Job title: Technical Officer (Food Safety)

Salary: C3 £33,119 - £34,811

Hours: 37 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Seacroft, Leeds, with opportunities for hybrid working

Start your career protecting public health in Leeds

Help us ensure food businesses across Leeds continue to provide safe food and high standards for everyone who lives, works and visits our city.

Leeds City Council is recruiting four Technical Officers (Food Safety) to join our Environmental Health Team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone at the beginning of their regulatory or environmental health career who is passionate about protecting public health and supporting local businesses.

You will undertake inspections and interventions at lower-risk food businesses across Leeds, helping food businesses comply with food hygiene legislation and ensuring residents and visitors can have confidence in the food they eat.

About Leeds City Council

Leeds is one of the UK's largest and most diverse cities, home to over 800,000 residents and a thriving food and hospitality sector. From independent cafés and restaurants to large-scale food manufacturers, the city offers a varied and exciting environment in which to develop your career.

As one of the largest employers in the region, we seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About the Role

As a Technical Officer within our Food Safety Team, you will play an important role in protecting public health and supporting food businesses to achieve compliance.

Your work will include:

Undertaking inspections and interventions at lower-risk food businesses
Providing advice and guidance on food hygiene and food safety legislation
Investigating complaints relating to food businesses
Conducting follow-up visits and monitoring compliance
Maintaining accurate records and reports

This role offers an excellent introduction to local authority regulatory work, with opportunities to gain experience and develop your professional skills within a supportive team environment.

About You

We are looking for someone who:

Has an interest in food safety and regulatory services
Can communicate effectively with a wide range of people
Has good organisational and time management skills
Can work independently while contributing positively to a team
Has sound judgement and problem-solving abilities
Is motivated to learn and develop professionally

We are particularly interested to hear from people with a background in food safety, the catering industry or transferable skills in regulatory or auditing work. Full training will be provided by our team of experienced environmental health officers. There is also the potential to undertake a professional qualification in food safety.

Career Development

This role provides an excellent pathway into Environmental Health and regulatory services.

We are committed to supporting your professional development through:

Structured induction and training
Mentoring from experienced Environmental Health professionals
Opportunities to gain additional competencies and qualifications

What We Offer

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
Car user allowance
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

Join Us

If you are looking for a role where you can develop a rewarding career, protect public health and make a positive impact on communities across Leeds, we would love to hear from you.

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Clare Mulholland or Ella Murray – Food & Health Team. Call 0 0113 37 85900 or e mail food.safety@leeds.gov.uk

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose: To work as part of a team delivering environmental health functions e.g food safety, environmental protection, health & safety etc. The post holder will be expected to show significant independence and work largely under their own initiative, only seeking guidance and support for more complex issues.

Responsibilities

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

To carry out a range of environmental health functions within a team of staff e.g. inspections, licence or approval visits, complaint investigations, sampling or monitoring activities etc.

To generate, follow-up action including letters, correspondence, statutory notices and follow up visits. For more complex issues, guidance will be provided by senior officers to enable the post holder to complete specific tasks or work activities.
To participate in co-ordinated activities such as locality based environmental projects and initiatives, targeted enforcement activities, health promotion campaigns etc.
To ensure that relevant databases and information systems are kept updated and reflect current work activities.
To contribute to work and service development activities and programmes by contributing specialist knowledge and experience.
To liaise with a range of key partners and stakeholders e.g. other services, Elected Members, service users etc
To attend Courts, Tribunals or other formal legal proceedings to give evidence as a witness.
To attend various forums and meetings e.g. Area Committees, community meetings, Scrutiny Boards etc. to provide reports as required and take on board stakeholder views and concerns.
To ensure that the highest standards of customer service are provided and that customers are kept promptly and fully informed
To contribute to the development of the service and adopt a ‘One Council’ approach
To demonstrate the Council’s Values through behaviour and approach.
To undertake any other duties commensurate to the grade, as required.

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Ability to contribute to service developments relevant to the post.
Ability to monitor performance effectively and achieve personal objectives and outcomes.
Experience of working within a service area relevant to the post.
Ability to understand and implement regulations, policy, and legislation.
Ability to prepare accurate information / statistics for case files / activity reports.
Ability to prepare letters and e-mails for communication with customers.
Ability to investigate and assess the most appropriate course of action to resolve issues and prevent reoccurrences.
Ability to put the corporate vision and values into practice.
Ability to plan, manage and evaluate projects and workloads.
Ability to implement systems and processes which deliver service excellence and agreed service outcomes.
An ability to work on own initiative, embracing change and new ways of working.
Understanding of the local government context.
Understanding of the role of Elected members within the council and the community.
Good communication skills, both verbal and written
Experience of presenting information on your work.
Ability to resolve potential conflict and to gain co-operation and trust.
Ability to make an effective contribution to internal/external working groups and meetings, as required.
Excellent interpersonal abilities, showing due regard for colleagues and customers alike.
An ability to work independently and within a team, contributing to team goals through good personal performance.
Ability to develop productive working relationships that command respect, trust and confidence.
Experience of working effectively with others to deliver projects and work streams.
Ability to manage competing priorities and adapting to changing circumstances and priorities.
Good understanding of the diverse needs of customers and of involving them effectively in identifying areas for service improvement.
A commitment to the public service ethos, with a genuine interest in serving the public.
Recognition and acceptance of the importance of the customer perspective in determining how services are best delivered
Good understanding of and commitment to equality issues in both employment and service delivery
Understanding of responsibilities in terms of health and safety.
An ability and commitment to work in a safe manner, regarding self and others.
Ability to use I.T. systems e.g. case management systems/ databases and e-mail.

Essential behavioural and other characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council values and behaviours and codes of conduct
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities, and a resilient sustainable city
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures
Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality and diversity of Leeds City Council
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters

Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

Experience of reporting to and working effectively with a range of colleagues and partners
Experience of problem solving, individually and in a group setting
Professional or technical qualification relevant to the work of the post
Ability to prepare case files for formal enforcement action
Experience in preparing case files for formal enforcement action