Director of Public Health, Wellbeing and Communities

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Employer:
Bristol City Council
Location:
Bristol
Salary:
£119,124 - £139,124
Closing date:
21st June 2025
Job Ref:
GSe132393

Recruitment timetable

Closing Date
21st June 2025
Longlist Meeting
26th June 2026
Technical Interviews
2nd July 2026
Shortlist Meeting
6th July 2026
Assessment Centre (face To Face)
13th or 14th July 2026
Assessment Centre And Final Interviews
15th July 2026

Description

Bristol is a city like no other - vibrant, diverse and full of opportunity.  As a core city, across its many communities, Bristol offers a challenging prospect for a dynamic system leader to support the improvement of health and wellbeing outcomes at scale, working across neighbourhoods to address the complex determinants of poor health and inequality.

We are looking for an exceptional Director of Public Health, Wellbeing and Communities to take on one of the most significant and wide-ranging roles of its kind.

This is far more than a traditional Director of Public Health role. In Bristol, the role brings together statutory public health leadership with a broader portfolio spanning neighbourhood and community services, domestic abuse reduction, sports services, environmental health and community safety and resilience.

 

It is a rare opportunity to lead across the whole system, influence the city’s long-term direction and help improve outcomes for communities across Bristol.

As a member of the council’s Corporate Leadership Board, you will have a direct role in shaping the council’s overall strategic direction and collective leadership. You will work across the organisation and with city partners to drive a place-based approach to prevention and tackle persistent inequality. You will influence at the highest level locally, regionally and nationally, ensuring public health insight and shape strategic decisions across the whole council and wider system.

You will be an experienced and accomplished senior leader who can step confidently into a large and complex local authority role. You will bring the credibility, judgement and presence of a corporate and systems leader: someone who can work effectively with elected members in a cross-council Committee system; someone who can work across organisational boundaries, navigate complexity, influence a wide range of partners, and remain focused on the outcomes that matter most to residents.

Alongside your statutory and professional public health expertise, you will bring a track record of leading through influence, delivering through partnerships, and translating ambition into tangible improvements in population health, wellbeing and opportunity.

This is a statutory Director of Public Health post, jointly appointed by Bristol City Council and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Candidates must be on the GMC Specialist Register (Public Health Medicine) with a licence to practise, the GDC Specialist List, or the UK Public Health Register at specialist level. Candidates will have membership of FPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment, or equivalent.

Selection will be by Advisory Appointments Committee in line with the joint guidance of the Faculty of Public Health, Department of Health and Social Care and the Local Authority.

To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of the page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click 'Continue to full details'.

How to Apply

  • Please submit your CV along with a Supporting Statement addressing the person specification criteria, evidencing how you meet the criteria.
  • Detail any employment or education gaps.
  • Be ready to provide the names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees; one should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will be contacted for those proceeding to final stages. We will always gain your permission before we contact referees.
  • Let us know any difficulty you may have with the indicative timetable.
  • Check that your contact details are correct before you submit.

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated email confirmation. If you do not receive, please email contactus@gatenbysanderson.com

Contact

The following consultants are managing this role and will be happy to answer any questions that are not covered in the person specification on the next webpage.

Contact:
Philip Emms
Telephone:
07590 225 472
Contact:
Ben Parsonage
Telephone:
07530 578921
Contact:
Stephanie Crossland
Telephone:
0113 268 0704
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