Consultant in Public Health

Job responsibilities

The main duties and responsibilities include:

• To provide public health advice on programmes, projects, interventions, policies, communication and training materials relating to climate and environment, including adaptation domestically and globally
• To provide support to strengthen evaluation of interventions and policies in the Centre
• To ensure a focus on equity in the work of the Centre
• To maintain technical expertise and research commitments and support report writing and relevant peer review publications
• To provide input to policymakers in DHSC and other government departments as required
• To seek collaborations both nationally and internationally, including with health organisations, academia, industry and the public
• To engage with the NHS and wider public health system to ensure that the Division activities meet UKHSA public health requirements.
• To deliver reports and advice, utilising and interpreting highly complex data to support the delivery of UKHSA and Science group priorities
• To support the development of the workforce across the whole system, in line with UKHSAs remit, to support capability and capacity, including technical and professional skills to meet the challenges involved in protecting and improving the publics health
• To support programmes of research and evaluation that are aligned with the research priorities of UKHSA
• To support development and implementation of workforce strategies, including retention, recruitment and career development of staff
• Work with the Deputy Director to continually develop and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Centre
• Support the work of colleagues to identify and ensure the maintenance of business-critical activities, e.g., ensure that there are effective business continuity plans in place, and they are tested regularly
• Accountable for managing a dedicated budget
• To deputise for the Deputy Director when required
• To provide management of a small team of specialists

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include:

Internal

• Directors of the Science Group Directorates
• Other members of the Science Directorate Senior Management Team
• UKHSA Colleagues in other Groups, e.g., Data, Analytics and Surveillance, Clinical and Public Health, Health Protection Operations
• UKHSA corporate colleagues, including Finance, Communications, HR and Health and Safety

External

• Department of Health and Social Care.
• Cabinet Office.
• Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat.
• Home Office.
• GO-Science.
• Academics in the respective fields represented within your Directorate.
• Stakeholders working in your field.
• Suppliers of research and evaluation services.
• Research funding bodies.
• National and international organisations and committees relating to your field.
• World Health Organisation.

Please see attached Job Description for further details.

ExternalOpen to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Stage 1: Application & Sift

This vacancy is using the Civil Service Competency Framework.

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the job description & person specification attached to this job advert.

You will be required to complete an:

Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application) up to 1500 word Statement of Suitability

The Application Form and Statement of Suitability will be scored together.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible)

Your statement of suitability must be no more than 1500 words.

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a virtual interview over Teams, currently expected to take place 28th or 29th October 2025 (please note, these dates are subject to change).

This vacancy is being assessed using Civil Service Competency framework. During the interview we will assess against the below:

KnowledgeExperienceSkills and Abilities

You will be asked to prepare and present an 10 minute presentation at the start of your interview. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview. Use of slides will be permitted.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

This role is being offered as home-based / remote.

Security clearance level requirementSuccessful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must pass a Basic DBS

Successful candidates must also meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).

Eligibility to work in the Civil Service

To take up a role in UKHSA you must fall within the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Please see below for a link to more information on this:Civil Service recruitment: nationality rules - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Qualifications

Essential

• Inclusion in the GMC full and specialist register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists or be eligible within 6 months of interview
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register in a specialty other than public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
• Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/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/UKPHR
• If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview. If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
• MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment, or equivalent. Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body
• Master's degree in public health or equivalent experience

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Strong leadership capability to drive work across a broad portfolio
• Experience in the management of multidisciplinary teams
• Experience in providing advice for government policy
• Experience of evaluation of interventions and policies
• Experience of managing financial resources

Desirable

• Experience of research
• Experience of health protection work
• oEvidence of commitment to research and development, e.g. peer reviewed scientific publications

Skills and Capabilities

Essential

• Experience and professional motivation for leading in the area of epidemiological science and evaluation and translation
• Epidemiological and evaluation skills
• Proven skill in people management in mobilising and motivating multi-disciplinary teams to learn, develop and deliver to high standards
• Able to coach teams and individuals to deliver improvement
• Demonstrated ability to operate at pace in a fast-changing complex environment to manage competing priorities effectively
• Proven skills in development of creative and innovative interventions to support the organisation and development of a high performing workforce
• Excellent written and oral communication skills proven when communicating to national and local audiences
• Enthusiastic team player with a can-do attitude
• Comfortable with Information Technology and experienced at introducing and managing Information Systems projects
• Able to relate to all grades of staff

Equality and Diversity

Essential

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management system
• Knowledge and understanding of the public sector equality duty (the Equality Act 2010). Understanding of the protected characteristics in terms of both epidemiology and barriers to access are critically important in delivering this role

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).