Public Health Specialist

Kent County Council; Farningham; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

In-person role

Job summary

Kent Public Health is seeking a Senior Public Health Specialist to join our ambitious team in Maidstone. The role focuses on strengthening the use of evidence, research and evaluation to inform public health decisions and improve population health outcomes.

You will work across Research, Evaluation, Intelligence and Strategic Development, contributing to business cases, funding bids and strategic proposals while line managed by the Public Health Consultant.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge and application of public health theory and practice with analytical, problem-solving skills.
• Ability to use data, evidence and research to inform decision-making.
• Outstanding written communication and report-writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Strengthen the use of evidence, research and evaluation to inform public health decisions.
• Contribute to the development of business cases, funding bids and strategic proposals.
• Structure, conduct and write Health Needs Assessments and influence decision-makers.

Skills

Public health theory

Analytical skills

Critical appraisal

Data-driven decisions

Written communication

Partnership working

Project management

Resource management

Commissioning awareness

Health inequalities

Job description

and the ability to deliver in a complex local government environment. You will be confident working with data, evidence and research, able to think critically and logically, and skilled at translating analysis into practical action and meaningful change. You will be a highly effective communicator with excellent written and verbal skills, able to produce high-quality reports, influence decision-makers and build productive relationships across organisations and professional disciplines. You will be reliable, organised and adaptable, with a strong commitment to improving outcomes for communities and tackling health inequalities.

What we're looking for

We are interested in applicants who can demonstrate:

• Strong knowledge and application of public health theory and practice. Excellent analytical, critical appraisal and problem-solving skills. The ability to use data, intelligence, evidence and research to inform decision-making. Outstanding written communication and report-writing skills.
• Experience of working effectively within complex partnerships and systems.
• Strong organisational, programme and project management skills. Sound resource management and commissioning awareness. Professional credibility, resilience and sound judgement. A commitment to innovation, continuous improvement and learning. A passion for reducing health inequalities and improving population health outcomes. The opportunities. Successful candidates will work across the Research Innovation and Improvement and the Data and Intelligence teams and be line managed by the Public Health Consultant responsible for this portfolio area. The portfolio: Research, Evaluation, Intelligence and Strategic Development. This role will focus on strengthening the use of evidence, research and evaluation to inform public health decision-making. The postholder will contribute to the development of business cases, funding bids and strategic proposals, helping to identify innovative solutions and opportunities to improve population health outcomes. He will also work independently to structure, conduct and write Health Needs Assessments. Strong analytical, evaluation and technical skills and appreciation for the breadth of Public Health would be particularly valuable in a portfolio that is a cross-cutting enabling function to the wider Public Health Team.

Why join us

Kent Public Health is a supportive, ambitious and collaborative team that values innovation, professionalism and continuous learning. We are committed to developing our people and creating an environment where talented public health professionals can thrive, influence decisions and make a tangible difference to the lives of Kent residents.

As an organisation committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and particularly encourage applications from groups currently under-represented within our workforce. This role is not suitable for applicants seeking a secondment opportunity.

Closing date: 22 November 2026.

Interview date: Week commencing the 30th of November or week commencing the 7th of December.

Interviews will be held in person at Sessions House, Maidstone.

This post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service. This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (#####) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

About you

For an informal discussion about this opportunity

Location: Maidstone

Salary: 55,764 - 62,535 per year

Employment: Flexible

Category: Prevention Officer

Posted: 2026-10-29

Valid to: 2026-11-22

What will you be doing?

Public Health Specialist - KSJ

We are seeking an exceptional Public Health Specialist to join our ambitious and high-performing Public Health team. The role offers the opportunity to work on some of Kent's most important public health priorities, helping to improve population health outcomes and reduce health inequalities across one of the largest and most diverse counties in England. Our Public Health Team is unique in terms of its size of around 150 members of staff and because of its well-developed capabilities in terms of population health analytics and for being a leader in research and development in the community and in wider care settings.

We are looking for a talented public health professional who can combine strong technical expertise with excellent professional judgement, intellectual curiosity