Environmental Health Officer

Belfast City Council; Belfast; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Belfast is seeking Environmental Health Officers for the Port Health Unit. The roles involve enforcement, investigative, educational, and advisory duties concerning imported food safety. Candidates should possess excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a team while managing their own workload. The positions require flexible work hours including nights and weekends, with competitive salary and shift allowances. Applications from under-represented groups are particularly encouraged.

Qualifications

• Must have strong communication skills for effective interactions.
• Experience in enforcement and investigative duties preferred.
• Ability to manage workloads and priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Carry out enforcement and investigative duties related to food safety.
• Ensure safety of imported food and maintain public health standards.
• Work flexible hours including nights and weekends as needed.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to work effectively in a team

Prioritization and workload management

Job description

Environmental Health Officer (five posts)

(Five full-time, fixed term contract posts until 31 March 2027 subject to review, which may be extended subject to funding arrangement.)

£45,091 - £48,226 per annum per annum plus 20% shift allowance and weekend enhancement (approximately £60,490 - £64,695 inclusive per annum), where appropriate.

Belfast City Council is seeking to recruit Environmental Health Officers to our Port Health Unit to carry out a combination of enforcement, investigative, educational and advisory duties.

The immediate vacancies are within the Port Health Unit. As a member of this team, you will play a leading role in imported food control by ensuring that foods coming into Northern Ireland are safe and do not present a risk to public health, while at the same time helping NI’s supply chains to operate smoothly.

You must have excellent communication skills, be able to work effectively as part of a team and to prioritise and manage your own workload.

These posts are based at the recently opened Product Inspection facility at Belfast Port (located at 21 Dargan Drive).

Due to the nature of the posts and the port operating 24/7, you will be required to work a period of dayshifts followed by a period of nightshifts. These include some weekends as part of the regular shift working pattern. While shift working is essential, our shift pattern affords 14 non-working days (including 2 weekends off) during every 4-week period.

As young people (people under the age of 35), people with a disability and people from minority ethnic communities are currently under-represented in Belfast City Council across all job groups, applications from these groups would be particularly welcome.

In addition, where there is further under representation, details will be highlighted on the jobs website, in the more information section for this vacancy.

Closing date: Before 12 midnight on Monday, 2 February 2026

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