Associate Director of Public Health
Leading for the future
Salary: Career Grade 16 to Grade 17 starting salary from £77,503 per annum moving up to £102,389 per annum
Relocation allowance of up to £8,000 (subject to criteria)
This vacancy is now closed.
Join the Isle of Wight Council’s new public health directorate as we build our new place-based public health service here on the Isle of Wight.
We recently launched this new local service, moving away from our previous partnership with Hampshire County Council. Our aim now is to bring deeper focus to the unique challenges and opportunities facing our Island community, to improve healthy lives and reduce inequality.
We have a clear focus on the communities at the heart of our Island, with plans to build capability and independence, improve outcomes and create healthy environments through our place-based approach to health and wellbeing.
To support our endeavours and drive forward this work, we are now looking for an Associate Director of Public Health to work directly alongside our new Public Health Director – Kate Harvey, focusing on all public health matters impacting our island community.
Kate Harvey – Director for Public Health says
“The Island is a very special place for public health. We have a unique opportunity to develop and provide public health leadership in a place with a huge amount of opportunity. This exciting new role offers the potential for career development and can be graded according to experience and skills”
Why are we different?
This is a unique chance to join a new leadership team in the early stages, shaping the future of public health in a fantastic coastal location surrounded by beauty, in a warm and welcoming community.
We will give you the opportunity to have significant influence across the council, and the Island, as you work collaboratively with communities and partners to make a real difference to residents.
You’ll spearhead work, with a well-established local team, to lead the next phase for public health and community services on the Island, enhancing residents' health and well-being, mitigating health inequalities, and safeguarding local communities.
This is a strategic systems leadership post with potential career growth and progression, leading work on health improvement, health protection and healthcare public health, all with real community focus.
Working alongside the Consultant in Public Health and Director of Public Health, you’ll take a significant leadership role and be outward facing, providing public health leadership across the Island and Hampshire and Isle of Wight system to improve health and reduce inequalities.
Alongside corporate responsibilities, you’ll provide strategic leadership across a range of portfolio areas including
- tobacco control
- healthy weight
- physical activity
- healthy ageing
- sexual health
- healthcare public health
A key element of this role will be deputising for the Director of Public Health and leading the development and implementation of system strategies, alongside operational and financial management in delivery of public health functions.
There will be opportunities to shape and develop the role in areas of personal and professional interest, including building on existing relationships with research partners and providing Educational Supervision for Public Health Registrars.
As a career graded post in this newly recruited leadership team, this role offers excellent development opportunity.
- If you already have the skill, experience and qualification, you can step straight into the role at Associate Director level.
- If you join us at the entry grade as Consultant in Public Health, you will be well supported as you develop towards the role of Associate Director of Public Health.
You’ll need to be an exceptional leader, with superb communication skills, able to engage, inspire and influence as you build on relationships with the public, media and partnership organisations including the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England and UKHSA
You’ll need the following qualifications to be considered:
- Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List /UK Voluntary Register (UKVR) for Public Health Specialists
- 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 medicine practice
- Public Health Specialty Registrar and specialist trainee applicants who are not yet on the GMC/GDC Specialist Register/UKVR 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 Specialist Register/UKVR
- MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment
Please note: Within this career graded range, to[HK1] be recruited or progress to the Associate Director of Public Health role, applicants are expected to be able to demonstrate significant leadership experience and skills, managing or leading a public health service or function, alongside extensive knowledge of Local Government and the wider public health system.
We want you to challenge traditional thinking and identify risk aware innovative solutions that enhance the potential for improvement.
You’ll take a collaborative approach to deliver our ambitious Health and Wellbeing Strategy
Disability Confident Scheme
We are a Disability Confident Employer. Along with a number of commitments, this means, providing you meet the basic essential requirements of the advertised role and have declared yourself as disabled within your covering statement, you will be offered an opportunity for an interview.
Let us know of any reasonable adjustments that you may require to ensure you are comfortable and able to fully participate in the process from application to interview.
Application guidance
Application pack
Additional reading
This vacancy is now closed.
Interview schedule
- provisionally, interviews are planned for 5 and 12 December 2025
For an informal chat about this position, contact our public health team via martine.raby@iow.gov.uk
Relocate to the Isle of Wight
Living and working on the Isle of Wight offers a unique work-life balance that is hard to beat.
If you choose to relocate here permanently, we offer a relocation scheme of up to £8,000 (subject to criteria) so you can take advantage of our wonderful island lifestyle while pursuing your own professional goals.
Living on our beautiful Island is also rewarded by consistently lower housing costs than elsewhere in the Southeast of the UK!
In 2022, Rightmove identified that Isle of Wight properties cost 42.7% less than average house prices elsewhere in the Southeast of England.
In 2025 the Office for National Statistics found the average house price on the Isle of Wight to be £300,000 compared to £476,000 across the Southeast region as a whole!
Commute by boat
Our hybrid and flexible working options mean it’s possible to join our growing number of staff who commute to work on the Island some of the time, and work remotely on the mainland at other times.
Getting to work on the Isle of Wight is easier than you might think, with quick, easy connections by boat to Southampton, Portsmouth, Southsea and Lymington, making it a unique and simple commute.
Plus, with our generous staff travel discount on all ferry links, bus routes and a council run carpool scheme, a commute to the Island is plain sailing!
What a regular commuter says
I’ve commuted to and from the Island for years, it’s much nicer than sitting in motorway traffic or standing on a crowded train every day. My crossing only takes 25 minutes, and I use that time to enjoy my morning coffee or relax with the views on my way home.
Receive our staff benefits package, which includes:
- Annual leave entitlement of 32 days p/a PLUS public holidays!
- Local Government pension scheme
- Discounted island sports and leisure gym membership
- National and local discounts and benefits schemes
- Cycle to work scheme
- Staff parking permit scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Salary Sacrifice scheme
- Flexible and agile working options
If you are up for the challenge, join #TeamIWC and help us support communities on the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight Council currently does not have a license to sponsor overseas workers.
The Isle of Wight Council protects its employees from discrimination and this is supported by the Unacceptable Behaviour Policy, Employee Code of Conduct and Behaviours Framework. We actively promote the diversity of our workforce, and we provide flexible working options (where appropriate) to support the different needs of our employees.
The Isle of Wight Council’s Terms & Conditions of employment are available upon request. Please contact our recruitment team via adverts@iow.gov.uk if you would like to receive a copy.
The Isle of Wight Council is an equal opportunities employer. We are proud to encourage applications from all cultures, backgrounds and abilities to better reflect the diversity within our local community.
Only applications submitted by the closing date will be accepted.
Contact the recruitment team
- Email: careers@iow.gov.uk
- Telephone: 01983 823113
