Director of Public Health

4 Month Contract With A Local Authority

Job Purpose

• The Director of Public Health is a statutory Chief Officer of the authority and is the Council and wider system leader for assessing and improving the health and wellbeing of residents reducing inequalities in health outcomes and protecting local communities from public health hazards including infectious diseases and environmental threats.
  
• As the leader for health the Director of Public Health is the principal advisor on health and wellbeing matters to elected members officers and partners with a leadership role spanning health improvement health protection and healthcare public health.
  
• The Director of Public Health is required to be a visible system leader in Hillingdon Health and Care Partnership (HHCP) and will contribute available resources directly under the DPH control and influence HHCP resource allocation to ensure that the local public health system proactively tackles the health care and wider determinants that affect health and wellbeing in Hillingdon communities. This will include working with local communities to develop solutions in response to challenges that affect health and contribute to health inequalities.
  

Key Duties/Accountabilities

• Lead Public Health Strategy: Deliver statutory duties and public health functions delegated by the Secretary of State improving population health and reducing inequalities.
  
• Chief Public Health Advisor: Act as the principal advisor to the Council system partners and communities on public health matters.
  
• Strategic Council Leadership: Support the Chief Executive and councillors in shaping and delivering the Council s health agenda.
  
• Health & Wellbeing Board: Act as a statutory member advising on strategy and population health needs using national outcomes frameworks.
  
• System Leadership at Place Level: Contribute to HHCP priorities driving health improvement and service integration.
  
• Health Protection & Emergency Planning: Lead planning and response to public health emergencies outbreaks and environmental risks.
  
• Service Commissioning: Ensure commissioned services are effective high-quality and offer value for money.
  
• Health Intelligence & Surveillance: Lead needs assessments (e.g. JSNA) and apply scientific methods to drive data-led decisions.
  
• Tackling Health Inequalities: Develop and deliver interventions to address lifestyle issues long-term conditions and social determinants of health.
  
• Support for NHS: Advise and support healthcare partners in screening immunisation and service commissioning.
  
• Multi-Agency Safeguarding & Resilience: Collaborate with safeguarding boards LRFs and criminal justice partners to protect vulnerable populations.
  
• Corporate Public Health Integration: Embed public health principles across council services and policies via CMT and departmental engagement.
  
• Team Leadership: Manage and develop the public health workforce ensuring compliance with HR and health & safety standards.
  
• Financial Stewardship: Manage the Public Health Grant and ensure all commissioning procurement and staffing aligns with council policy.
  
• Accountability: Report directly to the Chief Executive and maintain direct access to elected members on all public health matters.
  

Essential Experience Required

• Minimum of three years experience of public health practice at senior level
  
• Experience of working in complex political and social environments
  
• Scientific publications presentation of papers at conferences seminars etc
  

Essential Qualifications Required

• Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List or UK Public Health Register(UKPHR)
  
• If in the above Register / List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine practice
  
• Public health specialist registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers
  

Additional Information To Note

• Working hours: 36 hours per week.
  

This Role Closes on 21/08/2025