Consultant in Public Health / Public Health Medicine

The successful candidate will be one of the senior members of staff within the EEHP team and will be expected to take a leading role supporting the wider development of the UKHSA’s Centre for Climate and Health Security (CCHS).

You will be responsible for helping set the strategic direction and leadership and supporting the management of the EEHP team; supporting the development and implementation of the Adverse Weather and Health Plan; supervising and reviewing the evidence base for preparedness and response to extreme and adverse weather events. You will also coordinate the relevant adverse weather event response plans for England, which is integral to ensuring that the UKHSA responds in real-time to adverse weather situations as a Category 1 responder. You will work closely with partners, policy makers and academics, in the UK and internationally; and provide subject matter expertise to support extreme event preparedness and response. You will also act as the deputy to the Head of the EEHP team.

The postholder will be responsible for:

• Helping to setting the strategic direction for EEHP
• Taking a leadership role for all aspects of the EEHP’s team work including liaison with the wider Centre and other key external stakeholders
• Managing a team of health professionals and other managerial and administrative members of staff of EEHP
• Developing evidence base publications (scientific, technical and policy) on the public health impacts of extreme and adverse weather events, working closely with partners, policy makers and academics, in the UK and internationally
• Supporting the implementation, review and management of the Adverse Weather and Health Plan for England, and associated public health guidance (heat, cold, flooding, drought, thunderstorm asthma, storms)
• Acting as subject matter expert team to assist and support in the preparedness and response to extreme and adverse weather events in England and UK (if requested by the devolved administrations and the British overseas territories)

At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards.  We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

Our mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight. We will work to ensure our people have the diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds we need to thrive, that our employees are representative of the communities we serve and feel valued and enabled to play their part in delivering our work.

Creating our working culture is an ongoing process which we are developing by listening and learning together, hearing and acting upon diverse voices and opinions to develop a common sense of identity and effective ways of working.

As the deputy to the Head of EEHP, the post holder should support the objectives of UKHSA and the CCHS by (please see job description for more details):

• Helping set the strategic direction and take a leadership role for the EEHP
• Supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of the Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP)
• Managing a team of health professionals and other managerial and administrative members of staff of EEHP
• Supervising research projects as requested, especially through the Health Protection and Research Unit,
• Supporting, leading, or deputising on behalf of the Head of EEHP and the Deputy Director of CCHS
• Participating in the EEHP Team’s EPRR responsibilities, including on-call duties
• Manage Specialty Registrars in Public Health

Medically qualified members of the public health team are expected to play certain roles in medical leadership, in relationships with the medical profession and in bringing a medical perspective to public health advice. A medically qualified holder of this post would be expected to share these roles with other medically qualified members of the team.

• 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 average employer contribution of 27%

Job contact :

• Name : Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection Team
• Email : agostinho.sousa@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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