Advertised location: Inverness
Advertised salary: Please see advert
Employment type: Permanent

Salary Scale - Medical Consultant OR Agenda for Change Band 8D
Hours – 10 Programmed Activities per week Medical Consultant
36 hours per week Agenda for Change

Are you an experienced public health leader ready to take the next step in your career?

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of population health in one of the most distinctive public health systems in the UK.

NHS Highland is seeking an ambitious and forward-thinking Associate Director of Public Health to join our senior leadership team at a pivotal moment in our journey. As we continue to strengthen our focus on prevention, population health improvement and reducing inequalities, we are looking for someone who can help us take our organisation and wider system to the next level.

Serving the largest geographical health board area in the UK, NHS Highland offers a unique and rewarding environment in which to develop your leadership. From urban communities to some of the most remote, rural and island populations in Europe, the challenges are significant but so too are the opportunities to innovate, influence and make a lasting difference. The Associate Director role operates at Board and system level across a diverse geography and complex partnership landscape.

Working closely with the Director and Deputy Director of Public Health, you will provide strategic leadership across a significant portfolio, helping drive system-wide action on population health, health inequalities, service transformation and public health practice. You will work with a wide range of partners across local government, health and social care, communities, the third sector and national bodies to create the conditions for healthier people, communities and places.

We are looking for someone with substantial public health experience, strong strategic leadership skills and a passion for collaboration, influence and improvement. Most importantly, we are seeking an individual with the ambition to grow, develop and help shape the next chapter of public health leadership in NHS Highland.

If you are looking for a role that combines professional challenge, meaningful impact and exceptional opportunities for development, we would love to hear from you.

Join us and help create a future where people across Highland and Argyll & Bute can live longer, healthier and happier lives.

Medical applicants should be on the Specialist Register of the GMC for Public Health Medicine. Applicants from a background other than medicine should be on the UKPHR or, if in a specialist training programme, be within 6 months of obtaining this at time of interview.

If you are interested in finding out more about the role, please get in touch to arrange an informal conversation with Jennifer Davies, Director of Public Health at Jennifer.Davies5@nhs.scot.

Interviews will be held on: 10/11/2026

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

• You should apply for this post by completing the application process on Jobtrain.
• Please ensure the address on your application form reflects your current place of residence for your present workplace and can be verified through your identification documents.
• Applications are welcome from Gaelic speakers. / Tha fàilte air tagraidhean bho luchd‑labhairt na Gàidhlig.
• DO NOT upload a CV as this will not be used for short listing purposes
• Posts close at midnight on the indicated date
• For help to complete an application on Job Train please follow this link: Apply via the company portal
• To view our accessibility statement, please follow this link: Apply via the company portal
• Please note that our correspondence method is by e-mail, therefore please ensure you enter your email address accurately
• Please check your e-mail regularly (including junk folders) and also your Jobtrain account for updates
• Please contact Jobtrain Candidate Support Hub - Apply via the company portal for advice and support with any system issues
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• Once you have submitted your application form you will be unable to make any amendments
• Some of our vacancies are for internal candidates only. If you are a member of staff, please ensure you update your Jobtrain profile to reflect that you are employed by NHS Highland

NHS Highland is geographically the largest of the 14 regional boards of NHS Scotland, covering an area of 12,500 square miles, across Highland and Argyll & Bute.

We employ over 10,700 people, making us one of the biggest employers in the area. As an organisation, we make a very significant contribution to the local economy.

Our staff are also important members of our communities. Our greatest asset is our workforce, and the way we go about our work comes from the values and behaviours we demonstrate on a daily basis. As a board we strive to ensure the environment is conducive to nurturing a positive culture, supported and delivered through our NHS and social care values.

Care and compassion
Dignity and respect
Openness, honesty and responsibility
Quality and teamwork