Principal Public Health Practitioner

Job summary

This post is Fixed Term or Secondment for 12 months due to the needs of the service.

The Health Improvement Division is seeking a highly motivated and experienced public health professional to join theChildren's Nutrition and Early Development Team as a Principal Public Health Practitioner. Working at a national level, you will play a central role in supporting delivery of the Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales plan, contributing to efforts to improve nutrition, healthy growth, school food environments and early childhood development across Wales.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with expertise in public health, early years, nutrition, school food policy and practice, behavioural insights and evidence-informed programme development who is committed to reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for children and families. You will work collaboratively across systems, including health, local government, the third sector and national partners, to strengthen prevention, drive quality improvement, and ensure children and families have the best start in life.

If you are an analytical, creative thinker with strong communication skills and experience in leading programmes, developing partnerships, and translating evidence into practice, we would be delighted to hear from you.

This role is based within Public Health Wales, with agile working supported.

Main duties of the job

Provide strategic leadership and specialist public health expertise on children's nutrition, healthy growth, early childhood development, and school food environments at a national level.

Lead and contribute to delivery of actions within the Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales plan relating to early years, family-focused prevention, and healthy school settings.

Support the development, implementation, and monitoring ofschool food standards and policies, working with education partners to promote equitable access to healthy meals.

Develop, coordinate, and evaluate national programmes and interventions aimed at improving nutrition and supporting healthy development in early childhood and school-aged children.

Work collaboratively with a wide range of partners - including health, education, local authorities, and the third sector - to strengthen cross-system action and ensure consistent, high-quality approaches across Wales.

Lead the use of evidence, behavioural insights, and co-production to inform the design and improvement of programmes and resources for families, children, and professionals.

Provide expert advice to internal and external stakeholders, including policy teams, regional public health teams, and Welsh Government.

Monitor progress against project plans and contribute to sections of the Public Health Wales Annual Plan related to early years, school food, and healthy weight.

About us

We are Public Health Wales - the national public health agency in Wales. Our purpose is 'Working together for a healthier Wales'. We exist to help everyone in Wales live longer, healthier, happier lives. Together with our partners, we work to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales, now and for future generations.

Our teams work to prevent disease, protect health, and provide leadership, specialist services and public health expertise. We are the leading source of public health information, research and innovation in Wales. In a world facing complex health challenges, our work has never been so important.

We are guided by our Values, 'Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference'. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace that values equality and diversity. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and are supportive of flexible working arrangements, including part time roles and job sharing.

To find out more about working for us and the benefits we offer please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/careers/

For guidance on the application process, please visithttps://phw.nhs.wales/working-for-us/applicant-information-and-guidance/