Consultant in Public Health

Consultant in Public Health / Deputy Director

Salary: NHS Consultant or AfC Band 8d
Halton Borough Council

Looking for a role where you can genuinely shape the future of population health?

At Halton, you will lead work that matters—supporting people to live healthier lives for longer, strengthening communities, and improving mental wellbeing in a borough committed to reducing inequalities.

This is a visible, system leadership role, working alongside senior leaders and communities to drive meaningful, lasting change. If you are an experienced public health leader ready to make a tangible difference, we would love to hear from you.

#Lead change. #Influence systems. #Improve lives.

Our Story:

Halton is an ambitious borough of 130,000 residents across Widnes and Runcorn, with strong links to Liverpool, Manchester and North Wales. While we face significant health challenges, we are determined to improve outcomes and narrow inequalities.

Public health is at the heart of this ambition. We benefit from strong partnerships, a collaborative culture, and a shared commitment to tackling the wider determinants of health.

We are immensely proud that when asked what’s great about working for Halton, the most popular response from our workforce has been ‘our colleagues’.

Our Team:

As part of our forward-thinking Public Health team, you will:

• Work directly with senior leaders across the Council, NHS and wider system
• Contribute to strategic change across Cheshire and Merseyside
• Be supported by a Director of Public Health who prioritises development, wellbeing and innovation
• Play a leading role in improving the lives of our residents

Your Contributions:

This is a senior leadership role within a small, high-performing Public Health team.

You will lead work that makes a real difference—supporting residents to age well, enhance and improve lifestyles and mental wellbeing, and build stronger, more resilient communities, particularly in the context of health inequalities.

You will:

• Lead strategic programmes and priorities aligned to these areas
• Provide trusted public health advice to senior leaders, elected members and partners
• Shape and deliver policies, strategies and commissioning plans
• Work across organisational boundaries to drive system-wide change
• Use data, evidence and community insight to inform decisions and improve outcomes

Your influence will extend across the Council, NHS and communities—helping to translate ambition into measurable impact.

About you

You will be a credible and values-driven public health leader, with:

• Professional registration with the UK Public Health Register, GMC or GDC
• Strong experience of leading change across complex systems
• The ability to influence at senior level, including within a political environment
• Expertise in using data, evidence and insight to inform strategic decisions
• Excellent communication, negotiation and partnership-working skills
• A clear commitment to improving population health and reducing inequalities

You will bring the strategic leadership, judgement and professional integrity expected of a Consultant in Public Health, alongside the ability to translate evidence into action and impact.

What we offer

• A supportive, inclusive and high-performing team

• A generous annual holiday allowance (including bank holidays), increasing with long service with the option to purchase an additional four-days of unpaid leave for our Annual Christmas Closedown

• Membership of our defined benefit, salary-linked Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
• Free Car Parking at HBC sites
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Investment in your professional development
• A strong learning environment, including registrar and foundation placements
• The opportunity to make a real difference in a borough with ambition and purpose

Next Steps:

If you are passionate about improving lives, influencing systems and leading change, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please read the job profile which provides more information about this exciting role.

For an informal discussion, please contact Dr Ifeoma Onyia, Director of Public Health on 0151 511 6738 or by email ifeoma.onya@halton.gov.uk

Interviews will take place on Thursday 30 July 2026

At Halton Borough Council we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce and a vital part of this is to encourage diversity in all respects. We are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and tailored to best suit the needs and strength of the individual. This includes making adjustments for people with a disability, neurodiversity or with long-term health conditions. If you require accommodations, please reach out during the recruitment process so that we can make this the best possible experience for you – resourcing@halton.gov.uk

Please refer to the attached Job Profile for further information about the role and our values.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications. If you’re interested, please complete your application as early as possible.

We look forward to receiving your application!