Environmental Health Officer/ Food and Safety Officer

Lewisham Council; London; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Join the Lewisham Council as an Environmental Health Officer within the Food and Safety Team. You will undertake a variety of regulatory tasks including food hygiene inspections and health enforcement, playing a vital role in enhancing community standards. With competitive salary and excellent professional development opportunities, this role is ideal for motivated individuals looking to make a real difference.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Local Government Pension scheme

Flexible working

Staff discounts including gym memberships

Qualifications

• Experience in food inspections and health and safety enforcement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential.
• Full driving licence required.

Responsibilities

• Carry out food hygiene and standards inspections.
• Manage health and safety enforcement and complaint investigations.
• Responsible for a designated district's food safety.

Skills

Excellent written communication

Excellent verbal communication

Attention to detail

Customer care

Organisational skills

Time management

Self-motivation

Education

Degree in Environmental Health or equivalent

Higher Certificate in Food Control

Job description

Job Description

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK's first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

Introduction

Opportunities have now arisen to join the Food and Safety Team at Lewisham as the Environmental Health Service expands. Lewisham is a thriving and diverse London borough, with major redevelopment and regeneration taking place. The Food and Safety Team needs experienced, enthusiastic and highly motivated Environmental Health Officers/Food and Safety Officers to deliver our service to the local community.

What's the role?

We are seeking officers for roles involving a wide range of regulatory functions, balancing proportionate risk-based enforcement interventions with providing advice and support to our local businesses. You will be carrying out food hygiene and food standards inspections, reactive and proactive health and safety enforcement, infectious disease controls, complaint investigations, sampling, special treatments premises inspections and project work. You will have your own district to take responsibility for and with the support of your colleagues, have the opportunity to use the full range of your professional skills and knowledge to improve standards.

What's in it for you?

Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

What we're looking for

You must be experienced in carrying out official food controls, health and safety inspections, investigations, the preparation and service of statutory notices and prosecutions. You must have excellent written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail and a commitment to providing good customer care. We particularly welcome applications from candidates with extensive health and safety enforcement and event safety experience.

We are currently working flexibly from home and the office in a hybrid work pattern, so you will need to be self-motivated and be able to work well independently. Excellent organisational and time management skills are essential. A full driving licence is required.

If you are driven and enjoy a varied and challenging workload, we would love to hear from you.

Location

The job is primarily based in Catford, but we operate a hybrid approach where you will be required to work both in the office and from home on a regular basis.

Special conditions

• Candidates for the appointments are required to have a degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Health and meet the competency requirements of the Food Law Code of Practice. Candidates with the Higher Certificate in Food Control who meet the competency requirements of the Food Law Code of Practice will be considered.

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don't accept CV's.

Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Siobhán Mangan - Food and Safety Team Manager on 020 8314 3102 or email [e-mail]

Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification

Salary

£53, 634 - £55, 710 per annum (PO5)

N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email [e-mail] and an advisor will be in touch with you.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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