Public Health Programme Manager – Healthy Places & Communities

Medway Public Health are looking for a dynamic and proactive Programme Manager to manage a busy and diverse portfolio. You will be part of the Healthy Places and Communities team, who are well established and passionate about improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities across Medway through addressing the building blocks of health.

The building blocks of health are a diverse range of social, economic and environmental factors which influence people’s mental, physical, and social health. Systematic variation in these factors constitutes social inequality, which is an important driver of health inequalities. In Medway we are committed to reducing inequalities and improving health and wellbeing for all so people have healthier and longer lives.

The postholder will be required to work strategically and collaboratively with system partners such as council services, health, voluntary, community and faith (VCSEF) sector to reduce health inequalities in Medway.

There are several areas of priority for this post some of which include, but not limited to:

• Social Health, contributing to the whole systems approach to social prescribing, as well as addressing loneliness and social isolation and how it impacts Medway residents.
• Healthy Placemaking, addressing the social determinants of health through the built environment and contributing to the delivery of the Medway Marmot Place ambitions.
• Providing specialist support and linkage with the VCSEF, working collaboratively with the local authority and NHS to reduce health inequalities in Medway.

This role is HYBRID meaning you will work partly from home and partly in-person. A significant proportion of the role will require you to work from the office as well as out in the community, attending face-to-face meetings and events across Medway. This is non-negotiable.

If this role appeals to you, please outline on your application your knowledge, experience and/or skills, providing examples, in the following areas:

• Ability to work collaboratively and build sound and productive working relationships with colleagues, partners and staff groups and can engage others in a credible, persuasive way.
• Engage stakeholders, (including service users), in service design and development, to deliver accessible and equitable person-centred services.
• Adapt to change, manage uncertainty, solve problems, and align clear goals with lines of accountability in complex and unpredictable environments.
• Manage programme/project schedule(s), resource, budget and scope, accommodating changes with a robust change control process. This includes skills in project planning, execution and evaluation.

Interviews will be conducted face-to-face.

In return we offer you:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme package
• Access to wider training and development qualifications
• Flexible working scheme
• Travel plan discounts
• Car Benefit Scheme from Tusker
• Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service
• Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers

The Government has introduced new ways of supporting parents with childcare costs. Further details are available here: - We're committed to making Medway carbon neutral by 2050. We have developed an action plan to ensure we play our part in addressing the climate emergency. Our declaration fits into our Council Plan priority of making Medway a place to be proud of. The main outcome being a 'clean and green environment'. All Medway Council staff can access an additional day’s paid leave to undertake a volunteering activity which supports climate change.

Our organisation: Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula. Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.

Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

Important Information- Applicants must be able to demonstrate all criteria at level A which are essential for appointment to the role. Medway Council is not able to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship, so candidates must already possess the right to work in the UK.

For further information, and for details of the benefits of working for Medway Council, please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online.

Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email. We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.

Please visit for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.