Food & Safety Officer

Huntingdonshire District Council; Huntingdon; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexitime

Job summary

Huntingdonshire District Council is recruiting an enthusiastic Food & Safety Officer to join the Environmental Health team on a fixed-term basis until 31 March 2028. You will handle food hygiene and health and safety work, carrying your own caseload and supporting officers.

You will have a Higher Certificate in Food Control and seek to develop as a Food Safety Practitioner, interpreting legislation to advise businesses and the public.

Qualifications

• Higher Certificate in Food Control or equivalent is required.
• Willing to develop through practical local authority experience.
• Able to interpret legislation and guidance to resolve issues.

Responsibilities

• Manage food hygiene and health and safety caseloads.
• Work with EHO officers to deliver high standards.
• Provide guidance to businesses and the public.
• Ensure compliance with statutory obligations.

Skills

Communication

Customer service

Teamwork

Education

Higher Certificate in Food Control

Job description

Hours 37 hours weekly - Fixed term until 31 March 2028

Location Huntingdon

Contract Type Fixed term full time

Closing Date 10 November 2026 09:00

Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) is passionate about providing high-quality services to our communities, residents and businesses. This means we must employ and retain the most talented and dedicated people.

Situated within the heart of the Cambridge-Peterborough Growth Area, Huntingdonshire is a beautiful district that boasts thriving market towns and many attractive villages, each with its own identity. We are an innovative and forward-thinking local authority whose residents are at the heart of our decision-making.

At HDC we want to employ staff who embody our icare values (Inspiring, Collaborative, Accountable, Respectful, Enterprising), all of which support our ultimate purpose of putting our customers first.

As local government continues to evolve, Huntingdonshire District Council is preparing for an exciting period of change through Local Government Reorganisation . While organisational structures may change in the coming years, our commitment to delivering excellent services for our communities remains unchanged.

Joining HDC now gives you a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact today whilst helping to shape the future of local government across our area. We are looking for people who are motivated by public service, embrace innovation, and want to play a part in building the organisation of tomorrow.

Job details

We have an exciting opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our Environmental Health team as a Food & Safety Officer on a fixed term basis until the end of March 2028.

About the role

You will have a key role in a small highly motivated and competent environmental health team. The team covers a wide range of work areas, and you’ll be responsible for work within the areas of food hygiene and health and safety, carrying your own caseload as well as supporting the Environmental Health Officers.

We aim to make the district a safe place to work, live and visit by delivering good quality, high value-for-money services with good control and compliance with statutory obligations and we need you to help us achieve those goals.

About you

You will hold a Higher Certificate in Food Control (or equivalent) and be keen to build on your academic learning in a practical, supportive local authority environment. Motivated and enthusiastic, you will be looking to further develop your skills and knowledge while gaining valuable experience across a wide range of food safety and health and safety interventions.

Working alongside experienced officers, you will have the opportunity to gain the practical experience required to qualify as a Food Safety Practitioner (CIEH), while developing your competencies in line with the Food Standards Agency Competency Standard.

A willingness to learn, develop your skills and apply your learning will be key in this role. You will need to be an excellent communicator and you will confidently deal with a wide range of customers including businesses, members of the public and partner agencies and be able to interpret legislation and guidance to resolve complaints and/or provide guidance to customers.

With strong organisational skills you will prioritise your own workload and ensure deadlines are met and a high level of customer service is always provided.

A DBS check is required on appointment.

An offer of employment is conditional upon having the right to work in the UK. HDC does not hold a Sponsorship Licence and is unable to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) or take over sponsorship for any role.

Working for the council

As an employer who values diversity of thought, we seek to employ candidates from a range of backgrounds in order to make our organisation more innovative. We are seeking candidates who are looking for their next career opportunity and are supportive employers, enabling our staff to work in an environment that produces high standards of work in an employee-led environment.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our recruitment and along with our values we are committed to creating an inclusive working environment, where diversity is valued and there is equality of opportunity. We therefore welcome applications from all sections of the community.

• We offer a range of benefits, including flexitime, to encourage a work-life balance.