Food Safety Specialist

ZipRecruiter; England; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority is seeking an Environmental Health Officer to enhance public safety by enforcing food hygiene and health regulations. This vital role includes conducting inspections, investigating outbreaks, and preparing legal cases. Qualified candidates with the relevant experience are encouraged to apply immediately for a contract position with potential for extension.

Qualifications

• Competency in food hygiene, food standards, and health and safety enforcement.
• Experience in complex investigations and legal case preparation.
• Ability to work independently and manage workload effectively.

Responsibilities

• Conduct inspections of food premises based on risk category.
• Investigate infectious diseases and enforce health regulations.
• Provide advice to stakeholders and maintain records.

Skills

Food hygiene

Health and safety enforcement

Investigations

Legal case preparation

Education

BSc in Environmental Health or equivalent

Job description

Job Description

Environmental Health Officer / Public Protection Food Safety Practitioner

Location: London Local Authority

Contract: 6 months (potential for extension)

Pay Rate: £324.00 per day (Umbrella)

Overview

To safeguard public health by enforcing food hygiene, food standards, infectious disease control, and health and safety regulations across commercial premises.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct inspections of high-risk (A and B category), low-risk, and approved food premises in line with the Food Standards Agency Code of Practice and the new Food Standards Delivery Model (FSDM).
• Investigate notifiable infectious diseases and food poisoning outbreaks, participating in outbreak control teams as required.
• Enforce health and safety regulations in commercial settings.
• Provide clear, accurate advice to businesses, members of the public, senior managers, councillors, and external professionals.
• Undertake enforcement actions, including serving notices, issuing penalties, seizing goods, closures, and preparing legal cases for prosecution.
• Lead investigations, including conducting PACE interviews, collecting evidence, and presenting at court or tribunal as required.
• Maintain high standards of record-keeping, data protection, and evidence integrity.
• Supervise junior, agency, or temporary staff when required.
• Use IT systems to support service delivery and performance monitoring.

Essential Requirements

• BSc in Environmental Health (or equivalent) and EHRB registration.
• Proven competency and up-to-date knowledge in food hygiene, food standards, and health and safety enforcement.
• Experience in complex investigations, including food poisoning outbreaks and infectious disease control.
• Ability to manage high-risk premises, prepare legal cases, and lead enforcement actions.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant legislation, enforcement processes, and statutory requirements.
• Ability to work independently, manage workload effectively, and contribute to team targets.
• Flexibility to work across locations and outside standard hours when necessary.

How to Apply

If you have the required qualifications and experience and are ready to take on this vital role protecting public health, please submit your CV without delay. Immediate starts are available, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.