Public Health Principal

Help us create healthier, fairer and more resilient places across Oxfordshire.

Are you passionate about tackling health inequalities through the environments in which people live, work, learn and age? Oxfordshire County Council is looking for an experienced Public Health Principal to lead our Healthy Place Shaping work. This is a unique opportunity to influence how planning, housing, nature, transport and climate adaptation contribute to better health outcomes for residents. This role sits within our Public Health team and works across organisational boundaries, building partnerships and influencing decision-making to ensure health and equity are embedded into the policies, programmes and investments that shape Oxfordshire's future.

About Us

At Oxfordshire County Council, we recognise that health is created largely outside the health and care system. People’s opportunity to live a healthy life is unequally affected by the environment they live in. Oxfordshire is proud to be a Marmot Place; meaning we have system wide commitment to addressing health inequalities. Our ambition is to create places that enable everyone to thrive, reduce inequalities, respond to climate challenges and support healthier communities. We work closely with other local councils, NHS partners, community organisations, universities, housing providers and residents to ensure health becomes a core consideration in how places are designed, regenerated and managed. Healthy Place Shaping is a key part of our response to some of Oxfordshire's biggest challenges, including healthy places, climate and air quality, healthy housing, access to nature, active travel and widening inequalities.

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to improve the health of our population through the places they live. This is a role for a strategic connector, who has a firm understanding of the wider determinants of health and the impact our environment can have on health. You will bring together partners from across local government, health, housing, planning and the community sector to influence decisions that improve population health and reduce inequalities through the places they live in. The role has responsibilities ranging from leading commissioning and monitoring contracts, being a driving force in developing key partnerships to influence improvements in lived environment, and being an expert across the council in healthy place shaping. You will be responsible for developing evidence-informed business cases, influencing policy and strategy, securing buy-in from stakeholders, and ensuring public health expertise informs major decisions affecting Oxfordshire's communities. The role will involve working with senior leaders, elected members and system partners to identify opportunities, shape narratives and translate complex evidence into practical action. This role has particular priorities around health in planning, access to green spaces and healthy homes. The role will be based in the public heath team, reporting into the Consultant In Public Health whilst also having a dotted line report to the Head Of Place Shaping in the Economy and Place Directorate.

About you

We're looking for someone who is confident operating in complex systems and who understands that improving health often requires influencing decisions outside traditional public health services. You will be able to demonstrate:

• Significant experience of working in public health, local government, planning, housing, sustainability, regeneration or a related field.
• Experience of influencing senior decision-makers and partners where you do not have direct authority.
• Strong partnership-building skills and the ability to bring together diverse organisations around shared goals.
• Excellent communication skills, including presenting complex information clearly to a range of audiences.
• Experience of programme development, commissioning, project management or strategic policy development.
• Ability to analyse evidence and translate it into compelling recommendations and practical solutions.
• A strong understanding of health inequalities and the wider determinants of health.
• The ability to work across organisational boundaries and identify connections between seemingly unrelated agendas.
• Most importantly, you will be curious, collaborative and motivated by creating lasting change through influence, relationships and systems leadership.

Rewards and benefits

This is an opportunity to work at the forefront of place-based public health. You will help shape how Oxfordshire responds to major opportunities and challenges including local government reorganisation, climate adaptation, healthy homes and reducing inequalities. The role offers the chance to influence strategic decisions while remaining connected to practical delivery and innovation on the ground.

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Technology to support agile working
• Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays
• Option to buy additional leave
• Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Excellent learning and development opportunities
• A supportive and collaborative Public Health team

Our values

• Always learning
• Be kind and care
• Equality and integrity in all we do
• Taking responsibility
• Daring to do it differently

We are looking for someone who shares these values and demonstrates them through their work. Your office base may be subject to change as we are currently transitioning between temporary and permanent office locations due to the closure of County Hall. If this is applicable to you, you will be notified, but no reimbursement will apply in respect of travel.

Our commitment to: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Guaranteed Interview Schemes

• As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job.
• We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job.
• For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships.
• We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, full time and part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

Follow us on Social Media

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and featured jobs from Oxfordshire County Council by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or find us at HealthyOxon on Linkedin.

If you have any questions about this role please contact (after the 12th October 2026). If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact: Interviews: Will take place on or after the 11th November 2026.

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