Director Public Health

Job introduction

Are you ready for your next exciting and challenging career move in Public Health?

Are you on the GMC Specialist Register, the GDC Specialist List or the UK Public Health Specialist Register?

Are you committed to tackling inequalities in public health, and driving initiatives that make a real difference to the community?

Do you have a passion to influence change, lead strategically and promote innovative ideas?

If so, we’d like to hear from you

Brighton & Hove is an iconic, diverse, coastal city. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are now looking to appoint a Director of Public Health who will have the unique opportunity to make a real impact on the health and wellbeing of our population, contributing to the future of our vibrant city and helping to create a place where everyone can thrive.

You’ll help us to embed our learning organisation culture, which promotes collaboration, connection, innovation, diversity and inclusion, and staff wellbeing. Our vision is a better Brighton & Hove for all - where ‘making the healthy choice is the easiest choice’, which in turn leads to happier, healthier lives for our residents. In this key role, collaboration with colleagues, NHS partners, communities, and the people of Brighton & Hove will be essential to turn this vision into reality, across such a diverse and dynamic city.

Interview date: AAC panel w/c 19 January 2026

To find out more about this unique and exciting opportunity, please contact our retained consultants at Penna: Nick Raper on 07715 690463, or Tom Niven 07860 657044 for a confidential conversation, or visit penna.com/jobs for further information.

About the role

This role is politically restricted. For further information on what this means for employees in post, please click on the document attachment below.

We’re looking for an inspirational leader who will motivate and unite teams and communities. With a proven track record of system leadership to deliver success in similar environments, the successful candidate will bring experience in driving improvements to health and wellbeing that will have a lasting positive impact.

As our new Director of Public Health, you will:

• lead a highly respected, influential, multi-professional team of 75 dedicated staff, and be a vital part of the council’s senior leadership team.

• help to shape the future of health and wellbeing in the city, addressing health inequalities and promoting innovative solutions to improve lives.

• motivate and unite teams and communities inclusively.

• have a proven track record of system leadership to deliver success in similar environments

• bring experience in driving improvements to health and wellbeing that will have a lasting positive impact.

This is a rare chance to be at the forefront of public health in an exciting, vibrant and diverse city, offering you the opportunity to make a real difference and be part of something truly special.

Brighton & Hove City Council is an exciting and vibrant place to work in public health. We have a reputation for delivering innovative approaches and helping to make health and wellbeing everyone’s business. With an administration that has a strong political majority for the first time in two decades, we are determined to grip and tackle the issues our residents are facing.

In joining us you will be part of the Families, Children and Wellbeing Directorate Leadership Team focussed on early positive outcomes for health and wellbeing. As a member of the Extended Corporate Leadership Team and attendee of relevant discussions at weekly Corporate Leadership Team meetings, you will have direct relationships with the Corporate Leadership Team and the Chief Executive. You will be a statutory chief officer and the principal adviser on all public health matters to elected members and officers.

As a leader, you will play a critical role in working collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders to drive improvements in the health and wellbeing of local residents, to reduce inequalities in health outcomes, to work in collaboration with UKHSA to protect local communities from threats to their health and be an influential leader across the Sussex Integrated Health and Care System.

Additional information

Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.

For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us

Enhanced vetting for senior recruitment

As part of our pre-employment checks, please be aware that our audit team will carry out a public profile search on all candidates who progress to the shortlist. Our final offers are subject to enhanced vetting, which also includes a review of the previous 5 years employment history. If there are any findings of potential concern, these will be discussed before any job offer is made.

Company information

Encouraging a diverse workforce

Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).

Please note that this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and is subject to a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check.