Public Health Principal

The Methodist Church in Britain; Packmoor; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and hybrid working

Technology to support agile working

Generous annual leave plus bank/public

Option to buy additional leave

Employee Assistance Programme and Well

Local Government Pension Scheme

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

Oxfordshire County Council is seeking a Public Health Principal to lead Healthy Place Shaping, coordinating planning, housing, green space access and healthy homes initiatives. You will shape decisions through evidence, running commissioning and monitoring contracts with system partners and senior leaders.

The role emphasises strategic influence, partnership-building and policy development, with hybrid working and a clear reporting line to the Consultant in Public Health.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in public health, local government, planning, housing, sustainability, regeneration or a related field.
• Experience influencing senior decision-makers and partners without direct authority.
• Experience in programme development, commissioning, project management or strategic policy development.
• Strong partnership-building across diverse organisations.
• Excellent communication, presenting complex information to varied audiences.
• Analysing evidence and turning it into recommendations and practical solutions.
• Strong understanding of health inequalities and the wider determinants of health.
• Working across organisational boundaries and linking unrelated agendas.
• Curious, collaborative and motivated by lasting change through influence and systems leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the council's Healthy Place Shaping work
• Lead commissioning and monitoring contracts
• Develop partnerships to improve the lived environment
• Act as the council's expert in healthy place shaping
• Develop evidence-informed business cases
• Influence policy and strategy
• Secure buy-in from stakeholders
• Ensure public health expertise informs major decisions affecting communities
• Work with senior leaders, elected members and system partners to identify opportunities and translate evidence into action
• Prioritise health in planning, access to green spaces and healthy homes
• Report to the Consultant in Public Health, with a dotted line to the Head of Place Shaping

Skills

Partnership building

Communication

Evidence analysis

Health inequalities

Systems thinking

Job description

Public Health Principal in the Public Health team at Oxfordshire County Council, leading the Healthy Place Shaping work on how planning, housing, nature and transport affect health. The post is strategic, bringing together local government, health, housing, planning and community partners to shape decisions, and includes leading commissioning and monitoring contracts. Priorities are health in planning, access to green spaces and healthy homes, with hybrid working offered and a reporting line to a Consultant in Public Health. Fit depends on significant experience in public health, local government, planning or housing, and on influencing senior decision-makers without direct authority.

What the job involves

• Lead the council's Healthy Place Shaping work
• Lead commissioning and monitoring contracts
• Develop partnerships to improve the lived environment
• Act as the council's expert in healthy place shaping
• Develop evidence-informed business cases
• Influence policy and strategy
• Secure buy-in from stakeholders
• Ensure public health expertise informs major decisions affecting communities
• Work with senior leaders, elected members and system partners to identify opportunities and translate evidence into action
• Prioritise health in planning, access to green spaces and healthy homes
• Report to the Consultant in Public Health, with a dotted line to the Head of Place Shaping

What’s required

Experience

• Significant experience in public health, local government, planning, housing, sustainability, regeneration or a related field
• Experience influencing senior decision-makers and partners without direct authority
• Experience in programme development, commissioning, project management or strategic policy development

Skills & knowledge

• Strong partnership-building across diverse organisations
• Excellent communication, presenting complex information to varied audiences
• Analysing evidence and turning it into recommendations and practical solutions
• Strong understanding of health inequalities and the wider determinants of health
• Working across organisational boundaries and linking unrelated agendas

Other

• Curious, collaborative and motivated by lasting change through influence and systems leadership
• Shares the council's organisational values

What’s offered

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Technology to support agile working
• Generous annual leave plus bank holidays
• Option to buy additional leave
• Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Learning and development opportunities