including staff updates, service announcements and stakeholder messages
• Create digital and print assets using Canva or Adobe Creative Suite, ensuring alignment with organisational brand guidelines
• Support the scheduling and publishing of content across digital platforms, including social channels, the intranet and website
• Assist in maintaining and updating content for service lines and organisational initiatives

B. Internal Communication
• Support the preparation of staff newsletters, intranet articles and internal updates
• Contribute to communication plans for staff engagement events and organisational initiatives
• Assist with the development of templates, assets and materials for internal use

C. External and Stakeholder Communication
• Prepare and format referrer communications, including Healthmail updates, CPD information and service materials
• Assist with the preparation of stakeholder information packs and engagement resources
• Support the delivery of communication for events, clinical education sessions and public engagement activities

D. Engagement and Event Support
• Assist in the planning and coordination of events
• Support logistics, content preparation, collateral creation and on-the-day coordination
• Liaise with internal teams, facilitators and external suppliers where required

E. Brand and Standards
• Ensure that all communication materials follow organisational brand guidelines
• Maintain and organise brand assets, templates and document libraries

F. Administrative Support
• Assist with proofreading, formatting and the preparation of reports
• Maintain content calendars, schedules and version control
• Provide general operational support to the Communications and Engagement function

Skills and Experience

Essential
• A degree in communications, digital media, marketing, design or a related field
• Strong writing and editing skills with excellent attention to detail
• Ability to create visually engaging digital content as well as strong skills using Canva or Adobe Creative Suite
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks
• Familiarity with digital tools including content scheduling and basic analytics
• Ability to work professionally with clinical and non-clinical staff across multiple services

Desirable
• Experience in healthcare, education or non-profit communications
• Basic video editing or motion graphics experience
• Experience supporting events or engagement activities
• Familiarity with SharePoint, WordPress or similar platforms

Behaviours and Attributes
• Proactive and willing to take initiative
• Collaborative and able to work well across teams
• Discreet and capable of handling sensitive information appropriately
• Strong interpersonal skills and a positive, solutions-focused approach
• Committed to high standards and continuous learning