Environmental Health Practitioner

Milton Keynes City Council; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Milton Keynes seeks a Food Inspector to join their Environmental Health Team. You'll deliver food hygiene inspections, manage diverse interventions, and support public health initiatives. Ideal candidates will have a relevant degree and the ability to navigate complex situations. This full-time role includes extensive benefits and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus public holidays

Excellent pension scheme

Enhanced family-friendly policies

Employee benefits programme

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Discount offers via Blue Light Card

Qualifications

• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle required.
• Experience in food safety inspections preferred.
• Availability to work in varied environmental health disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Deliver food hygiene interventions and inspect food businesses.
• Manage caseload of proactive and reactive service requests.
• Undertake enforcement actions to ensure compliance.
• Contribute to environmental health projects.

Skills

Building customer relationships

Assessing complex situations

Resolving complex issues

Calmness under pressure

Education

Degree/Master’s/Diploma in Environmental Health

Higher Certificate in Food Control

Health and safety qualification

Job description

We have a brilliant opportunity for a practitioner to join as a key member of our busy Environmental Health Team. If successful, you'll be an authorised food inspector delivering our food safety official controls programme.

You’ll play a vital role in safeguarding public health and helping local businesses thrive. You'll carry out a wide range of duties primarily undertaking food and health and safety interventions, investigating reports of communicable disease, and undertaking complaint and accident investigations. There may be some requirement to work across other environmental health disciplines.

You will have the ability to provide guidance on and investigate a range of food safety and health and safety matters. The successful candidate will participate in many high-profile and complex projects, working collaboratively to support team members across the environmental health service.

This is a full-time post; however, consideration will be given to part-time applicants who can work at the end of the week, including Fridays.

If accepted for a graduate role, you'll be expected to learn quickly on the job. Support to achieve fully qualified and professional status and meet Food Standards Agency competence criteria will be provided as part of your career progression. Your starting salary will depend on your qualifications and prior experience.

So, if you’re looking for an excellent benefits package and the chance to make a difference, make a move to Milton Keynes City Council.

This is a site-based role.

Interviews for this role will be held on 15 September.

Milton Keynes City Council is a modern and friendly place to work. Find out more about working with us here: www.mkcounciljobs.org.uk

Main Responsibilities

1. Deliver food hygiene interventions, including inspecting the full range of food businesses.
2. Manage your own varied caseload of both proactive interventions and reactive food and health and safety service requests.
3. Undertake enforcement actions where appropriate to bring businesses back into compliance, including issuing legal notices, prosecuting offences, preparing legal files, and presenting evidence in court.
4. Participate in a range of related projects.
5. Contribute to other environmental health roles, including providing Primary Authority guidance to our partners.

The Ideal Candidate

• Degree/Master’s/Diploma in Environmental Health or Higher Certificate in Food Control and health and safety qualification.
• Ability to build customer relationships.
• Knowledge and experience in assessing complex situations and carrying out inspections.
• Ability to remain calm and confident when dealing with challenging customers and environments.
• Ability to resolve complex issues.

For this role, the candidate is required to have a full UK driving licence, along with access to a vehicle. Evidence of the driving licence and vehicle insurance with business coverage will be required from the candidate should they be offered this position. Without this documentation, the candidate will not be appointable.

Package Description

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days of annual leave every year, on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. There is also a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to buy up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family-friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption, and paternity support, and a childcare subsidy.
• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme, as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme – low-cost leasing of electric and low emission vehicles.
• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for additional discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Why join us? Along with more on our benefits, discover why working at the City Council could be the right move for you here: Working at the Council | Milton Keynes

Our roles are either designated ‘site-based’ or ‘home-based’. ‘Site-based’ roles can include up to two days a week working from home, whilst ‘home-based’ roles are based at home four days a week. Managers will designate the category based on service needs and circumstances.

About The Organisation

Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern, and financially stable employer with around 2,500 employees across our eight areas. We provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of essential services and aim to make our city a better place to live.

We work hard to meet demands like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding, and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.

We’re proud of our diversity and committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful, and collaborative.

We offer great training and support, and due to our organizational size and scale, there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.

If you’d like to learn more about us and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet "What makes us Milton Keynes City Council".