Vacancies

Public Health Engagement Specialist

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

About the role

We are seeking an Engagement Specialist to join the recently restructured Public Health team in North Northamptonshire Council. Our Public Health team formed, following a split in 2021 from the Northamptonshire County Council into two unitary councils. The new team are highly dynamic, open minded to new ideas and aim to be best in class which is why this new role will be critical to the function.

This role has been established to develop and drive forward the engagement activity across the Public Health service in order to build stronger relationships with stakeholders, people with lived experience, partners as well as the wider council to better deliver PH outcomes through indirect influence and directly through service commissioning activities. The role will work to help improve Public Health service availability, customer led provision, co-production and inclusive practice and equity for all, including seldom heard groups and those with protected characteristics.

The post holder will be required to work across the Public Health directorate, and other areas of the council in a seamless manner. The role will require proactive and effective joined up working with a range of colleagues in Public Health, and other directorates within the Council, as well as partner organisations.

As a new team, we’re welcoming, open to new ideas and approaches and committed to investing in you and your development. The successful applicants will join our friendly and enthusiastic team committed to improving health and tackling health inequalities in North Northamptonshire.

North Northamptonshire Council is committed to flexible and hybrid working, and we welcome discussions with potential applicants on working arrangements including part time working and job shares. You will need to be able to travel between sites in the North Northamptonshire area.

If you would like to discuss this role in more detail, please contact Shirley Plenderleith Assistant Director, Public Health, shirley.plenderleith@northnorthants.gov.uk

The closing date for this role is 20^th December 2023. Interview dates will be advised to those applicants successfully shortlisted.

What will you be doing?

Key Responsibilities

Work with PH colleagues and the corporate Consultation and Engagement Team to develop and strengthen connections and influence across the wider council.
Develop activities in relation to stakeholder engagement and people with lived experience to better inform PH outcomes across the system.
Working through the ICS Place based activity, ensure that the PH Service use intelligence including the lived experience of local people and stakeholder groups to improve service commissioning and design to better achieve PH outcomes.
Work with the Head of Commissioning to ensure joined up working and the voice of the customer is represented within the commissioning cycle.
Prepare and present information and reports including guidance and/or findings using a variety of oral and written methods, to a wide range of people and organisations.
Provide PH teams with expert advice on engagement to maximise effectiveness, both for the PH service, stakeholders and people with lived experience.
Develop and deliver an annual engagement workplan in conjunction with the PH senior management team and Communications Lead.
Identify share and help implement good practice in relation to engagement activities and links to commissioning, providing specialist expertise, including co-design and co-production to the PH service.

About you

Qualifications and Education

Applicants must have a relevant degree level qualification for example PH, engagement, communication or equivalent experience

Experience and Knowledge

Experience of designing leading and implementing successful organisational or service engagement activities at scale
Experience of partnership working across the public sector
Experience of report writing (including formal committee reports) as well as writing and delivering presentations to a wide range of audiences
Demonstrable knowledge relating to best practice in user engagement including project design and the different engagement methods of delivery, including co-production
Knowledge of appropriate communication and engagement techniques to support effective engagement, including seldom heard groups and those who lack mental capacity or who have disabilities which may impair their communication
Knowledge of the implications and limitations of different approaches to engagement
Experience of working with, and supporting, diverse customer groups

Skills and Capability

Excellent collaboration skills with the ability to work across a diverse range of organisations and teams to the benefit of PH activities and outcomes
Ability to plan and deliver to set timescales, as well as prioritising as appropriate – a solution orientated self-starter.
Ability to communication in various ways, especially oral and written, with a variety of people at all levels- professionals, councillors, local people, VCSE and other stakeholders etc
Ability to collate and interpret Qualitative & Quantitative data, information and presenting to a variety of audiences at all levels and in a variety of formats, both written and oral.
Ability to develop and deliver engagement projects that meet the requirements of the PH Service
Ability to recognise political sensitivity within an activity, manage competing priorities and work accurately at pace.
Excellent IT skills including MS Office suite of programmes, Excel etc
Strong negotiating and problem-solving skills

Our benefits

We offer:

a competitive salary
a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
agile and flexible working arrangements to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

About us

We are a new unitary council, established in April 2021; we are one of the largest unitary councils in the country. Our vision for North Northants is to be 'A place where everyone has the best opportunities and quality of life'.

Our priorities are:

helping people live active fulfilled lives
caring for our young people, providing them with high quality education and opportunities
enabling a thriving and successful economy
leading on a green and sustainable environment
ensuring our communities are connected so they can shape their lives and where they live
providing modern public services

Our values, as chosen by our staff, are - Customer-focused, Respectful, Efficient, Supportive and Trustworthy.

Your differences make us different - Achieve Together.

We are undertaking consultation with the Trade Unions on terms and conditions and the future NNC pay structure and during this time are appointing new employees on interim spot salaries. You will be advised of the outcome and any impact on your role once this work is complete.