Consultant in Public Health / Associate Director Public Health (Ref: 2025_1596)

Leading for the future

We recently launched our new Public Health service on the Isle of Wight, moving away from our previous partnership with Hampshire County Council.

Our aim now is to bring deeper focus to the unique challenges and opportunities for our Island community, to improve healthy lives and reduce inequality.

We have a clear focus on the communities that are at the heart of our Island, with plans to build capability and independence, improve outcomes and create healthy environments through our place-based approach to health and wellbeing.

Why are we different?

This is a unique chance to join a new leadership team in the early stages, shaping the future of public health in a fantastic coastal location surrounded by beauty, in a warm and welcoming community.

We will give you the opportunity to have significant influence across the council, and the Island, as you work collaboratively with communities and partners to make a real difference to residents.

You’ll spearhead work, with a well-established local team, to lead the next phase for public health and community services on the Island, enhancing residents' health and well-being, mitigating health inequalities, and safeguarding local communities.

This is a strategic systems leadership post with potential career growth and progression, leading work on health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health, all with real community focus.

Main responsibilities

This senior post sits within the Public Health Senior Management Team, reporting to the Director of Public Health. The post is well supported within an established team of Consultant, Public Health Principals, Senior Practitioners, Practitioners and Analysts.

Alongside corporate responsibilities, you’ll provide strategic leadership across a range of portfolio areas including

• tobacco control
• healthy weight
• physical activity
• healthy ageing
• sexual health
• healthcare public health

Working alongside the Consultant in Public Health and Director of Public Health, you’ll take a significant leadership role and be outward facing, providing public health leadership across the Island and Hampshire and Isle of Wight system to improve health and reduce inequalities.

A key element of this role will be deputising for the Director of Public Health and leading the development and implementation of system strategies, alongside operational and financial management in delivery of public health functions.

There will be opportunities to shape and develop the role in areas of personal and professional interest, including building on existing relationships with research partners and providing Educational Supervision for Public Health Registrars.

The ideal candidate

You’ll be an exceptional leader, with superb communication skills, able to engage, listen, inspire and influence as you build on relationships with the public, media and partnership organisations including the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England and UKHSA.

We want you to challenge traditional thinking and identify risk aware innovative solutions that enhance the potential for improvement.

You’ll take a collaborative approach to deliver our ambitious Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Within this career graded range, to be recruited or progress to the Associate Director of Public Health role, applicants are expected to be able to demonstrate significant leadership experience and skills, managing or leading a public health service or function, alongside extensive knowledge of Local Government and the wider public health system.

You’ll need the following qualifications to be considered:

• Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List /UK Voluntary Register (UKVR) for Public Health Specialists
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine practice
• Public Health Specialty Registrar and specialist trainee applicants who are not yet on the GMC/GDC Specialist Register/UKVR 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/GDC Specialist Register/UKVR
• MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment

Benefits and opportunities

As a career graded post in a newly recruited leadership team, this role offers excellent development opportunity. This includes recruitment as - or for those recruited into the Consultant in Public Health role, development towards - Associate Director of Public Health.

Join #TeamIWC and you'll receive our staff benefits package, including:

• Annual leave entitlement of 32 days p/a PLUS public holidays!
• Local Government pension scheme
• Discounted Solent ferry travel
• Island bus network discount
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff parking permit scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Discounted island sports & leisure gym membership
• National and local discounts & benefits schemes
• Relocation scheme of up to £8,000
• Travel allowance if commuting from the mainland

For further information or an informal discussion, please contact Martine Raby, Corporate Management Support at martine.raby@iow.gov.uk

Interviews will be held on 10th and 11th December.