Public Health Specialist
- Exeter, Devon
- Full Time
- £60,234 per annum
Fixed Term Contract/Secondment: to 31st March 2028, with the potential for extension subject to LGR and funding arrangements.
INTERNAL ONLY (DCC Employees Only)
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the friendly, dedicated and highly professional Public Health Devon team in a strategic leadership role focused on gambling harm prevention, addictions and commercial determinants of health.
This is a unique role which combines leadership of a new and developing area (gambling harms and commercial determinants of health) with a key contribution to Devon’s established drugs and alcohol programme within the Complex Lives team, ensuring strong alignment across the addictions agenda.
The Role
This post will provide strategic and programme leadership for gambling harms prevention, working across Devon and in partnership with colleagues in Cornwall and Torbay to deliver a coordinated Peninsula approach. Integral to this is developing the team’s wider approach to Commercial Determinants of Health, with a particular focus on the opportunities for closer collaboration with, for example, planning, licensing and regulatory services, following Local Government Reform.
Alongside this, the role will contribute to the delivery of Devon’s drugs and alcohol strategy, working as part of the Complex Lives team to support a joined-up, system-wide approach to addictions and related harms.
You will:
- Lead the development and implementation of a coherent gambling harms prevention strategy, embedding activity across public health, local authority and system partners
- Provide oversight and leadership to a wider Peninsula programme of work, working collaboratively with partner organisations hosting additional capacity
- Contribute to the strategic development and delivery of the drugs and alcohol programme, in partnership with the Consultant in Public Health and senior commissioning colleagues
- Drive forward Devon’s approach to the commercial determinants of health, working with the Health in All Policies team, strengthening how the system responds to health-harming commodities including gambling
- Play a key role in preparing for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), particularly in identifying and shaping opportunities to strengthen prevention through licensing, planning, regulatory and policy levers currently shared across district and county councils
- Support greater alignment across the wider addictions agenda, including links between gambling, substance misuse, mental health and inclusion health
The role sits within a developing programme focused on whole system leadership, partnership building and insight generation, with significant opportunity to shape future policy, influence system change, and position Devon to take advantage of emerging national policy and funding opportunities.
About you
We are looking for a dynamic and strategic public health professional with the ability to work across both established programmes (Drugs and Alcohol, Health in All Policies) and emerging areas (gambling harms and commercial determinants).
You will bring:
- Substantial experience of leading or delivering public health programmes, ideally within addictions, prevention or wider determinants of health
- Strong partnership working and influencing skills, with experience of working effectively across organisational boundaries and within political environments
- The ability to develop strategy and translate this into deliverable programmes
- Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to use evidence and insight to inform decision-making
- Confidence working across complex and evolving systems, building alignment across multiple agendas
- A strong commitment to reducing health inequalities and improving population health outcomes
- Excellent communication skills
A postgraduate qualification in public health (or equivalent experience) is essential.
About us
We are a vibrant and award-winning Public Health team within Devon County Council, committed to making a difference to the health and wellbeing of our residents, reducing health inequalities and enabling people to live healthy lives. We are comprised of a team of colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds, and work across the three domains of Public Health; Health Improvement, Health Protection and Healthcare Public Health. You will be welcomed into a positive and supportive environment where there are on-going opportunities for further learning and development.
Additional Information
The interviews for this post are provisionally scheduled for 14th July
What we’ll offer in return
We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding; you will be working as part of a collaborative team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Devon. We offer a wide range of opportunities for training and development, as well as some other great benefits:
- We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements to work remotely from home, as well as office working from County Hall in Exeter.
- A starting annual leave entitlement of 26 days
- Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
- Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
If you would like to find out more about public health and these roles, please contact Lex Gainsbury Lex.gainsbury@devon.gov.uk to arrange a friendly chat.
Closing Date: 28th June 2026
We would welcome applications from individuals who are care experienced.
How to apply
Please ensure when completing your application form that you provide a supporting statement which demonstrates how you meet the essential and desirable criteria as described in the person specification of the job description. Applications may not be taken forwards if the supporting statement is not adequately completed.
Internal Applicants, please note: If you are an existing DCC employee, please use your iTrent Employee Self Service (ESS) details to log in and apply.
Please click Apply Now to see the Job Description.
- DCC embraces the positive benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and safe. We welcome applications from people who share our commitment to stop discrimination, challenge inequality and promote diversity across Devon. More information can be found on our Equality and Diversity webpages.
- Happy to Talk Flexible Working - The Council offers flexible working arrangements in terms of when and where people work e.g. hybrid working, part-time, condensed hours etc.
- We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
- This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
- Personal data we collect from you will be processed in accordance with the Applicant privacy notice.
- For more information about Working for Devon please visit our Working for Devon page.
- We cannot consider visa sponsorship at this time. UK Right to Work is required. For further guidance on right to work in the UK, please visit: Work in the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
- This role requires a DBS disclosure.
Reference: REQ009926