Principal Officer (Food)

Hull City Council; United Kingdom; Presencial; GBP 32.000 - 52.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Hull City Council is seeking a highly experienced Principal Officer to lead the Food Safety Team. You will provide day-to-day leadership and professional guidance, ensuring high standards of regulatory work while managing workloads and developing staff.

You will oversee inspections, investigations and enforcement across a broad range of food safety matters, advise businesses on compliance, support export certification, and collaborate with partner agencies to protect public health.

Formación

• Higher Certificate in Food Control awarded by the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB) or CIEH.
• MSc, BSc (Hons), Degree or Diploma in Environmental Health.
• Significant experience in a food safety regulatory environment.
• Experience of investigating and enforcing legislation across a broad range of food safety matters.
• Experience of preparing prosecution or formal enforcement files and presenting evidence.
• Experience of providing clear and practical advice to businesses and members of the public.
• Strong partnership-working skills and experience with local, regional or national agencies.
• Experience supervising, coaching, mentoring or supporting apprentices, trainees or less experienced officers.

Responsabilidades

• Managing, supporting and providing professional guidance to Food Safety Officers.
• Conducting food hygiene inspections and investigations.
• Investigating food-related complaints, incidents and outbreaks of infectious disease.
• Advising businesses on legal requirements and supporting them to achieve and maintain compliance.
• Supporting food export certification and related regulatory functions.
• Planning and delivering food sampling programmes.
• Gathering, assessing and presenting evidence.
• Preparing prosecution and other enforcement case files.
• Representing the authority in court and other legal proceedings.
• Working collaboratively with local, regional and national partner agencies.

Conocimientos

Leadership

Food safety inspections

Investigation & enforcement

Team coaching

Stakeholder communication

Educación

Higher Certificate in Food Control

Environmental Health degree or diploma (MSc/BSc/Hons/Diploma)

Descripción del empleo

Number of Vacancies: 1

Time Type: Part time

Worker Type: Regular

Proposed Interview Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026

Hours of Work: 27

Hiring Manager: David Sayers

Contact Number: 01482 414949

Job Description Summary

This is a part time, permanent position.

We are seeking a highly motivated and suitably qualified person to join our Food Safety Team.

This is an excellent opportunity to take on a leadership role within a supportive and professional service, protecting public health, supporting responsible businesses and helping to develop the next generation of Environmental Health and Food Safety professionals.

About the role

As a Principal Officer, you will provide day-to-day leadership and professional support to a small team of Food Safety Officers. You will be their principal point of contact, providing guidance, oversight and support while helping them to manage their workloads and deliver consistently high standards of regulatory work.

Alongside your leadership responsibilities, you will undertake a varied range of enforcement, advisory and investigative work across the full spectrum of food safety functions.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing, supporting and providing professional guidance to Food Safety Officers
• Conducting food hygiene and food safety inspections and investigations
• Investigating food-related complaints, incidents and outbreaks of infectious disease
• Advising businesses on legal requirements and supporting them to achieve and maintain compliance
• Supporting food export certification and related regulatory functions
• Planning and delivering food sampling programmes
• Gathering, assessing and presenting evidence
• Preparing prosecution and other formal enforcement case files
• Representing the authority in court and other legal proceedings
• Working collaboratively with local, regional and national partner agencies.

You will also play an important role in supporting the professional development of colleagues. This will include coaching and mentoring apprentices, trainee officers and less experienced staff, helping them to develop their technical knowledge, professional competence and enforcement skills.

The successful candidate must hold:

• A Higher Certificate in Food Control awarded by the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB) or CIEH
• An MSc, BSc (Hons), Degree or Diploma in Environmental Health

You will have:

• Significant experience of working within a food safety regulatory environment
• Experience of investigating and enforcing legislation across a broad range of food safety matters
• Experience of preparing prosecution or formal enforcement files and presenting evidence
• Experience of providing clear and practical advice to businesses and members of the public
• Strong partnership-working skills and experience of working with local, regional or national agencies
• Experience of supervising, coaching, mentoring or supporting apprentices, trainees or less experienced officers.

We are looking for someone who:

• Demonstrates sound professional judgement, integrity and accountability
• Has excellent investigative, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Communicates confidently and professionally with businesses, members of the public, legal professionals and partner agencies
• Is organised, self-motivated and able to manage competing priorities
• Can provide effective leadership and support to colleagues
• Is committed to developing others and promoting high professional standards
• Takes a fair, proportionate and evidence-based approach to regulation and enforcement.

ROLE AND PURPOSE

To ensure that the statutory duties for which the postholder is responsible are carried out effectively so that the Council complies with its legal obligations. These duties are primarily but not exclusively involve enforcement of food safety legislation in accordance with the Food Law Code of Practice (England) and the control of infectious disease under direction from the "Proper Officer" (UK Health Security Agency).

To act as a member of the Food and Health and Safety management team and contribute to the delivery of the Service Area Business Plan; with specific responsibility for the actions of staff within the Food Safety Team. This requires implementing corporate policies and procedures, being conversant with national policies and initiatives, developing team work plans and operational procedures, as well as managing staff performance.

To develop an annual work plan with respect to food safety, identify priorities, set targets and monitor performance to ensure that programmes of work are delivered for the relevant lead bodies including the Food Standards Agency. Ensure that suitable planning takes place to ensure adherence to targets on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis in order for the authority to meet its tar