Health Protection Programme Lead

Overview

Do you have experience of managing and preventing outbreaks of infectious disease? Could you work to reduce inequalities in vaccination rates across Buckinghamshire? Are you experienced in business continuity planning and ensuring the resilience of essential services against threats such as cyber-attacks and pandemics?

Buckinghamshire Council is looking for a Health Protection Programme Lead to join the Public Health team.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is an innovative and high performing organisation, and public health is embedded in the Council’s core business. Public health is defined as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organised efforts of society”. The Public Health workforce delivers a range of work to protect and improve the health of communities and populations at local, regional, national, and global levels.

Buckinghamshire is generally more affluent and as a result has better health outcomes than the national average, but there are however significant differences in health outcomes across the County. Rather than focusing on the health of the individual, the Public Health workforce delivers a range of work to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities, with a particular focus on reducing inequalities.

We are a friendly, diverse and welcoming team with a wide range of expertise available, and a supportive & flexible work ethic. There are regular team meetings and opportunities for collaboration, as well as frequent CPD sessions and an informal mentoring scheme.

About the role

The Health Protection Programme Lead will provide support and leadership to enhance infectious disease resilience in high-risk settings, to improve organisational and system preparedness for future pandemics and to contribute to robust Council seasonal resilience planning which incorporates the complex inter-linked risks of pathogens and extremes of temperature/weather. They will also support operational and professional development activities within the public health team. Support is available for you to continue your professional development within the team. This role is expected to be a full-time post.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements. The baseline assumption for this role is that you will be in the office approximately 2 days a week (40% WTE).

About you

We are looking for an experienced health protection professional with a substantial track record of outbreak prevention/response and business continuity planning work. You will have the horizon scanning and organisational abilities to assess and mitigate future risks to Buckinghamshire residents and the essential functions of the Council. You also need to have a good knowledge of local government and the wider health and social care system.

Please refer to the job summary attached for further details about the role.

Other information

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: [email protected] or [email protected]

Closing date: Sunday 14th September 2026

Interview date: Wednesday 22nd October 2026

Interview-type: MS Teams

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining us, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

We know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Service Area

Buckinghamshire is an exciting place to work and a beautiful place to live. It has a population of more than 500,000 and although generally healthy and wealthy, there are significant public health challenges and inequalities across the county. The Council is now a unitary authority, which enhances our ability to address the broader determinants of health.

Good health is vital to the social and economic success of an area. It contributes to safe, strong, cohesive happy communities, educational attainment and the ability to find and remain in employment. In turn, this reduces demand on children and adult social care services and healthcare services.

Our Public Health service works with communities and colleagues in the NHS, voluntary sector and other partners to co-design approaches, building on the assets of communities to develop solutions and provide equal access to all residents. Some of the ways we do this are by supporting mental health, improving access to healthy, affordable food through a range of growing schemes, and our Active Communities program. We are looking for people who share our values of looking after the wellbeing of our residents and engaging with our communities about delivering the best solutions for them

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/