Public Health Practitioner Graduate Trainee

Job Introduction

The starting salary for this role is £36,873 per annum, working 36 hours per week. 

We are excited to offer a new opportunity to join Surrey’s Public Health team as a Public Health Practitioner Graduate Trainee, part of the South East School of Public Health 31‑month development programme. The programme has a mandatory start date of 7th September 2026 and will end on 8^th April 2029.

At Surrey, we are committed to developing the next generation of Public Health professionals and building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. This is a fixed-term training role designed for people at the start of their Public Health career who are motivated to grow into registered Public Health Practitioners.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension 
• Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year 
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing 
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About The Role

This is a development-focused opportunity where your learning is prioritised from the outset. You will build the skills and experience required to achieve UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) Practitioner registration while contributing to real, meaningful public health projects aligned to Surrey’s priorities and efforts to address health inequalities. Alongside this, you will develop confidence in public health practice, collaborative working and reflective learning.

The programme runs for 31 months, starting on 7^th September 2026, and is designed to provide structured and supportive development throughout. This includes a weekly protected study day, regular reflective supervision within the Public Health team, and access to a dedicated mentor from the South East School of Public Health, as well as structured support to help you develop your portfolio and progress your career.

During the programme, you may work across a range of topic areas, such as tackling health inequalities, health protection, healthy weight and food systems, creating a smokefree generation, improving oral health, and supporting mental wellbeing.

What you’ll gain

• A fully supported graduate training programme
• Experience working on real public health priorities
• Protected time for learning and development
• A clear route to professional registration
• The chance to make a real difference to communities in Surrey
• You’ll join a supportive, friendly and forward-thinking team where your ideas are valued and you are encouraged to develop.
• We also offer flexible and hybrid working approach to support a healthy work-life balance.

Webinar

We are hosting a webinar on Microsoft Teams to provide further information about this role on Friday 5th June from 16:00 - 16:45. You can join using this link or otherwise the details are as follows:

• Meeting ID: 323 335 171 964 162 
• Passcode: B99ZN6Jx 

We look forward to answering some of your questions.

Your application

We are looking for people with potential, curiosity and a passion for Public Health — not extensive experience. You do not need prior NHS or local authority experience, but you do need to align with our behaviours.

You will:

• Have a degree or postgraduate qualification in Public Health or a related subject (e.g. health sciences, social sciences, geography, anthropology)
• Be new to the Public Health workforce
• Be motivated to complete the UKPHR Practitioner programme
• Care about fairness, inclusion and improving communities
• Be willing to learn, reflect and work with others

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

1. What has motivated you to apply for this Public Health Practitioner Trainee role? Please include a specific experience (work, study or personal) that influenced your decision. 
2. Describe a situation where you contributed to improving health or wellbeing (e.g. project, job, volunteering). What was your role, what did you do, and what was the outcome? 
3. Give an example of when you used data or information to understand a problem or make a decision. What did you do and what did you learn? 
4. Describe something that didn’t go as planned in your work or studies. What happened and what did you learn from it? 

Our commitment to inclusion

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds, especially those underrepresented in the public health workforce.

We aim to:

• Keep requirements simple and relevant
• Use clear, jargon-free language
• Focus on potential and transferable skills
• Offer reasonable adjustments throughout
• We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience or strong community insight.

Changes from April 2027 (Local Government Reorganisation)
From April 2027, Surrey will move to a new local government structure. Public Health functions are expected to transfer from Surrey County Council into new unitary authorities covering East Surrey and West Surrey.

This means the role may move into one of these new organisations, depending on where functions are allocated. While the core purpose of the trainee programme and UKPHR development pathway will remain the same, you may experience changes in team structure, leadership, and local priorities as services and people transition Support will be provided throughout to ensure continuity of your training, learning and professional development.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 14/06/2026 with interviews planned to follow, likely in person at Woodhatch Place, Reigate.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact the team via email at public.health@surreycc.gov.uk. 

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) 

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities. 

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council 

Our Commitment 

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview. 

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.