Help shape a fairer, healthier Sheffield.

At Sheffield City Council, we’re ambitious about tackling inequality and improving health outcomes for our residents. We’re looking for a Public Health Practitioner to join our team, working at the intersection of behavioural science and poverty and inclusion health.

This is an exciting opportunity to turn insight into action — applying evidence, creativity and systems thinking to some of the most complex challenges facing our city. From shaping services and communications through behavioural science, to addressing poverty and exclusion as key drivers of poor health, this role sits right at the heart of Sheffield’s commitment to fairness, inclusion and prevention.

About the role

This is a 50/50 split role across two closely connected and high-profile areas of work.

Behavioural Science (50%)

You will:

Apply behavioural science approaches (such as COM-B, EAST) to real-world public health challenges.
Support colleagues across the council and partner organisations to embed behavioural insights into programmes and practice.
Help translate evidence and insight into practical recommendations that influence decisions and delivery.
Support the design, testing and evaluation of behaviourally informed interventions, policies and communications.

Poverty & Inclusion Health (50%)

You will:

Contribute to the development and delivery of work addressing poverty, inclusion health and health inequalities.
Support action focused on groups experiencing the poorest health outcomes, informed by lived experience and community insight.
Contribute to needs assessments, strategies and action plans.
Use data, evidence and intelligence to inform priorities, track progress and demonstrate impact.

Across both areas, you’ll work collaboratively with colleagues across public health, the wider council, the NHS, voluntary and community sector organisations, and other partners — helping to turn shared ambition into coordinated action.

Why join Sheffield?

The chance to work on bold, city-wide public health priorities that genuinely matter to people’s lives.
A supportive, skilled and values-driven public health team.
Opportunities to develop and deepen expertise in behavioural science and inclusion health.
Flexible and hybrid working arrangements that support wellbeing and work–life balance.
The opportunity to help shape a city that is fairer, healthier and more inclusive for everyone.

For any enquiries about the role, please email Isobel Howie Isobel.howie@sheffield.gov.uk

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our New job evaluation process to be introduced at Sheffield City Council | Sheffield City Council