Overview
Senior Wellbeing and Public Health Officer
Fixed Term, Full Time
£35,323 to £41,556 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Closing Date:6th October 2025
Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months
This position has been classed as an anywhere worker role but has an expectation that the successful candidate will attend the office, in Chelmsford 2-3 day per month, with the remaining time for remote working if desired, in line with the organisation’s needs
The Role
Essex County Council Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities (WPHC) Team are looking to recruit a full time, fixed-term candidate for the period of 1 year. The role will be tasked with:
- Supporting Senior members of the team as well as managers to effectively plan and deliver programmes of work in line with the Public Health Business Plan.
- Working with the wider WPHC team to support the monitoring and reporting on the WPHC Business Plan.
- Supporting the Director of Public Health to meet their statutory duties.
- Delivering specific projects and pieces of work to improve children and young people’s health and wellbeing, in particular our work on Healthy Schools, infant feeding and Risk Avert.
To read more about our business area, please visit:
People, Policy, Economy and Public Health
The Opportunity
This role plays a very important part within Economy, Localities and Public Health (ELPH) and wider Essex County Council structures, to the Council’s aspiration to become an outcome focused and evidence based commissioning authority.
This role will be responsible for the delivery of professional and expert support to the Wellbeing and Public Health work programme. Supporting stakeholders and to deliver a new, more flexible and collaborative approach will be an importance facet of the role.
The role will support and may lead on a range of smaller projects and activities, as well as maintaining business as usual activity and supporting an agile approach to resourcing. It will involve some complexity in working to support a number of specific agendas and support Senior Managers on any number and combination of thematic programmes and projects dependant on strategic priorities.
Accountabilities
- Work as part of the Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities Team supporting a flexible and agile approach to resourcing.
- Work with a range of senior managers in Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities and, where necessary, from across ECC and with partners and stakeholders, to define requirements and deliver activity ensuring best VFM, and sustainable outcomes.
- Provide day-to-day support as part of a matrix managed team for specific pieces of activity – both planned and reactive; for example writing reports or business cases or co-ordinating activities that deliver specific project documentation.
- Provide subject matter expert advice and guidance as required for thematic programmes and projects which will change dependent on strategic priorities.
- Support senior managers to ensure that prioritised activities can be planned, specified and met in terms of capacity and capability and delivered to a high standard.
- Build relationships and work in collaboration (for example with, but not limited to, CCGs and District/Borough/City Councils) not only to deliver levels of integrated activity, but also to identify any further opportunities and efficiencies across organisations.
- Deliver specific projects and activities that further the continuous improvement of high performing, sustainable and cost effective services or place shaping activities and develop cross functional links.
- Support the development of, and use, a range of tools and techniques that ensure activity is consistent, effective and efficient and that an audit trail is maintained.
- Respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities ensuring that risks and opportunities are identified and managed and comply with all external and internal regulation: support responses to calls for contributions to consultation responses.
- Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
The Experience You Will Bring
- Educated to degree level, or equivalent by experience, with excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional areas.
- Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a Public Health or related activity service/function area, and programme/project management expertise, in support of senior managers.
- Experience of managing or delivering commissioning activities or projects.
- Knowledge and experience of all aspects of the commissioning cycle, project life-cycle and related activities gained within a commissioning environment.
- Evidence of successfully delivering outcomes and demonstrating breadth of thinking.
- Experience of delivery of public services and managing change in a complex , multi-stakeholder environment.
- Experience of working in a political environment, working effectively with members and senior officers across the council and partner agencies.
