Health Improvement Co-ordinator in Stevenage

Hertfordshire Public Health is recruiting a Health Improvement Co‑ordinator (School‑Age Children) to support our ambition to improve outcomes for children and young people across the county. This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward‑thinking and innovative Public Health team at a pivotal time, where your work will make a tangible difference to children’s health and wellbeing. You will be part of the Children, Young People and All‑Age Mental Health and Suicide Team, a small, highly skilled and passionate team responsible for delivering evidence‑based health improvement programmes and contributing to the objectives set out in the Public Health Business Plan. The team focuses on prevention and early intervention, working to ensure that all children and young people in Hertfordshire have the foundations to thrive. Reporting to the Health Improvement Lead, you will support a broad and varied portfolio of work. Partnership working is central to this role – you will work closely with colleagues across Hertfordshire County Council, District and Borough Councils, schools, NHS Trusts, commissioned providers, and the voluntary, community and faith sector to create joined‑up approaches that improve outcomes and ensure every child in Hertfordshire has the opportunity to achieve good health and wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting the development and implementation of a Healthy Schools Framework, working with schools and partners to embed evidence‑based health and wellbeing approaches.
• Co‑ordinating the Children and Young People Health and Wellbeing Surveys, including liaison with schools, data collection processes and supporting interpretation of findings.
• Managing the annual delivery of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), ensuring compliance with national guidance.
• Supporting the development of Child Weight Management services, working alongside commissioners and providers.
• Working with wider Council colleagues on cross‑cutting priority areas such as vaping and gambling‑related harms.
• Maintaining and contributing to the Children and Young People’s Public Health Dashboard, supporting accurate reporting and performance monitoring.

Key Activities

• Contributing to team priorities and developing action plans for health improvement interventions using an evidence‑based approach.
• Supporting and coordinating the work of Health Improvement Leads.
• Monitoring, analysing and evaluating the effectiveness of health improvement interventions.
• Managing multiple health improvement projects concurrently, ensuring milestones and deadlines are met.
• Identifying and engaging key stakeholders to support delivery through strong, collaborative working relationships.
• Producing reports and presenting findings or progress updates to a range of audiences.
• Applying project management controls, including project initiation documents, risk and issue logs, and regular highlight reports.

Qualifications & Experience

• Motivated and committed public health professional with experience delivering public health projects that improve outcomes for children and young people.
• Master’s degree in Public Health, or an equivalent health‑related qualification, or currently working towards one.
• In-depth knowledge of public health principles and practice, particularly relating to children and young people, including an understanding of barriers, inequalities and evidence‑based approaches to address them.
• Experience of working in partnership with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders such as local authorities, health partners, schools, commissioned providers and voluntary organisations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to influence, inform and support delivery across different sectors using public health theory and evidence.
• Demonstrable project management skills, with experience managing multiple workstreams or projects simultaneously and maintaining attention to detail.
• Ability to work proactively and independently, prioritising competing demands, managing deadlines and reporting clearly against agreed objectives and outcomes.
• Good understanding of data, intelligence and information sources relevant to children, young people and families, and experience of using data to inform priorities, monitor delivery and measure impact.
• Desirable: experience working within or alongside a local authority and the wider health system, knowledge of Hertfordshire’s local context, stakeholders and partnerships, and an understanding of political and organisational environments.
• Strong team player with experience working at a Co‑ordinator (or equivalent) level within public health or a related field.
• English fluency, with the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English.
• Ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, using personal transport or a company car, to attend meetings and events as required.