Regional Deputy Director of Health Protection - North West

Reporting to the Director of Health Protection in Regions, the Regional Deputy Director of Health Protection in Regions (RDDHP) North West is a senior leader responsible for delivering UKHSAs health protection objectives across the region. They oversee the performance and coordination of operational health protection services and lead collaboration with Public Health leaders, local government, NHS organisations and other partners.

As part of the Health Protection in Regions Directorate senior leadership team, the RDDHP jointly shapes strategic direction and regional health protection priorities. They act as the system leader for health protection, directing regional UKHSA assets and working with partners to achieve national, regional, and local goals. The role is semi-autonomous, ensuring that regional services align with organisational strategy and deliver high-quality, responsive health protection functions.

The postholder manages the multidisciplinary regional workforce responsible for statutory duties delegated to UKHSA and non statutory functions agreed with partners. They contribute to continuous improvement in health protection systems and lead matrix teams and networks to deliver priorities across all English regions. This influential role requires strong leadership, expertise and the authority to operate effectively at senior system level.

Please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification for full details.

Strategic Leadership and Partnerships

Working closely with the Director of Health Protection in Regions and other Regional Deputy Directors for Health Protection, take responsibility for:

1. Provide visible leadership and direction for the strategic oversight of the UKHSA contribution to protecting the publics health and reducing health inequalities in a designated region through interventions to protect the population by preventing and mitigating hazards and threats.

2. Support the work of the Health Protection in Regions Directorate and wider CMA Group in developing a vision, strategy and implementation plans to deliver relevant strategies once agreed and oversee the implementation of operational plans within region.

3. Develop and manage effective working relationships with key stakeholders including Local

4. Authorities and Directors of Public Health (DsPH); NHS England, ICS, OHID, ICSs, NHS Trusts, other Civil contingencies Act Category I and II responders, and other stakeholders as required. Work closely with regional public health leaders across the domains of health improvement, healthcare public health, public health intelligence, and academic public health to enable the delivery of public health.

5. Deputise as required for the Director of Health Protection in Regions. This includes leading key strategic/delivery work and being the delegated accountable senior leader attending, contributing to and Chairing (where appropriate) meetings.

6. Development of an effective region-wide health protection function delivering high quality, resilient and integrated health protection services. Work well with UKHSA colleagues working with partners to develop robust and effective local health protection systems, which reflects the needs and responsibilities of UKHSA and its partners.

7. Contribute to national work on developing a comprehensive health protection system across England, working closely with colleagues at a regional, national and sometimes international level.

8. Lead a portfolio or programme areas of work linked to UKHSA national strategic priorities.

9. Develop and maintain joint leadership arrangements with public health senior leaders in Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, the NHS and Local Authorities leading relevant national programmes with responsibility for achieving related public health outcomes.

Performance, Governance and Risk

1. Establish and oversee the implementation of appropriate clinical and non-clinical governance and quality improvement processes within the relevant region aligned with national systems to ensure high standards are upheld within all aspects of the health protection service regionally.

2. Implement and maintain appropriate systems to monitor and report against key outcomes and metrics relevant to the service.

3. Establish and maintain robust regional processes for developing, implementing and monitoring delivery of performance management systems including reporting within directorate group and agency.

4. Use data and evidence to make decisions and influence outcomes demonstrating analysis of complex problems and interpreting complex data to create and present evidence-based insight and recommendations. Use data to effectively drive recommendations, consider the impact on a wide range of stakeholders to understand and highlight risks. Encourage others to do the same.

5. Demonstrate effective leadership skills across the region/organisation; build capability by developing, designing and embedding capability and performance approaches. Lead and coach others to build diverse and capable teams.

Leadership of Staff:

Working closely with the Director of Health Protection in Regions and other RDDHPs, take responsibility for:

1. Developing a strong and effective team by inspiring others with his/her vision, providing motivational leadership and a clear strategic vision and direction for staff working across the regional health protection community.

2. Establish clear lines of accountability and ensure that all relevant staff are managed, supervised and trained appropriately, managing through a strong governance framework and in accordance with the regulatory requirements.

3. Lead and manage change positively, championing and promoting a culture of imaginative thinking, learning from experience and expanding mindsets and genuinely listen to and encourage ideas from colleagues.

Key stakeholders and debriefs / evaluation.

1. Manage regional budgets to meet strategic and operational business plans and ensure financial compliance.

2. Lead the region in the development of a culture of continuous improvement and professional excellence with a focus on shared learning and best practice.

3. Actively promoting the reputation of UKHSA externally and internally build a sense of pride and commitment for emergency preparedness and response.

4. Actively promote diversity and equality of opportunity both within the UKHSA and with external stakeholders, valuing difference and external experience.

Please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification for full details.

Essential Criteria:

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview), or Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview).

If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice.

Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers.

If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview.

Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body.

MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment.

Please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification for full details.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d.