Senior Trading Standards Officer (Food)

Shared Services Partnership; Winchester; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits Package

Job summary

Hampshire County Council is seeking an experienced and qualified Senior Food Officer to lead the food standards function within the Food, Feed and Animal Health remit. The post requires strategic direction, regulatory expertise and robust risk-based delivery in a hybrid Winchester setting.

You will manage officers, support apprentices, and provide expert legislative advice and inspections while coordinating with external agencies to shape service delivery priorities.

Qualifications

• Relevant Food Standards qualification essential.
• Experience in food law enforcement.
• Experience in regulatory service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction and operational oversight of the food standards function.
• Lead and develop the Trading Standards team, including apprentices.
• Represent the authority in food standards matters and influence delivery priorities.

Skills

Sound judgement

Problem solving

Regulatory service delivery

Education

Food Standards qualification

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Senior Trading Standards Officer (Food)

Job Reference: HCC625254
Salary Range: £41,985 - £46,565 per annum
Work Location: Bar End Road, Winchester (Hybrid Working)
Hours per week: 37
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing Date: 8 November 2026
Interview Date: 19 November 2026

Lead Food Safety. Protect Communities. Shape Standards.

Hampshire Trading Standards Service is seeking an experienced and qualified Senior Food Officer to lead our Food delivery, within the Food, Feed and Animal Health Function.

The Role:

As the authority's Lead Food Officer, you will provide strategic direction and operational oversight of the food standards function, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, risk-based regulatory service. A relevant Food Standards qualification is essential for this role, along with experience in food law enforcement and regulatory service delivery.

Hampshire Trading Standards is responsible for enforcing over 290 pieces of legislation, helping to create a safe, fair and equitable trading environment while providing trusted advice and support to residents and businesses across Hampshire.

What you’ll do:

You will have direct line management responsibility for officers within the team, including supporting the development of Trading Standards apprentices and promoting continuous professional development across the service.

While the primary focus of the role is food standards, experience of, or willingness to develop knowledge within, feed and animal health functions would be advantageous.The role requires sound judgement, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities within an intelligence-led enforcement environment.

What we’re looking for:

We are looking for a motivated and organised person with a proven track record of delivering high-quality food standards work. You will be confident in providing expert legislative advice, undertaking inspections, making enforcement decisions, and representing the authority in relation to food standards matters.

As the service is intelligence-led, there may be a requirement to support other aspects of Trading Standards work. You must be able to deal with a range of complex challenges, applying sound judgement, strong problem-solving skills and a practical approach to delivering effective outcomes. You will be responsible for reporting operational activity and outcomes to external agencies and work with them to continually evolve delivery priorities and approaches.

With relevant qualifications and experience in food regulation and enforcement, you will be well equipped to undertake this challenging and rewarding role. You will be organised, resilient and flexible, with the ability to work out of hours occasionally when required. Above all, you will be confident in dealing professionally with members of the public, businesses, food establishments and partner agencies, including in sensitive and challenging situations.

This is an opportunity to play a leading role in protecting consumers, supporting legitimate businesses and delivering an effective food standards service across Hampshire. Working within a highly respected Trading Standards Service, you will have the opportunity to influence service delivery, develop staff, and contribute to a modern, intelligence-led regulatory environment.

To find out more about what we can offer you in return, please see our Benefits Package.

We currently offer a flexible hybrid working model, combining county-wide visits, home working and regular attendance at our Winchester office. If you would like more flexibility at work to help with the balance of life but still value contact with a supportive team who are committed to providing structured, face-to-face mentoring, shadowing and learning opportunities then this is the role for you.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.

In order to combat discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied which could have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies.

We are a Disability Confident Employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.