Job responsibilities
Provide strategic public health leadership across multiple thematic areas to drive improvements in health outcomes and reduce health inequalities across Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.
Provide oversight and direction for work on the wider determinants of health, including the built environment, housing, employment and workplace health, and the local food environment.
Provide public health place leadership for Bedford Borough. This includes leading the implementation of the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy, overseeing internally commissioned Council services, and representing the Public Health team in senior Bedford Borough Council meetings and partnership forums.
Lead an agreed programme of work, manage multiple and changing priorities, and meet tight deadlines. Deal with complex public health issues and advise the Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Health and Wellbeing Boards, making evidence-base recommendations regarding health and wellbeing and achieving best value.
Manage a team of 9 public health officers, including direct line management of 5 colleagues. Provide project and programme leadership and the associated reporting across partnership workstreams.
The role requires a high level of intellectual rigour, negotiation and motivational skills and the ability to deal with complex public health issues as they arise. Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, a high level of political awareness, and the ability to understand organisational cultures are required to enable effective working with elected Members and system leaders. Working across organisational boundaries and influencing without direct authority are fundamental to this role, as it the ability to matrix manage multidisciplinary resources.
CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITIES: COLLECTIVE
As a Bedford leader, support the Councils senior management teams and the wider Council in delivering against the Corporate Plan.
Provide support to deliver the Councils plans and policies including service plans.
Take collective and operational responsibility for ensuring that the Councils decisions and policies are implemented within teams managed.
Support the senior teams and the Council in fulfilling its community leadership role. Champion partnership work with other services and stakeholders as well as providing leadership, support and challenge as part of the Councils community leadership and Place role.
Communicate the Councils objectives, priorities and processes effectively to all teams managed. Act as an ambassador for and to promote the Council locally, regionally, nationally and internationally and encourage this across teams.
Evaluate, contribute and ensure the delivery of targets as set out in the Councils Performance Management Framework, the Corporate Plan and Service Plans. This includes working to develop and support organisational expertise in performance and contract management.
Lead or support on cross cutting issues (as required), utilising matrix management to engage talent across and within teams breaking down internal boundaries to deliver a seamless service to customers (internal and external).
Encourage and facilitate a culture of collaboration by sharing knowledge and resources across the council (one team approach).
Identify and highlight additional sources of funding or other resources, which could be used to augment those provided by the Council, ensuring that these are fully compliant with the Councils financial regulations and the Constitution.
Lead by example in championing and furthering equality, diversity and inclusion within and across teams and in the delivery of services. Promote an open and supportive culture which maximises the potential of employees across the council and encourages inclusivity, innovation and high performance.
Contribute to the overall leadership/management of the organisation, ensuring a high calibre, motivated and effective and empowered workforce, and one that is nurturing the leaders of the future. Recognise and acknowledge good performance and tackle poor performance positively and effectively. Create and embed an environment in which teams/individuals can develop, perform and feel valued as well as actively promoting a culture of employee wellbeing and support.
Seek innovative and creative solutions to meeting the Councils need to bring about continuous improvement within finite resources. Working collaboratively to own and embed a culture of continuous improvement across teams, ensuring that effective budget, performance and risk management is integrated within teams managed.
Champion transformation across the Council in order to achieve the required efficiencies now and in the future. Promoting and supporting an organisational culture which is inclusive, forward looking and embraces change.
Make an active contribution to the Councils commitment to fulfil its corporate parenting responsibilities.
Contribute to Emergency Planning and Business continuity within the Council which will include undertaking activities and responding to incidents as required.
Undertake any other duties and responsibilities commensurate with the grading of the post to meet Council and service needs and requirements.
