Senior Scientific Officer

About Barnet Council

Barnet is a borough with much to be proud of. Our excellent schools, vibrant town centres, vast green spaces, and diverse communities all help make it a wonderful place to live and work. As a council we want to build on these strengths as we move into the future. We are growing and developing as an organisation to meet the challenges facing our borough and we are committed to working with partner organisations and residents to make Barnet even better. As an organisation, our staff are committed to Our Values (Caring, Learning to Improve, Inclusive, Collaborate).

About The Directorate

The Assurance and Public Protection directorate ensures democratic accountability of council services. The directorate works together to monitor and ensure compliance and provide assurance of Barnet being an engaged and effective council that protects the public purse. They provide enforcement services that engage and protect residents and businesses to support a safer and healthier borough. In the Assurance and Public Protection directorate, we are committed to the work we do and the difference we make to residents and customers of Barnet every single day.

Are you passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives? At Barnet Council, we’re looking for a dedicated professional to help us keep residents, businesses, and visitors safe. This is your chance to work at the heart of public health and compliance, ensuring high standards and supporting local businesses to meet their legal duties.

What you’ll do:

• Carry out inspections and use statutory powers to protect public health
• Provide expert advice and assistance to businesses and residents
• Help the Council meet its statutory obligations while delivering exceptional service

What we’re looking for:

• Degree in Environmental Science or Pollution Control
• Strong knowledge of relevant laws, codes of practice, and guidance
• Ability to record data accurately using specialist systems
• Adaptable, flexible, and ready to take on new challenges

Why join us?

You’ll be part of a forward-thinking team committed to safeguarding our community and supporting sustainable development. This is more than a job—it’s an opportunity to make Barnet a safer, healthier place for everyone.

What We Offer:

• 31 days annual leave, plus public and bank holidays
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, which provides a valuable guaranteed income in your retirement together with security for your dependents
• Work-life balance options may include hybrid working, flexitime, job share, home working, part-time
• A vast range of lifestyle discounts from major retailers, supermarkets, energy suppliers and more
• Broad range of payroll benefits including cycle to work, eye care vouchers, travel and gym membership
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Employee well-being training programs including confidential employee assistance

Barnet Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Barnet operates stringent safer recruitment procedures, this may include AI Detection Screening, Biometric ID/Right to Work Checks, Qualification and Registration Checks, Up to 6 years of Employment Data and Insights to Accelerate Screening (Konfir), Up to 5 years of Employment History References, DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) Checks, Credit Checks and Social Media, Sanctions and Occupational Health Screening.

To deliver Barnet Council’s commitment to equality of opportunity in the provision of services, all staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in the services the Council delivers. As such we value diversity and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Barnet Council embraces all forms of flexible working (including part-time, compressed hours, and hybrid working) and is committed to offering employees a healthy work-life balance. Candidates are encouraged to talk about relevant requirements and preferences at interview. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want, but we do promise not to judge you for asking.

Barnet Council is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process.

We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply. All posts with the council are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the council satisfaction your suitability for the position in which you will be employed. Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close vacancies before the stated closing date if sufficient number of applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.