Senior Public Health Manager - Health Lead

Luton Borough Council; Luton; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Luton Borough Council seeks a Senior Public Health Lead to enhance health equity through strategic policy development and project management. This pivotal role encourages inclusive health practices within local governance, promoting community wellbeing and impactful health initiatives. Candidates should possess strong analytical skills and experience in public health policy.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Career Pathways

Pension scheme with employer contributions

Relocation package

Employee Assistance Programme

Flexible working options

Unlimited access to development courses

Staff discounts

Arriva Travel Club benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in data analysis and health needs assessments.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.

Responsibilities

• Lead public health projects and oversee commissioning and service management.
• Influence policy decisions across local organizations.
• Ensure health inclusion in key policies.

Skills

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Health policy

Education

UKPHR registration (or willingness to achieve)

Job description

About The Job

Salary: £51,802 - £54,924 a year plus £3,203 car benefit allowance

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

Are you passionate about reducing health inequalities and making a real difference in people’s lives? We’re looking for a Senior Public Health Lead to help shape and deliver Luton’s Marmot Town approach and Health in All Policies Framework for Luton. This role will ensure health and wellbeing are considered in all key policies—such as planning, transport, and local services—to create fairer, healthier communities.

As a senior manager in the Population Wellbeing Health Directorate, you will lead important public health projects, working closely with local organisations, community groups, and people with lived experience of health inequalities. You’ll make sure our services are inclusive, effective, and focused on improving health for all.

You’ll also oversee large-scale contracts and service agreements, ensuring projects run smoothly and deliver real impact. Working with partners across Luton and the wider BLMK (Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes) health system, you’ll influence policy and commissioning decisions to support health equity.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

About You

The Senior Public Health Lead will drive change within complex organisations and partnerships, overseeing commissioning, service management, and performance monitoring to improve health outcomes and support delivery of the Health Equity Town approach. They will lead service reviews, health needs and health impact assessments, manage and develop staff, and implement programme and project management strategies. With expertise in data analysis, they will use epidemiological and social insights to inform strategies and decision-making. The role requires strong stakeholder engagement skills to influence policy and service improvements, particularly in areas, of partnership working, negotiation and planning and transport. A commitment to continuous professional development is essential, including UKPHR registration (or willingness to achieve it within two years).

About Us

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough

Application Process

Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person’s criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority.

On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.

Benefits

We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:

• From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
• Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
• Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
• Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
• Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
• Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
• Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
  
  

How To Apply

We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!

Our ‘How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply