Health Improvement Programme Manager - South West

Job summary

In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.

The South West health improvement function primarily supports local health systems to deliver improvements in populations’ health and reduce inequalities in health and wellbeing outcomes. Additionally, we support Local Authorities in their commissioning and delivery of services from the Public Health Grant including mandated services e.g Healthy Child Programme, 0-19 programme. The regional team support the 10-Year Health Plan and in particular the shift to prevention as well as regional priorities which include cardiovascular disease.

The health improvement function works in an integrated way to ensure a major focus on health inequalities and the social determinants of health within and throughout its regions, across the wider public health system. We take a lifecourse approach to our delivery and actions and cover programmes including Addictions (gambling, smoking, drugs and alcohol), physical activity, healthy ageing, work and health and more.

Public Health Regional Teams focus on a delivery model where staff work as part of multiple teams including NHS teams, place-based teams, programme and policy teams and functional teams.

Job description

The postholder will coordinate and deliver high quality, specialist technical and professional public health advice to support local government with driving improvements in health outcomes and reduction in health inequalities based on evidence and cost-effectiveness.

You will support the Children and Young People consultant and will also have other thematic areas of work.

You will draw on the unique expertise and resources that sit within DHSC, as well as maximise the expertise within the local public health system and support NHS England in promoting the health service role, for example in primary care, preventing poor health and addressing health inequalities.

The postholder will engage and influence local authorities and the NHS to deliver improvements in populations’ health and reduce inequalities in health and wellbeing outcomes.

Person specification

Specialist Practice

• Implementing a regional Babies, Children and Young People public health programme of work to improve outcomes working in partnership with regional and local systems applying specialist knowledge of public health and quality improvement methodologies.
• Using specialist knowledge of Public Health to develop, lead or contribute to a range of DHSC and local priorities, as required to meet changing business need, applying relevant quality improvement, programme, project and change management methodologies appropriately to deliver agreed objectives.
• Researching, preparing and delivering a range of reports and presentations and support materials.
• Analysing, using and presenting outcome data to monitor health improvement and emerging trends and to inform planning decisions.
• Supporting the development and maintenance of a range of regional Public Health networks.
• Support the development of health improvement knowledge and skills in the wider public health workforce.

Partnerships and Collaborative working

• Contribute to the development of key relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders and take responsibility for the leadership and maintenance of professional networks relevant to role.
• Provide senior leadership on monitoring the quality of health improvement activity to support local government with practice improvement activities.
• Identifying and disseminating good practice; establishing and maintaining effective communications to ensure that external stakeholders are appropriately informed of DHSC business and services, and vice versa.
• Lead regional communities of practice and develop and chair webinars and workshops.
• Employ effective communication, negotiation and influencing skills to enable stakeholder relationships to deliver

Key skills and experience required for the role

Essential

• Masters Degree in Public Health, or Health Policy, supported by significant experience and practice gained from working in a senior Public Health role/s and systems.
• In depth knowledge and experience of Children & Young People policies, programmes and interventions including Healthiest Children of a Generation, Family Hubs, Best Start in Life, National Child Management Programme (NCMP), Healthy Child Programme (HCP), Good level of development (GLD), children’s commissioning
• Experience of independently leading the delivery of regional health improvement programmes by working across organisations to implement policy into place-based systems, including navigating across NHS and Local Authorities boundaries and cultures
• Knowledge, Skills and Understanding of what effective delivery of regional functions looks like: strategic system leadership, performance management and improvement and intervention.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with direct experience and evidence of explaining complex Public Health technical issues clearly to operational and senior decision makers.
• Recent senior experience working with autonomy and with external stakeholders, including working with senior leaders and decision makers (e.g. Directors of Public Health or other senior Public Health Leaders)

Desirable

• Able to work at pace and remain calm under pressure.
• Able to demonstrate the impact of your Public Health leadership on health outcomes.

Qualifications

Masters Degree in Public Health or Health Policy

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Leadership

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical Public Health Knowledge and Skills, including presentation of complex Public Health information.
• Using technical specialist public health skills gained in Masters in Public Health/ Healthy Policy in their Public Health practice.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,214, Department of Health and Social Care contributes

£16,285 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

• Applications will be sifted W/C: 21/09/2026
• Interview date: W/C 12/10/2026
• Interview location: Government Property Agency, 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6EH

Further details and interview slots will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.

Applications will be sifted on your CV and Personal Statement

Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert.

Please also include a list of your relevant qualifications noting mandatory qualifications required for this role ( Masters Degree in Public Health or Health Policy ).

Please use your personal statement to (in no more than 1000 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours, Strengths and Technical Skills.

Candidates will be asked to give a presentation which will assess the Technical Skill of “Public Health Knowledge and Skills, including presentation of complex Public Health information”.

Details of the presentation question will be issued to candidates with the release of the sift scores.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/departments/working-for-the-department-of-health-social-care/ and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/

Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available.

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.

Candidates must ensure that all information provided in their application is factually accurate. Any examples provided must be taken from personal experience. The Civil Service abides by honesty and integrity as part of its core values, if evidence of plagiarism is found, applications may be withdrawn.

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance.

Qualifications required for the role will be checked and verified by the vacancy holder as part of the onboarding process. You may also be asked to provide evidence that any qualifications obtained overseas are equivalent to those advertised.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DHSC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website .

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

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