Director of Public Health

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a visionary and strategic leader to join our team as the Director of Public Health. This pivotal role is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of our residents, reducing health inequalities, and safeguarding the community from public health hazards.

We are looking for a candidate who is not only qualified and experienced but also passionate about making a tangible difference in people's lives. If you are ready to take on this challenging and rewarding role, we encourage you to apply and join us in shaping a healthier future for Buckinghamshire.

Join us in our mission to lead us on a healthier future for our community.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

The Director of Public Health at Buckinghamshire Council holds a critical role with a wide range of responsibilities aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of residents. These responsibilities require the Director to be a visible leader, inspiring innovative solutions for sustained improvements in health and wellbeing while maintaining the confidence of Councillors and the government. Some of the key responsibilities include:

System Leadership: As the system leader, the Director is responsible for improving the health and wellbeing of residents, reducing health inequalities, and protecting communities from public health hazards. They are the principal adviser on health matters to elected members, officers, and partners, with a leadership role spanning health improvement, health protection, and healthcare public health. Supporting the Council's strategic agenda and influencing policy and practice across the Council, ensuring scientific principles are applied to assessing needs, exploring interventions, and assessing progress.

Statutory Functions: Responsibility for all local authority duties to improve public health, delegated public health protection or health improvement functions from the Secretary of State, planning for and responding to public health emergencies, and cooperating with law enforcement for community safety.

Resource Management: Manage the public health budget, ensuring efficient use of resources, and leading public health professionals.

Collaboration and Advocacy: Building strong relationships with senior leaders, advocating for public health, and working collaboratively to deliver health and wellbeing strategies are also part of their role.

Professional Development: Support continuous professional development and training for public health professionals.

About you

As the Director of Public Health at Buckinghamshire Council, you will be the driving force behind our mission to enhance the health and wellbeing of our community. Your strategic leadership will be instrumental in reducing health disparities and protecting our residents from public health risks. You will bring a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of public health practice, along with a commitment to continuous professional development.

Your role will involve managing a diverse range of public health functions and collaborating with a variety of stakeholders, including the Council's Corporate Management Team, NHS bodies, and Voluntary and Community and other relevant organisations. You will be responsible for the efficient allocation of the public health budget and for leading a dedicated team of professionals.

Other information

Please see the attached job summary for further information.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk.

This post is politically restricted.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining us, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

We know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Service Area

Buckinghamshire is an exciting place to work and a beautiful place to live. It has a population of more than 500,000 and although generally healthy and wealthy, there are significant public health challenges and inequalities across the county. The Council is now a unitary authority, which enhances our ability to address the broader determinants of health.

Good health is vital to the social and economic success of an area. It contributes to safe, strong, cohesive happy communities, educational attainment and the ability to find and remain in employment. In turn, this reduces demand on children and adult social care services and healthcare services.

Our Public Health service works with communities and colleagues in the NHS, voluntary sector and other partners to co-design approaches, building on the assets of communities to develop solutions and provide equal access to all residents. Some of the ways we do this are by supporting mental health, improving access to healthy, affordable food through a range of growing schemes, and our Active Communities program. We are looking for people who share our values of looking after the wellbeing of our residents and engaging with our communities about delivering the best solutions for them.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. We also offer a salary sacrifice personal car lease scheme to those who are eligible and have passed their probation period. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.