Department of Health and Social Care
Programme Manager - Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco (London)
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In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.
This role sits in The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) London which focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of Londoners so that everyone can expect to live more of life in good health. We also work to tackle health disparities and their wider determinants to break the link between an individual’s background and one’s prospects for a healthy life.
OHID organises the delivery of its functions in England through its Regional teams which are managed under the leadership of a Regional Director of Public Health / NHS Regional Director of Public Health (RD), who in London also operates as the Statutory Adviser to the Mayor, Assembly and Greater London Authority (GLA) Group as set out in the GLA Act (2007).
Job Description
The postholder will coordinate and deliver high quality, specialist technical and professional public health advice to support local government with driving improvements in health outcomes and reduction in health inequalities, associated with drugs, alcohol and/or tobacco based on evidence and cost-effectiveness. They will draw on their unique expertise and resources that sit within DHSC/OHID as well as maximise the expertise within regional partners, and the local public health system to improve drug, alcohol, and tobacco outcomes and health inequalities associated with these behaviours.
Role And Responsibilities
Specialist practice
- Using specialist knowledge of health improvement to develop, lead or contribute to delivery of alcohol, drugs and tobacco priorities in London, applying relevant quality improvement, programme, project and change management methodologies to deliver agreed objectives.
- Analyse and communicate data, evidence and emerging trends to inform planning and decision-making, and develop reports, briefings, presentations and communication products for a range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Build and sustain strategic relationships and professional networks across local government, the NHS, academia and the wider public health system to influence policy and practice, share learning and support delivery of national, regional and local priorities.
- Strengthen public health capacity and capability across London by supporting workforce development, sharing evidence and best practice, and enabling local authorities and partners to deliver effective, evidence-based approaches to alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
Management and leadership
- Deputise for the Head of Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco as required.
- Contribute to governance, audit, assurance and quality improvement activities across OHID London.
Partnerships and collaborative working for health
- Contribute to the development of key relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders, including with the GLA, Mayors Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), Criminal Justice partners, the Association of Directors of Public Health (London), local authority public health and commissioning leads, NHSE, and drug and alcohol treatment providers, and take responsibility for the maintenance of OHID London relevant professional networks.
- Provide senior leadership on monitoring the quality of health improvement activity to support local government with sector-led improvement.
- Employ effective communication, negotiation and influencing skills to enable stakeholder relationships to deliver: National and regional strategies and priorities associated with drugs, alcohol, and/or tobacco and other priority health and wellbeing strategies for the region.
- Identifying and disseminating good practice; establishing and maintaining effective communications to ensure that external stakeholders are appropriately informed of DHSC/OHID business and services, and vice versa.
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Person specification
Essential
Key skills and experience required for the role
- Experience of leading or delivering complex public health, health improvement or related programmes, using programme, project, change or quality-improvement methods.
- Demonstrable ability to analyse, interpret and synthesise complex public health data and evidence, and communicate findings effectively through specialist advice, reports, briefings and presentations, to inform decision-making and support improved outcomes.
- Demonstrable ability to build productive partnerships and networks across organisational boundaries, including influencing and negotiating with senior internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience of translating national or regional priorities into practical delivery plans and achieving agreed outcomes in a complex system.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, work flexibly across topic areas and deliver high-quality work at pace.
Working Arrangements
Your normal place of work will be your contractual primary workplace, London. Within DHSC we offer non-contractual hybrid working. The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time spent in the office, enabling in-person interaction and collaboration, and enhancing team working, learning, and support.
You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas and some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.
Opportunities for some working from home may be available; other flexible working options may be discussed with the hiring manager in line with individual circumstances and business need.
There are a limited number of DHSC colleagues who have existing agreed homeworking contracts resulting from Our Future Estate Programme 2023-2024. Colleagues covered by these arrangements are eligible to apply for this role whilst continuing their agreed existing home working arrangement. Occasional travel to DHSC offices or other locations may still be required according to business need. Travel and subsistence will be provided in line with the pre-agreed homeworker arrangements.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £62,862, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £18,211 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
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Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
- Applications will be sifted W/C: 12/10/2026
- Interview date: W/C 19/10/2026
- Interview location: By video
Further details and interview slots will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.
Applications will be sifted on your CV and Personal Statement
Please use your CV to set out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. These can be found in the ‘key skills and experience required for the role’ section of the advert.
Please use your personal statement to (in no more than 1000 words) outline how you meet the key skills and experience required for the role as set out in the job advert.
At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths
To find out more about working in the department please visit our page on the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/departments/working-for-the-department-of-health-social-care/ and to find out more information on how to apply visit the Civil Service careers website https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/
Applicants who are appointable but were not successful in appointment to this vacancy, may be held on a reserve list for up to 12 months, and contacted if similar vacancies become available.
Please be aware that some travel may be required across the DHSC estate.
Candidates must ensure that all information provided in their application is factually accurate. Any examples provided must be taken from personal experience. The Civil Service abides by honesty and integrity as part of its core values, if evidence of plagiarism is found, applications may be withdrawn.
Please note that applicants will require BPSS clearance.
Further Information
Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to DHSC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment
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