Job number
LBC05077
Contract Type
Fixed Term / Secondment
Posting End Date
22 June 2026
Job Area
Public Health
Salary: £50,269 - £53,460 a year pro rata plus £3,203 car benefit allowance
Hours per week: 30
Contract type: Fixed Term/Secondment
We are seeking an experienced and passionate Best Start in Life Implementation Lead to provide strategic leadership for the local Best Start in Life (BSiL) programme, ensuring children have the strongest foundations for learning, health and development from pregnancy to age five. Working across education, health, early years and family support services, you will lead the delivery of an integrated and inclusive Best Start in Life and Family Hub offer that improves outcomes and reduces inequalities for children and families.
You will lead the development and implementation of the local Best Start in Life delivery plan, using data, evidence and lived experience to shape priorities, monitor progress and drive improvement in early learning, health and school readiness outcomes. The role will involve leading multi-agency partnerships, supporting high-quality and inclusive early years provision, strengthening engagement with families and ensuring effective governance, reporting and use of resources. You will also represent the organisation in regional and national early years and family hub networks.
This position is available as a secondment opportunity for 3 years. If you are a permanent LBC employee, you must have written approval (an email will suffice) from your manager prior to applying and a copy will need to be submitted with your application. Please note: we will not be able to proceed with your application form without your manager’s permission.
Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.
You will be an experienced strategic leader with a strong track record of delivering multi-agency programmes and improving outcomes for children and families across early years, education, health or family services. You will have excellent partnership-building, communication and programme management skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels and work effectively across organisations.
You will bring strong analytical skills and experience of using data and evidence to inform strategy, planning and service improvement. A thorough understanding of early childhood development, inclusive practice, health inequalities and the importance of the first years of life is essential, alongside a commitment to safeguarding and improving outcomes for babies and young children.
Applicants should hold a degree-level qualification in a relevant field or equivalent experience and be able to travel across the town and attend occasional evening meetings.
Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.
The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough
Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare all unspent cautions and convictions; and also any adult cautions (simple or conditional), and spent convictions that are not protected as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020). A person’s criminal record will not in itself prevent a person from being appointed to this post. Applicants will not be refused posts because of offences which are not relevant to, and do not place them at or make them a risk in, the role for which they are applying. However in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such offence, as detailed above, will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority.
We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:
- From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
- Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
- Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
- Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 19.2 per cent (at April 2026) and 3x salary death in service grant
- Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
- Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
- Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
- Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
- Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
- Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
- Friday Funday Socials - One Friday every 2 months where we encourage our staff to get together to socialise after work
