Role mandate
Make health information and organisational communication more accessible, accurate and useful.
Why this role exists now
Evidence and services only create value when people can understand, trust and use them.
All opportunities
Public engagementDemonstration listingHIF-STY-DC
Design & Communications Volunteer
Make health information and organisational communication more accessible, accurate and useful.
- Location
- Global
- Arrangement
- Remote
- Commitment
- 2–4 hours per week
- Duration
- Project-based or ongoing
- Level
- Student / professional
- Contribution track
- Tell the story
Outcomes you would own
- 01
A current, approved workplan for the Public engagement contribution.
- 02
Clear decisions, risks and dependencies recorded where the team can use them.
- 03
An accessible, reviewed public output for a clearly defined audience.
- 04
Reusable source files, consent records and an update pathway.
Core responsibilities
- Design accessible digital and print communication.
- Adapt approved content for different audiences and channels.
- Follow consent, dignity and photography standards.
- Test content for comprehension and accessibility.
Your first 90 days
Listen, learn and locate the work
- Complete HIF induction, role boundaries and required checks.
- Review the Public engagement brief, evidence, partners and unresolved decisions.
- Agree a 90-day workplan, communication rhythm and escalation map.
Build the first useful thing
- Develop and review the first audience-ready content prototype.
- Invite review early from the people who will use or be affected by the work.
- Record changes, risks and decisions instead of hiding uncertainty.
Deliver, learn and hand over
- Complete the agreed first milestone or document why it should change.
- Review progress against success measures with your supervisor.
- Publish a next-quarter plan and keep files ready for another volunteer.
What you need
Essential criteria
- Portfolio demonstrating thoughtful visual or content design.
- Ability to receive feedback and work within evidence and brand standards.
- Commitment to non-exploitative humanitarian storytelling.
Desirable, not required
- Health literacy experience.
- Motion, video or multilingual design skills.
How good work will be judged
Success measures
- The intended audience can understand and use the output.
- Evidence, consent, accessibility and review are traceable.
- Content reflects HIF’s actual stage and avoids inflated claims.
Decision rights & escalation
- Set day-to-day priorities within the approved role brief and agreed hours.
- Recommend changes to scope, timing or method and document the rationale.
- Pause your own activity and escalate when safety, consent, quality or capacity is unclear.
- Escalate budget commitments, external promises, partner agreements and material changes to Communications Lead.
- Clinical, safeguarding, privacy and public-claim decisions remain with the named qualified approver.
Role boundaries
- This is an unpaid volunteer role. It does not create an employment relationship or expectation of future paid work.
- Do not represent HIF publicly, sign agreements or commit money unless authority is explicitly documented.
- Use only approved systems for personal, partner or program information.
- The agreed weekly commitment is a ceiling to manage, not a minimum to exceed silently.
- This role does not provide clinical advice, diagnosis, treatment or unsupervised patient contact.
- No travel is assumed. Any future travel would require a separate brief, risk review and written approval.
Support, learning and wellbeing
- Clear briefs and approved source content.
- Editorial and accessibility review.
- Flexible project allocation based on availability.
Scope and safety
Volunteers must not work outside their competence. Clinical, safeguarding and community-facing work requires role-specific supervision and escalation pathways.
Checks before you begin
- Identity and right-to-volunteer confirmation.
- One or two role-relevant references for leadership or higher-trust appointments.
- Confidentiality, conflict-of-interest, privacy and code-of-conduct declarations.
How selection works
Evidence to include
- A short statement explaining why this role and HIF’s health-equity mission fit your experience.
- One specific example showing how you handled work relevant to design.
- Your realistic availability against the published commitment of 2–4 hours per week.
- Any required qualifications, registrations, portfolio links or work samples.
- Conflicts, access needs or support adjustments you want the selection panel to consider.
Selection stages
- Eligibility and completeness review
- Assessment against the published essential criteria
- Structured interview or practical conversation, if required
- Relevant reference, credential and safeguarding checks
- Outcome, induction and role-specific onboarding
Final selection decisions are made by people. AI is not used to automatically reject applicants.
Ready to contribute?
Preview application