Environmental Health Officer Private Sector Housing and Environmental Health

West Suffolk Council; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Bury St Edmunds seeks a Senior Officer in Private Sector Housing to manage caseloads, enforce housing standards, and support the team. Ideal candidates will demonstrate strong communication skills and the ability to tackle issues holistically. The role offers various employee benefits and a collaborative work environment.

Benefits

Holiday entitlement of 25 days (increases to 29 after 5 years)

Generous pension scheme with 26% council contribution

Life assurance equivalent to three times annual salary

Flexible working options

Access to employee benefits package including discounts

Rail and bus staff discounts

Qualifications

• Experience in complaint investigation and enforcement.
• Ability to manage a varied caseload.
• Capacity to travel throughout the West Suffolk area.

Responsibilities

• Manage a varied caseload in Private Sector Housing.
• Lead on specific areas of work and support the team.
• Investigate complaints and enforce legislation.

Skills

Excellent administration skills

Strong communication skills

IT skills

Attention to detail

Negotiation and persuasion

Job description

About the role:

We are looking for an enthusiastic, confident, and innovative individual with drive and determination to join our dedicated team.

Working within the Private Sector Housing team you will be expected to manage your own varied caseload, investigating, and enforcing a range of legislation to ensure housing meets minimum standards across the Private Rented Sector, including HMO’s and caravan sites.

As a senior officer you would be expected to lead on an area of work and provide support to the wider team and partners. We are looking for an experienced officer to carry out the full range of duties including: complaint investigation, enforcement, negotiation and persuasion, licensing enforcement and inspection.

What you will need:

You will have excellent administration, communication and IT skills, with an attention to detail and ability to tackle issues holistically.

Site visits are required in a large rural area and so the suitable candidate will have the ability to travel throughout the West Suffolk area.

This is an exciting time to be joining West Suffolk Council which has gained a reputation for being ambitious and forward-thinking. The Renters Rights Act, Safe Suffolk Renters (East and West Suffolk working collaboratively), closer working relationships with Health and our community teams all present new opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents. The successful applicant will have to demonstrate a record for working at pace, embracing change and delivering against objectives.

Please refer to the job description and person specification for full details of this exciting opportunity.

Why work for us? Our benefits include:

• Holiday entitlement of 25 days, increasing to 29 days after 5 years (pro rata if part time) plus bank holidays (with an option to buy up to 10 extra days each year subject to approval)
• Generous pension scheme – contribute between 5.5% and 6.8% (depending on your salary) and the council will contribute 26%
• Life assurance – a payment of three times your annual salary
• Essential car user allowance of £846 - £1,239 per annum (depending on engine size)
• flexible working options to enable work/life balance
• agile working - ability to work in the office and from home
• access to a unique employee benefits package which includes discounts and cashback on supermarkets, high street shops, holidays, mobile phones, electrical goods, savings and loan schemes and many other products and services
• Salary sacrifice benefits including Cycle to Work scheme, Tusker Leased Car Scheme and SmartTech (buy the latest tech products interest free and repay through your monthly salary)
• Rail and bus staff discounts
• A range of Health and Wellbeing initiatives including an employee assistance programme
• Discounted membership at Abbeycroft Leisure centres
• A culture of learning inspiring staff to focus on continuous learning
• Modern office accommodation

For more information

For an informal discussion about this role and further information, please contact Emma Forsberg (Private Sector Housing and Environmental Health Manager) on 01638 719388 or email [e-mail]

Closing date: 21 September 2025

Interview date: 30 September 2025

West Suffolk Council has been rated in the top 10 councils for climate action and as a member of UK100 has demonstrated its commitment to a rapid transition to Net Zero with Clean Air in our communities. The council has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and is committed to working towards net zero emissions by 2030.