Public Health Jobs (UK Guide): Roles, Salaries, Where to Apply, and How to Get Hired

Public health jobs focus on preventing illness, protecting people from health threats, and improving wellbeing at a population level. This can include supporting stop smoking programmes, increasing vaccination uptake, planning healthier environments, analysing local health data, or coordinating responses to outbreaks.

Strong public health improves quality of life and reduces pressure on frontline services. It also plays a vital role in tackling health inequalities, with many teams working directly to support disadvantaged communities.

In the UK, public health roles can be found across local authorities, the NHS, national agencies, universities, charities, and specialist job boards.

Public health roles are increasingly connected to data, prevention programmes, community engagement, and partnership working across councils, NHS teams, education providers, and voluntary services. You will often see roles focused on health improvement, health protection, and reducing inequalities.

Quick links to start searching today:

• PublicHealthJobs.co.uk
• NHS Jobs public health search
• HealthJobsUK (trac.jobs)
• Oxfordshire public health vacancies example

Public health is a broad field, but it can be simplified into three core areas: health improvement, health protection, and healthcare public health. Within these areas, there are roles at entry-level, practitioner-level, specialist-level, and leadership level.

Common public health job titles you will see

• Public Health Practitioner
• Health Improvement Practitioner or Officer
• Public Health Analyst or Intelligence Analyst
• Programme Manager (for example, obesity, smoking, alcohol, sexual health)
• Health Protection roles (often linked to agencies such as UKHSA)
• Consultant in Public Health and Director of Public Health roles (senior leadership)

Job titles vary depending on the employer, so always read the duties and person specification carefully rather than relying solely on the title.

If you search for public health practitioner jobs, you are usually looking at roles that sit between entry-level and specialist-level. Practitioners typically run programmes, work directly with communities, coordinate partners, and use evidence to improve outcomes.

What public health practitioners actually do

Plan and deliver health improvement projects in local communities
Work with schools, GP services, charities, community groups, and councils
Use data and evidence to target support where it is needed most
Support evaluation, reporting, and continuous improvement

How to become a public health practitioner

There are different routes into the profession. One recognised pathway is professional registration. The UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) is a voluntary register for specialists and practitioners and is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. Registration demonstrates competence and professional standards.

UKPHR also notes that applicants can be eligible to apply for practitioner registration after successfully completing a Public Health Practitioner apprenticeship, including an end point assessment. This is particularly useful if you prefer an earn while you learn route into the profession.

Where practitioners work

• Local authority public health teams
• NHS services linked to prevention and community health
• Charities and voluntary organisations delivering programmes
• Partnership roles across multiple organisations

Many people move into public health from the NHS or wider healthcare settings. This is because public health overlaps with prevention, screening, vaccination, community services, and population level planning.

UK Healthcare jobs that can connect to public health

• Health visiting and school nursing related roles
• Safeguarding and community wellbeing roles
• Health promotion, smoking cessation, weight management, and sexual health services
• Clinical audit, quality improvement, and service development posts

UK Medical jobs that link to public health

• Public health medicine training routes (for those on medical pathways)
• Clinical leadership roles that focus on prevention and population outcomes
• Research and epidemiology linked posts

A quick way to see how broad the market is is to search NHS Jobs for “public health”. You will likely find thousands of results, as the keyword appears across many community and well-being-related roles. Use filters and add your location to narrow the results and make your search more manageable.

If your goal is to secure a role, it helps to search in the places where public health employers actively advertise vacancies.

Best job boards for public health and healthcare jobs

• PublicHealthJobs.co.uk, a specialist public health job site with categories including practitioner roles and public health consultancy
• NHS Jobs, useful for NHS and partner organisations
• HealthJobsUK and trac.jobs, widely used for health sector vacancies
• DWP Find a Job, which often includes local authority and public sector roles
• Civil Service Jobs, relevant for agencies and national roles
• Local authority job sites, since many public health teams are based in councils

Networking tips that actually work

• Follow local public health teams, Directors of Public Health networks, and relevant charities on LinkedIn
• Attend local public health events, webinars, or university talks
• Ask for a short informational chat with someone doing the job you want
• Keep a simple message ready that explains what you are looking for and why

Using social media for job searches

If you are open to relocation or travel, there are international public health roles in organisations such as the WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, and European public health agencies.

Where to find UN public health jobs

• WHO careers
• UNICEF careers
• UNDP job page
• UN jobs listings by public health theme

Public health jobs Europe

• ECDC work with us (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)
• ECDC recruitment information and vacancy portal

Visa and relocation considerations

• Check right to work requirements early, especially if you are moving countries
• Review language expectations for local roles
• Look carefully at contract type, duration, relocation support, and travel requirements
• If you are relying on a professional registration route, confirm what is recognised in the country where you are applying

International roles can be highly competitive, so successful applications usually demonstrate clear, measurable impact, strong partnership working, and proven experience delivering results in complex or multi stakeholder environments.

Public health rewards people who are curious, organised, and confident working with others. You do not need to know everything at the start, but you do need a genuine willingness to learn and develop.

Essential skills for public health jobs

• Clear communication, especially when explaining evidence to non-specialists
• Project management and the ability to deliver programmes effectively
• Confidence working with data, even if you are not an analyst
• Stakeholder management, because public health is rarely delivered alone
• Empathy and cultural awareness, particularly in community-based work

Continuing education and certifications

• Short courses in evaluation, behaviour change, and health inequalities can strengthen your profile.
• The Royal Society for Public Health offers public health career development information and pathways.
• UKPHR practitioner registration can support progression and professional credibility.

Future career paths

If you want to progress to senior leadership, speciality training is a key route for consultant-level roles. The Faculty of Public Health oversees standards for public health speciality training, and recruitment is run through a national selection process with an annual recruitment round.

What are the main public health jobs available?
Common roles include practitioners, health improvement officers, analysts, programme managers, consultants, and leadership posts in councils and national agencies.

How do I become a public health practitioner?
Start by building experience in community work, programme delivery, and partnership working. Consider apprenticeships, entry roles in local authority and NHS prevention services, and longer-term professional registration routes such as UKPHR practitioner registration.

What healthcare jobs are in demand in the UK?
Demand varies by location, but community services, prevention, wellbeing, safeguarding, and health improvement roles commonly appear alongside wider NHS vacancies. Use NHS Jobs filters to see what is active in your area.

Where can I find UN public health jobs?
WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP careers pages are reliable starting points, and UN jobs listing sites can help you search roles by theme.

Are there public health jobs in Europe?
Yes. ECDC is one example of a European agency offering public health career opportunities and structured recruitment routes.

If you want to move into public health, avoid trying to do everything at once. Choose one direction, identify five relevant vacancies, and tailor your CV and supporting statement around the skills those roles consistently. This keeps your search focused and makes your applications stronger.

Action step: search “public health” on NHS Jobs and PublicHealthJobs.co.uk, then add your location and set alerts. If you prefer council-based roles, check local authority job sites as well.