Deputy Director – Health Equity and Community Protection.

Job summary

The role provides strategic leadership for UKHSA's work on health equity, community protection, and national public health guidance, standards and advice. The postholder will lead efforts to reduce avoidable and unjust differences in exposure to, vulnerability, and outcomes from infectious diseases and health hazards, ensuring health protection activities improve health equity, population resilience and health security.

Drawing on lessons from pandemics, outbreaks and major incidents, the postholder will ensure that health security policy, evidence, guidance and interventions are effective, proportionate and informed by the needs of communities most affected by health threats. They will lead the development, quality assurance and implementation of national public health guidance and provide strategic leadership for UKHSA's public health advice, guidance and evidence capability during incidents and emergencies.

The role will lead UKHSA's approach to community protection, including advice and guidance on community-centred interventions and public health and social measures that reduce the health and social impacts of emergencies. Working with national, regional and local partners, the postholder will provide strategic leadership for the advice, guidance and partnerships needed to support effective delivery.

Accountable for developing the capability required to deliver UKHSA's long-term ambitions on health equity, the postholder will work across government, the NHS, local government, academia and the voluntary and community sector to embed health equity, strengthen community partnerships, improve understanding of risks facing priority populations and drive action to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes from all hazards.

Please see attached Job Description & Person Specification for full details.

This role is also open to secondments.

Working for your organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Job description

The post holder is required to:

• Work with directors and deputy directors across UKHSA to develop a clear vision and strategy for health equity and community protection in infectious diseases and external health hazards with measurable goals
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships within UKHSA and externally across local, regional and national systems, working with government departments (including OHID, DHSC, MHCLG and DfE), NHS England and the voluntary and community sector, with a clear focus on improving outcomes for priority groups and settings. Support the development of appropriate organisational and system assurance for health equity for the areas of responsibility of UKHSA
• Provide strategic and professional leadership for UKHSA's national public health guidance function, overseeing the development, assurance and implementation of guidance that supports preparedness, response and recovery from infectious diseases and external health hazards.
• Lead the development and implementation of UKHSA's community protection approach, integrating public health evidence, community insight and engagement to improve resilience, reduce inequalities and protect populations disproportionately affected by health threats.
• Work across UKHSA and academic partners to improve understanding of inequalities in exposure to, vulnerability to, and outcomes from infectious disease and other external health hazards through the effective use of public health intelligence, linked data, research evidence and community insight.
• Ensure that evidence is translated into policy and practice, and that inequalities in health protection outcomes are systematically monitored, reported and used to inform action.
• Work within UKHSA and the wider system, alongside UKHSA’s policy team, to provide cross government leadership to ensure capability is built in all government departments to address health inequalities

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria:

• Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) Or Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview).
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice.
• Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers.
• 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.
• 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.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria:

• Able to influence senior members including directors and CEOs.
• Able to both lead teams and to able to contribute effectively in teams led by junior colleagues.
• Commitment to work within a political system irrespective of personal political affiliations.
• Delivery of successful change management programmes across organisational boundaries.
• Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health promotion messages.
• Experience of using complex information to explain public health issues to a range of audiences.

Skills/Capabilities/Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills and operational nous.
• Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the public’s health and wellbeing through mainstream activities and within resources.
• Ability to lead and manage the response successfully in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances.
• Analytical skills able to utilise both qualitative (including health economics) and quantitative information.
• Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement strategies and policies.
• In depth understanding of the health and care system and the relationships with both local national government.
• In depth knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement, evaluation 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.
• Demonstrable experience of managing significant budgets and resources, delivering value for money, ensuring robust financial governance and making strategic investment decisions in complex organisations.
• Participate in senior on-call arrangements and provide strategic leadership during incidents, outbreaks and emergencies, including out-of-hours working where required and agreed with the Chief Medical Adviser and Director of Health Equity & Clinical Governance.

Desirable criteria:

• Act as an Educational Supervisor, or equivalent professional supervisor for public health specialty trainees, supporting workforce development and the future public health leadership pipeline.

Equality and Diversity

Essential criteria:

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, and in relation to management systems.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

Salary Information
If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms

Consultant (GMC) - £113,565 - £150,569 (plus £2,162 London Weighting)

AfC Band 9 (UKPHR) - £112,782 - £129,783 (20% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £5,794 and a maximum payment of £8,746)

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

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Support the development, application and quality assurance of tools to enable the systematic assessment of health equity e.g. Health Equity Assessment Tool, Health Impact Assessment/Equality Impact Assessment
• Work across the public health system to develop comprehensive engagement to magnify the community voice, groups and leadership in the work of health equity and inequalities, focusing on inclusion health groups, protected characteristics and vulnerable people.
• Work with NIHR Health Protection Research Units to ensure consideration of health equity in their aims and objectives, and to support UKHSA in developing further insight and evidence for the impact and management of infectious diseases and health hazards on specific groups including those in particular high-risk settings e.g. Care Homes, the Prison estate etc.
• As a system leader foster appropriate relationships and collaborations at national, regional and global levels
• Provide authoritative consultant-level public health advice to UKHSA Executive Committee, Directors, government departments and national partners on health equity and community protection implications of infectious diseases, environmental hazards and emergency incidents.
• Provide strategic leadership to ensure health equity and community protection approaches are embedded within preparedness, resilience and response functions, including pandemic preparedness, ensuring that the needs of vulnerable groups and communities experiencing inequalities are systematically considered in planning and response. Lead the development and continuous improvement of UKHSA's public health advice and guidance cell in incident response, ensuring the organisation can rapidly translate emerging evidence into authoritative advice and guidance during incidents, and emergencies.
• Provide senior public health leadership during incidents and emergencies, ensuring that decisions are informed by population health evidence, assessment of inequalities and consideration of vulnerable populations. Act as Incident Director or Strategic Response Director where required and ensure that health equity considerations are incorporated into preparedness and response activity.
• Lead and manage a division of approximately 30 – 40 people and its associated budget covering a range of public health disciplines. Lead the strategic development of the Health Equity, and Community Protection Division, ensuring it has the capability, capacity, culture and operating model required to deliver UKHSA's long-term ambitions. This includes workforce development, succession planning, fostering innovation and creating a high-performing, inclusive multidisciplinary team.
• Work closely with the Deputy Director Strategy to ensure an effective Health Equity Board.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 9.

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview).

If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice.

Public Health Specialty Registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC .

Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or eligibility within six months of interview).

Non‑medical applicants who are not yet fully registered with the UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within six months of gaining specialist registration at the date of interview. All other non‑medical applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the UKPHR Specialist Register (for example, confirmation that a UKPHR specialist portfolio has been submitted).

External
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Stage 1: Application & Sift

This vacancy is using / Competency based framework.

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the job advert.

You will be required to complete an:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1000 word Statement of Suitability.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your statement of suitability must be no more than 1000.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, referring to the attached Job Description & Person Specification.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible).

Application form & Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications, we will longlist into 3 piles of:

1. Meets all essential criteria
2. Meets some essential criteria
3. Meets no essential criteria
   
   

If used, the pile(s) ‘Meets all essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting

Stage 2: Interview

Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a face-to-face interview.

Interviews will be held week commencing 16th November 2026, please note these dates are subject to change.

This vacancy is being assessed using Competency based framework. During the interview we will assess against the below:

Knowledge
Experience
Skills and Abilities

You will be asked to prepare and present a 10-minute presentation at the start of your interview, around the subject of priorities in the role. The specific subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview; slides will be permitted.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. Please note that you will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC). UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Internal Fraud Check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub, and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for external candidates to the Civil Service.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information UKHSA Hub , Civil Service Careers

NHS Pension

This role is offered under Agenda for Change (AFC) Terms and Conditions.

If you are already on AFC T&Cs or accept the role on a fixed-term contract, you will be enrolled in the NHS Pension Scheme or keep your current AFC Pension.
If you take the role on a loan or temporary promotion, you will retain your existing, substantive T&Cs.
If the role is available under either AFC or Civil Service T&Cs depending on your registration, your pension scheme will align accordingly.

From time to time, the role holder may be required to support UKHSA’s incident response activity by contributing their appropriate expertise within an Incident Cell; during such periods, supported by the line manager, this work will take priority over normal day-to-day responsibilities, commensurate with their grade, skills and experience.

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're
appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

UK Health Security Agency promoted diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunities employer

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Joanne Dudley-Drake
• Email : Joanne.S.Dudley-Drake@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scs.mdrecruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Attachments

HE01 Deputy Director of HEIH ukhsa-job-description-templateFINAL 280926 _ Opens in new window (docx, 114kB)

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