Job vacancy: Environmental Public Health Scientist, Public Health Wales NHS Trust, Cardiff

Job summary

Main area: Environmental Health Protection
Grade: Band 7
Contract: 2 years (Fixed Term for 2 years due to secondment)
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 028-HS070-0625

Employer: Public Health Wales NHS Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Public Health Wales, Environmental Services
Town: Cardiff
Salary: £46,840 - £53,602 Per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 18/06/2025 23:59

Environmental Public Health Scientist

Band 7

Welcome to Public Health Wales, the national public health organisation for Wales

Our vision is Working to achieve a healthier future for Wales

To find out more visit Public Health Wales and watch this video about our Strategic Plan

Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference

Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh, any application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English. To support our all Wales service, we particularly welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

Please be advised that there is a temporary top up for Bands 2 and 3 to reflect the incorporation of the top up to the living wage of £12.60 per hour - £24,638 per annum.

This temporary top up will be in place until the annual pay uplift for 2025/26 is confirmed.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Degree in an environmental/ public health, science or related relevant subject
Masters qualification or equivalent experience acquired in an environmental public health health or research field
A qualification or demonstrable training/ experience in public health, health protection or epidemiology

Desirable criteria

Postgraduate training in areas such as: air quality, environmental epidemiology, surveillance methods, public health, statistics, data science

Experience

Essential criteria

Substantial post-graduate experience of relevant environmental health protection practice and scientific work
Demonstrable experience of working within a public health setting
Experience of working in the field of air quality
Experience of working in the field of environmental health protection
Experience of surveillance and epidemiology
Experience of working with large complex databases
Understanding of current scientific and/or epidemiological advances
Experience of training other staff groups
Experience in epidemiological study/ research methods, including data collection instruments and linking and analysing datasets
Staff line management experience
Budget management experience (including developing funding business cases and grant applications to obtain funding, managing ad hoc project funding/grants and delivering against specified work outcomes)

Desirable criteria

Working in an NHS environment
Experience of developing and monitoring performance indicators
Specialist knowledge of further analytic and descriptive analyses in epidemiology including mapping, data linkage and time series analysis
Record of peer-reviewed publications and scientific report writing
Knowledge of health-care systems in Wales
Knowledge of staff management

Skills

Essential criteria

Advanced knowledge and understanding of environmental health protection issues, especially air quality, decarbonisation and related fields
Sound grasp of epidemiological and statistical methods
Effective oral and written communication skills. Ability to document and communicate clearly and succinctly
Excellent computer literacy, including advanced skills in Microsoft Office applications
Ability to project manage, coordinate teams and problem solve
Professional judgments on methods and interpretation

Desirable criteria

Advanced skills in mapping and database software to manage and analyse complex data
Ability to speak Welsh or willingness to learn

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Knowledge of environmental health protection policy and practice
Knowledge of air quality and wider environmental public health issue policy and practice
Knowledge of surveillance/epidemiological principles and their application to environmental public health
Sound understanding of the environmental public health ‘system’ or ‘community’ in Wales
Awareness of policies and procedures relating to environmental public health practice and research.

Desirable criteria

Knowledge of Public Health Wales

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES (Demonstrable)

Essential criteria

Flexible approach and commitment to apply skills in support of clinical/scientific priorities
Proven track record as a team player
Enthusiastic approach with excellent planning and organisational skills
Negotiation and diplomacy skills to work with a wide range of staff
Ability to work on own initiative.
Good time-keeping.
Respect confidentiality.
Willingness to learn and develop skills
Ability to work to deadlines and under pressure.

Desirable criteria

Ability to work in challenging or different circumstances

Other (Please Specify)

Essential criteria

Ability to foster and maintain good working relationships with administrative staff, scientific staff and health professionals at all levels
Commitment to CPD within Public Health competency frameworks
Prepared to travel

Desirable criteria

Evidence of continuing professional Development

Public Health Wales, reserves the right to close this vacancy early. We therefore encourage early applications.

Priority is given to staff awaiting redeployment. We therefore reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any stage.

If you have a disability and have any particular requirements to enable you to participate in the application process, please contact [email protected]

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR APPLICANTS: Applications for our roles are carefully reviewed and shortlisted based on specific criteria, which varies from job to job. Using a generic application to apply for multiple roles or relying on automated AI application services, such as Lazy Apply or AI Apply, may not provide the necessary information, leading to your application being overlooked. To ensure your application is given full consideration, we recommend submitting a tailored application that directly addresses the criteria listed in the Person Specification section of the advert.

If you are successful and short listed for interview you will be contacted by email using the address with which you registered. Please ensure you check your email account regularly.

We are committed to fair, transparent recruitment and believe in equality of opportunity in our workplace and will not tolerate discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender identity, religion or belief, race or nationality, marriage or civil partnership status, sex, sexual orientation, working pattern, caring responsibilities, trade union activity or political beliefs – or on any other grounds. We welcome applications from individuals seeking flexible working arrangements.

To work in the UK, all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship to obtain either a Health and Care visa or Skilled Worker visa, unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply should self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship by visiting Work in the UK. If you are eligible for the Health and Care visa, application costs are lower and you do not need to pay the annual Immigration Health Surcharge.

The salary scale shown is for a full-time member of staff, with the amount being adjusted pro rata for those working less than 37.5 hours per week.

In general, anyone joining our Trust who has not previously worked in the NHS will, by default, start on the first point of the advertised pay band. Pay progression will then be determined by annual Performance and Development Reviews in accordance with the NHS Wales Pay Progression Policy. An application for Incremental Credit may be considered, but can only be awarded based on evidenced, reckonable service and/or equivalent, relevant experience.