Health Improvement Programme Manager - South West

In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.

The South West health improvement function primarily supports local health systems to deliver improvements in populations’ health and reduce inequalities in health and wellbeing outcomes. Additionally, we support Local Authorities in their commissioning and delivery of services from the Public Health Grant including mandated services e.g Healthy Child Programme, 0-19 programme. The regional team support the 10-Year Health Plan and in particular the shift to prevention as well as regional priorities which include cardiovascular disease.

The health improvement function works in an integrated way to ensure a major focus on health inequalities and the social determinants of health within and throughout its regions, across the wider public health system. We take a lifecourse approach to our delivery and actions and cover programmes including Addictions (gambling, smoking, drugs and alcohol), physical activity, healthy ageing, work and health and more.

Public Health Regional Teams focus on a delivery model where staff work as part of multiple teams including NHS teams, place-based teams, programme and policy teams and functional teams.

The postholder will coordinate and deliver high quality, specialist technical and professional public health advice to support local government with driving improvements in health outcomes and reduction in health inequalities based on evidence and cost-effectiveness.

You will support the Children and Young People consultant and will also have other thematic areas of work.

You will draw on the unique expertise and resources that sit within DHSC, as well as maximise the expertise within the local public health system and support NHS England in promoting the health service role, for example in primary care, preventing poor health and addressing health inequalities.

The postholder will engage and influence local authorities and the NHS to deliver improvements in populations’ health and reduce inequalities in health and wellbeing outcomes.

Masters Degree in Public Health or Health Policy

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)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Applications will be sifted W/C: 21/09/2026

Interview date: W/C 12/10/2026

Interview location: Government Property Agency, 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6EH

Further details and interview slots will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.

Applications will be sifted on your CV and Personal Statement

Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert.

Please also include a list of your relevant qualifications noting mandatory qualifications required for this role (Masters Degree in Public Health or Health Policy).

Please use your personal statement to (in no more than 1000 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours, Strengths and Technical Skills.

Candidates will be asked to give a presentation which will assess the Technical Skill of “Public Health Knowledge and Skills, including presentation of complex Public Health information”.

Details of the presentation question will be issued to candidates with the release of the sift scores.

To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/departments/working-for-the-department-of-health-social-care/ and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/

Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available.

Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.

Candidates must ensure that all information provided in their application is factually accurate. Any examples provided must be taken from personal experience. The Civil Service abides by honesty and integrity as part of its core values, if evidence of plagiarism is found, applications may be withdrawn.

Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance.

Qualifications required for the role will be checked and verified by the vacancy holder as part of the onboarding process. You may also be asked to provide evidence that any qualifications obtained overseas are equivalent to those advertised.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DHSC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via dhscrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Terms and Conditions

Candidates should note that DHSC’s Terms and Conditions of employment changed from 1 October 2013. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful.

New Entrants to the Civil Service

New entrants appointed in grades AA to G6 will receive DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions:

• Annual Leave: 25 days on entry rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff
• Privilege Leave: 1 day - for the King’s birthday
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): one month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months’ full pay and five months’ half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allow staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Probation: 6 month probation period

Existing Civil Service staff transferring from another Government department, on either level transfer or promotion

All staff moving to DHSC will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

Existing DHSC staff, appointed on promotion

If DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions are already held, the employee will retain those terms and conditions. If DHSC’s pre-modernised terms and conditions are held, the employee will transfer onto DHSC’s modernised terms and conditions (as outlined above).

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