Senior Health Improvement Officer

Job reference:

253983

Salary:

Band 6 (£43,231 - £52,679)

Job closing date:

25/09/2026

Job Type:

Administrative Services

Location:

Edinburgh/Glasgow

Employment type:

Permanent

Hours Per Week:

36

Job posted date:

18/09/2026

Employer (NHS Board):

Public Health Scotland

Department:

• Preventing Health Harms and Climate and Sustainable Environments
• Job Advert
• Senior Health Improvement Officer

About the Organisation:

Public Health Scotland launched 1st April 2020 as a national health board, employing around 1200 people, and with an annual budget of around £101 million. Public Health Scotland wants to see a Scotland where everybody thrives, a Scotland where life expectancy improves and the difference in life expectancy between our poorest and wealthiest areas gets smaller.

The Post:

The Population Health and Wellbeing Directorate of PHS is seeking to appoint full-time Senior Health Improvement Officers on a permanent basis. These are generic health improvement posts with portfolios agreed upon recruitment. The health improvement service areas currently include: Fairer, Healthier Economies, Healthy Places, Healthy Environments, Preventing Health Harms, Mental Health and Inclusion and Early Years and Young People.

The Candidates:

You will be educated to degree level or equivalent, with significant experience in health improvement and project management, including working across partner agencies. You will be able to apply health improvement principles, appraise evidence and translate it into effective learning formats for different audiences.

You should have strong organisational skills and experience of developing, delivering and reviewing projects within agreed timeframes. You will manage a varied and demanding workload, maintain quality and take ownership of tasks through to completion.

You will be an effective communicator, able to inform, support and influence others, build productive relationships and contribute well across PHS and with partner agencies.

You will use analytical and problem-solving skills to support improvement, adapt positively to change and understand how organisational and partner systems influence decisions. You will demonstrate the PHS values of collaboration, integrity, respect, innovation and excellence.

If you choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. By submitting your application, you confirm that all answers are your own work, reflect your personal knowledge, skills and experience, and have not been solely produced by AI or similar technologies.

Location and Working Pattern:

The posts are based in either Gyle Square, Edinburgh or Bothwell Street, Glasgow. We are currently hybrid working; therefore, you will be expected to spend time in both PHS offices as well as the option to work at home.

The work pattern is Monday to Friday, 36 hours per week.

PHS is a flexible employer, and we are happy to discuss requests for alternative working patterns

During times of public health emergency, or other urgent business need, you may be required on a temporary basis to work your normal contracted working hours over 7 days including weekends, in order to meet the needs of the service.

It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with PHS.

Benefits:

Our benefits package includes pension scheme, comprehensive range of work life balance policies, occupational health services, learning resource centres and discounted leisure, financial and shopping benefits. Click here to view the full range of the PHS Employee Benefits.

Inclusion:

Public Health Scotland (PHS) is a national NHS board committed to being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming employer. We support a range of flexible working options to help colleagues balance work and personal responsibilities. As an Established Carer Positive employer, we are committed to supporting staff with caring responsibilities and fostering a flexible, understanding workplace culture.

We offer a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support colleagues to grow and thrive. Staff are also welcome to join our active equality networks.

As an equal opportunities and Disability Confident Employer, we aim to guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum shortlisting criteria, and we are committed to providing an accessible and inclusive recruitment experience.

PHS is working towards becoming a trauma informed organisation and recognises that trauma may affect people in different ways, including during the recruitment process.

If you need reasonable adjustments or support, please contact the Recruitment Team on nss.wfrs@nhs.scot

Further Information:

For an informal discussion on the posts, please contact Lizzy Hammond, Organisation Lead at elizabeth.hammond@phs.scot.

Closing date for completed applications is Friday 25th September 2026.

Further information on PHS is available from: www.publichealthscotland.scot

Please note that the majority of correspondence is sent by e-mail only, so please check your e-mail regularly (including junk folders).

We are an equal opportunities employer and as committed participant in the disability confident scheme, guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies however, where exceptionally high application volumes make this impracticable, a fair and proportionate shortlisting approach will be applied in line with Disability Confident guidance