Do it for Devon. Do it for healthier futures.

Were looking for a bold, compassionate, and strategicleader to join us as Deputy Director of Public Health a role that sits at theheart of our mission to improve lives and reduce health inequalities acrossDevon.

This is your opportunity to lead with purpose, shape publichealth strategy, and support a talented, multidisciplinary team in one of themost beautiful counties in the UK.

Main duties of the job

About the Role

As Deputy Director, you'll work closely with the Director of Public Health and Communities to deliver across all domains of public health, health improvement, health protection, and healthcare public health. You'll also:

• Lead business planning, workforce development, and senior recruitment.
• Oversee public health training and development.
• Deputise for the Director of Public Health.
• Provide visible, values-led leadership across the system.

This is a role that demands leadership and presence. You will need to build relationships, influencing partners across the system. You'll be a trusted advisor to elected Members and a key contributor to Devons democratic decision-making, helping shape policies that reflect the voices of our communities.

About us

Why Devon?

Devon is a place of contrast and opportunity. From coastal towns and rural villages to vibrant cities like Exeter, our county offers an exceptional quality of life. But we also face real public health challenges from rural isolation to health inequalities, and we need leaders who are ready to tackle them head-on.

You'll work at the heart of local democracy, supporting Devons newly elected Liberal Democrat administration and helping to shape strategic public health decisions that improve outcomes for communities across the county.

Our Offer to You

At Devon County Council, we believe in doing work that matters and doing it in a way that supports your wellbeing, growth, and balance. We offer:

• Flexible and hybrid working, with the expectation of a strong in-person presence to lead, collaborate, and connect.
• A supportive and inclusive culture that values your expertise and encourages innovation.
• A commitment to your professional development, including CPD, leadership training, and academic links.
• The chance to be part of a team that's making a real difference every day.

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

Devon County has a population of approximately 830,000. The population is served by one county council with 8 district authorities. The population is diverse with a generally good health status but with areas of high deprivation.

The postholder will need to demonstrate competencies to fulfil a generic Consultant in Public Health/Medicine role with specialist skills in health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health and the portfolio will vary over time and cross all domains of public health. (All Consultants support Health Protection)

The job holder must demonstrate the core principles and behaviours through the leadership of their team. These principles and behaviours are outlined in the attached Appendix.

The department is approved for the training of public health specialists, and the postholder would be expected to register as an educational supervisor.

There is no requirement to be part of the UKHSA health protection on-call rota.

You will be expected to travel across Devon to fulfil your responsibilities.

Context:

The role of Deputy Director of Public Health will take on key additional responsibilities over and above the role of Public Health Consultant: These additional responsibilities include:

• Deputise as required for the Director of Public Health.
• To provide direct line management support and supervision to the Public Health Consultants, Head of Commissioning and Head of Public Health Nursing.
• Lead the Public Health Speciality training programme function for Devon County Council.
• Lead on the recruitment of senior public health posts.
• Lead on business planning and workforce development for the Public Health Team, including training programmes, budgets and wellbeing.
• The role will also undertake key functions of a Public Health Consultant and support the Director of Public Health in achieving core public health objectives namely improving health and reducing health inequalities; protecting health and contributing to the quality of local health and social care services.
• Be able to cope with multiple and changing demands, and to meet tight deadlines. Ahigh level of intellectual rigour, negotiation and motivation skills and flexibility are required to deal with complex public health issues, to advise and make recommendations regarding services and patient care. A high level of tact and diplomacy is required and an ability to understand other cultures to enable effective working across organisational boundaries and influencing without authority.
• Will have responsibility for development, implementation and delivery of national, regional and local policies, developing inter-agency and interdisciplinary strategic plans and programmes, with delegated authority to deliver key public health targets.
• Provide expert public health advice and leadership to support and inform an evidence-based approach within ethical frameworks for commissioning and developing high quality equitable services.
• Undertake key roles in defined areas of health improvement and health protection.
• Undertake a key role in delivering supporting the NHS working in collaboration with the local public health network.
• Develop and utilise information and intelligence systems to underpin public health action across disciplines and organisations, leading collation and interpretation of relevant data.
• Be responsible for the day to day management of staff and to line manage individual staff as appropriate.
• Contribute to training Specialist Registrars in Public Health Medicine and Public Health Specialist Trainees and professional development of other staff. To contribute to the training programme for Foundation Year Doctors and other professionals maintaining links with the local universities.
• Undertake research or audit and translate research findings into public health practice.
• Participate in the organisations staff appraisal scheme as both and appraisee and appraiser.
• Pursue a programme of CPD/CME in accordance with the Faculty of Public Health requirements, or other recognised body, and undertake revalidation, audit or other measures required to remain on the GMC/GDC Specialist Register or the UK Public Health (Specialist) Register or other specialist register as appropriate.

Resources:

Finance - The postholder is a budget holder and will have sign off, as part of the senior Public Health team, up to an agreed limit of £5m.

Staff - The postholder would be expected to provide line management of a skill mix of Public Health staff, and to supervise the work of other members of the Public Health team working on specific projects.

Person Specification

Knowledge

• In depth understanding of the health and care system and the relationships with both local national governments.
• In depth knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement, evaluations and evidence based public health practice.
• Strong and demonstrable understanding of interfaces between health, social care and key partners (dealing with wider determinants of health).
• Understanding of the public sector duty and the inequality duty and their application to public health practice.

Qualifications

• In line with legislation, inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List or inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists at the point of application.
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine / dental health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine practice.
• Public health specialist registrar and specialist trainee applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist in dental public health/UKVR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry to a register at the date of interview*) all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKVR specialist registers. * *Applicants going through the portfolio registration routes (GMC or UKPHR) are not eligible to be shortlisted for interview until they are included on the register. The six-month rule does not apply to these portfolio route applicants.
• Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body.
• MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment or equivalent.
• If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview. If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT.

Personal Qualities

• Strong commitment to public health principles.
• Able to prioritise work and work well against a background of change and uncertainty.
• Commitment to work within a political system irrespective of personal political affiliations.
• Able to influence senior members including directors and CEOs.
• Adaptable to situations, can handle people of all capabilities and attitudes.
• Able to both lead teams and to able to contribute effectively in teams led by junior colleagues.
• Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative.
• High standards of professional probity.

Experience

• Staff management and training.
• Practical experience in facilitating change.
• Training and mentoring skills.
• Delivery of successful change management programmes across organisational boundaries.
• Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health promotion messages.
• Scientific publications, presentation of papers at conferences, seminars etc.

Skills

• Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills.
• Experience of using complex information to explain public health issues to a range of audiences.
• Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement strategies and policies.
• Ability to respond appropriately in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances.
• Good presentational skills (oral and written).
• Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the publics health and wellbeing through mainstream activities and within resources.
• Analytical skills able to utilize both qualitative (including health economics) and quantitative information.
• Computer literate including MS Office and at least one statistical package.
• Effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills.
• Ability to lead and manage the response successfully in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Director of Public Health and Communities

£110,600 a yearUp to £110,600 + 5% market supplement