Principal Officer - Food Safety (Job Share)

Environmental Health at Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories, where passionate and expert professionals go above and beyond for their colleagues every day. The Role: As a Principal Officer with our Public Protection and Licensing Directorate you can make your own powerful contribution to Westminster’s success. Joining a busy food team which operates in a borough with one of the highest numbers of cafés, restaurants and other food-based businesses in the country, you’ll be a reliable and expert source of knowledge, supervising and mentoring less experienced staff on case-related activities, enforcement techniques, policies and procedures.

Supporting the team Leader in the efficient operation of the work we do, and leading the development and delivery of staff training and quality monitoring systems for our teams on the ground, we’ll expect you to initiate and implement improvements which support the continuous development of our service. You’ll build and maintain positive partnerships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders, and provide expert advice on the legislation, regulations and guidance that affect our work. Monitoring, analysing and managing budgets, funding and resources in accordance with council policies and procedures, you’ll also make an important contribution to our ongoing efforts to receive and deliver great value for money.

We’ll also expect you to ensure legal, regulatory, policy and procedural compliance, identify opportunities and risks, and escalate any issues that occur. Our aim is to ensure that everyone who lives, works and plays in Westminster enjoys a clean, safe and quiet environment, and with this in mind you’ll work as a key member of a visible and inclusive workforce that identifies with our diverse communities and models positive values and behaviours.

About You: With well-developed experience of working in the environmental health area and of responding to complex, high profile complaints from the public and other stakeholders, you’ll have an excellent awareness of reputational risk management, and be capable of using your knowledge to make effective and appropriate decisions. Skilled at developing policies, procedures and working practices, and building productive working relationships with a wide range of agencies and professionals, you should also have experience of providing officers with up-to-date training, knowledge and skills so they can deliver a superior service.

It’s vital that you have the skills to implement and oversee quality and assurance processes, and be committed to setting high standards, developing your colleagues’ capabilities and encouraging them to be productive and accountable for their decisions. Capable of designing, developing and managing projects to improve service delivery and deliver efficiencies, we’ll also expect you to be a superb communicator and influencer, both in writing and in person.

When it comes to qualifications, we’d prefer you to have a Degree or Diploma in Environmental Health or a similar subject, or equivalent hands-on experience. You should also meet the Food Standards Agency competency framework contained within the Food Law Code of Practice Guidance and be registered with the Environmental Health Officers Registration Board/CIEH register. We’re an agile team, so sometimes you’ll be expected to work outside normal hours as you attend meetings, undertake inspections or speak to residents.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role. The Council is committed to achieving diverse shortlists to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce. We especially encourage applications from a Global Majority (GM), people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or have been racialised as 'ethnic minorities' background and, while the role is open to all applicants, we will utilise the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to appoint a candidate from a global majority background where there is a choice between two candidates of equal merit. If you are from a Global Majority background you can self-declare this to the hiring manager as part of our positive action commitments.

What We Offer: Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.