Public Health Principal

Overview

Job Description

Salary range: Grade 16 - £60,573 - £62,766 p.a. plus fantastic benefits. Contract: Permanent. Hours of work: 36 hours per week. Location: Croydon. This is an exciting Public Health role in a team dedicated to improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities across Croydon. Working as part of the wider Public Health team you will be a key player in a small, agile team focused particularly on substance use. As lead for this area you will provide public health advice and support to a diverse range of colleagues and partners, internally and externally and to people with lived experience contributing to an improving ecology of health and wellbeing both in individuals and in the wider community and population of the borough.

You will play a key role in the development and implementation of the National Drug Strategy as it relates to Croydon, working with partners and lived experience across the system, as part of the Combating Drugs Partnership.

All Public Health staff have a role in supporting and working closely with Public Health consultants, Directors of Public Health and other departments to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for the local population and tackle health inequalities.

About

You will bring a range of public health competencies to the Council and also have the opportunity to further develop and broaden your skills. You will exhibit passion about public health in local government and be able to demonstrate:

• Highly developed specialised health knowledge acquired through relevant experience and
• Master’s degree (or equivalent)
• Strong track record working towards improved health and wellbeing
• Effective communication, negotiating and project management skills and
• Good understanding of the local authority’s public health statutory responsibilities related to health improvement, wider determinants of health, health protection and healthcare public health

You will have knowledge and working experience of current public health policies and be able to employ an evidence-based approach to different areas of public health, including that of substance use. You may be asked to line manage staff.

We anticipate that interviews will take place in the week commencing 8th June 2026.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Dr Ahimza Nagasivam, Consultant in Public Health on ahimza.nagasivam@croydon.gov.uk

To view the Public Health Principal role profile please click here.

About Us

Croydon Council’s priorities

The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services.

• Get a grip on the finances and make the council financially sustainable
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon’s diverse communities and businesses
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors
• Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice
• Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities

Key Business Plan Outcomes

• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we’re proud to call home
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer
• Croydon Council’s new ways of working

Equal Opportunities Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

The Successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.

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