Director of Public Health

Posted 20 May 2025
LocationSurrey Heath CR3 United Kingdom
Job type Full time
Sector Interim & Executive Management

Job description




1 year contract with local authority







Role Purpose:


The Director of Public Health serves as the system leader for enhancing the health and wellbeing of residents, reducing health outcome inequalities, and safeguarding local communities from public health hazards. This role involves statutory chief officer responsibilities and providing primary advice on health matters to elected members, officers, and partners, with a leadership role encompassing health improvement, health protection, and healthcare public health.





Strategic Leadership:



  • Oversee the development of plans to promote healthy, sustainable, and cohesive local communities.
  • Provide strong, visible leadership to facilitate the generation of ideas and delivery of new working methods to support transformation.
  • Collaborate with the leadership team, political leadership, and partners to deliver the objectives of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
  • Foster a strong culture of standards, performance, and accountability to deliver public value and efficiency.

Key Service/Functional Accountabilities:



  • Provide leadership to drive improvements in the health and wellbeing of residents, reduce health inequalities, and protect local communities from health threats.
  • Act as the chief officer and principal adviser on public health to the Council, local communities, and partners.
  • Lead the embedding of Public Health within the entire Surrey system and act as a lead for Population Health Management.
  • Provide expert public health advice and leadership to support evidence-based commissioning and public health strategies.

Dimensions:



  • Financial: Direct responsibility for Public Health budget (circa £40 million).
  • Direct reports: Up to 10 Direct Reports.

Person Specification:


Education, training and work qualifications:



  • Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List or UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) or within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview.
  • High level of understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics, and health care evaluation.
  • Demonstrable understanding of the changing role of local authorities, the issues facing local government, and the wider economy.

Skills and abilities:



  • Ability to persuade, negotiate, and influence at all levels.
  • Authoritative and influential with highly developed relationship management and networking skills.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Relevant experience:



  • Substantial experience of public health practice at a senior level within a complex system.
  • Experience of producing high-level documentation suitable for scrutiny and delivering improvements against performance targets.

Other requirements:



  • Strongly committed to teaching and research