Public Health Senior Officer in Birmingham

The Food System Team is looking for a passionate and strategic full-time permanent Senior Officer Public Health to help shape a healthier, fairer and more sustainable food system for the city. This role will lead programmes and partnerships that deliver the Birmingham Food System Strategy and action plan, improving population health and reducing diet-related inequalities.

You will work across the food system – with council teams, the NHS, universities, the voluntary and community sector, growers and food businesses – to turn evidence into practical action on priorities such as food insecurity and the cost of living, nutritious food aid guidance, diverse eating guidance and behaviour change interventions. If you are motivated by system change, partnership working and translating strategy into impact, we would love to hear from you.

Food is central to health, equity and the city’s future – from diet-related disease and food insecurity to the environments that shape what we eat. Birmingham City Council’s Public Health Division is looking for an experienced and motivated Senior Officer Public Health to join our Food System Team (Healthy Behaviours and Communities) and play a leading role in delivering the Birmingham Food System Strategy and action plan. This is a full-time permanent role.

This is an opportunity to help drive the Birmingham Food Revolution – the city-wide movement that brings together and amplifies food-related action across Birmingham – working with the Birmingham Food System Partnership and a wide range of organisations, communities and networks.

In this role you will:

• Lead a defined portfolio of complex programmes and projects (alongside another Senior Officer) to deliver agreed outputs and outcomes across the Food System Strategy work programme.
• Build, convene and support partnerships across the council, NHS, universities, the voluntary and community sector, growers and food businesses, strengthening collaboration and shared delivery.
• Coordinate partnership governance through the Birmingham Food System Partnership and related action groups, ensuring agendas, actions and follow-up drive momentum.
• Use evidence, insight and equality considerations to design, adapt and evaluate work that reduces diet-related inequalities and supports equitable outcomes across Birmingham.
• Develop and deliver evidence-informed resources and interventions across food system to address priorities such as food insecurity, healthy and sustainable diets and behaviour change.
• Produce clear briefings, reports, presentations and consultation responses for a range of audiences, translating evidence into actionable recommendations.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working in complex multi-partner environments, bringing people together, and turning strategy into practical programmes and system change. You will also contribute to a collaborative team culture and provide day-to-day leadership, including line management and/or supervision in line with service needs.

If you are passionate about improving population health and want to contribute to making Birmingham’s food system healthier, sustainable and more equitable, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your CV, highlighting your relevant skills and experience for the responsibilities detailed in the job description, as well as how you fulfil the person specification criteria. Please note that letters of support or personal statements will not be accepted. Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.

Please upload an up-to-date CV and Supporting Statement via the attachments part of your application. The Supporting Statement should outline how you meet the criteria for the role through your personal qualities, skills and experience and include your motivation for applying to the post. Note the Personal Statement should be no more than 1500 words. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV and Personal Statement attached.

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people. We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

For any informal enquiries please contact the Resourcing Team at Resourcing@birmingham.gov.uk. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be undertaken. Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed. Birmingham City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our citizens and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.