Licensing Officer

Wirral Council is a place where you can genuinely make a difference, guided by strong organisational values that shape everything we do. Our values - ambitious, professional, resident‑focused and accountable, act as our organisational DNA, influencing how we work, lead and support one another every day. We take pride in delivering great services, acting with integrity, building positive relationships, and always putting residents first, creating a supportive and inclusive culture where everyone can “be the best we can be”. With our beautiful surroundings, ambitious future plans, and a commitment to empowering staff to #BeTheDifference, Wirral Council offers an inspiring environment to grow your career and make a lasting impact.

Are you someone who takes pride in getting things right the first time? Do you enjoy working in a busy environment where accuracy, organisation and teamwork really matter?

About the Role: We are looking for a dedicated and motivated Licensing Officer to join our Licensing Team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys solving problems, working with people, and making a real contribution to the delivery of an important public service. Licensing sits at the heart of a wide range of activities that affect residents, businesses and visitors every day. From taxis and private hire vehicles to licensed premises, gambling, street trading and community events. The work of the Licensing Team helps ensure businesses operate lawfully, safely and responsibly.

As a Licensing Officer, you will play a key role in processing applications, scrutinising supporting documentation, maintaining accurate records and providing advice and guidance to applicants, businesses and members of the public. The role requires the ability to work confidently with legislation, procedures and detailed information, ensuring applications are processed accurately and within statutory timescales. This is a varied and rewarding position, where no two days are the same. You will be part of a supportive team, but you'll also be expected to manage your own workload, prioritise effectively and take ownership of your work. We're looking for someone who is willing to learn, keen to develop their knowledge, and ready to get involved in all aspects of the service.

About the Candidate: We are looking for someone who has excellent attention to detail and takes a thorough and methodical approach to work. They must be able to review and scrutinise documents accurately and identify when information is missing or does not meet requirements. You must enjoy working in a team, sharing knowledge and supporting colleagues to deliver excellent outcomes. You will need to be highly organised, with the ability to effectively manage competing priorities, work to deadlines, and ensure tasks are completed in a timely manner. The right candidate must have strong communication skills and can provide clear, professional advice to a wide range of customers. You must be confident using IT systems and Microsoft Office applications and be able to demonstrate initiative, a positive attitude and a willingness to learn new legislation, processes and procedures. You will be expected to take responsibility for delivering high-quality work, even when working under pressure.

Why join us? In return, you'll have the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge in a highly respected regulatory service, working alongside experienced colleagues who are committed to supporting your development. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys continuous learning, values public service, and wants to build a career in a professional regulatory environment. If you are motivated by high standards, enjoy working with detailed information and want to be part of a team that delivers an essential service to the community, we'd love to hear from you.

For more information about the role, please email helenmaddocks@wirral.gov.uk or richardleyland@wirral.gov.uk. Interviews to be held week commencing 14th September 2026.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. For this vacancy, candidates must have an existing right to work in the UK before commencing employment. Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is not available for this post. Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process.

If you are a Wirral resident, are unemployed or out of work, and require help with your application, please contact Involve Northwest’s employment and skills team on info@involvenorthwest.org.uk or contact 0151 644 4500 or 0151 652 4349.

If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, as part of our Talent Strategy, we’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience.

Working at Wirral: You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start: Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave. We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people. We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, enrolment into the local government pension scheme (an excellent defined benefit scheme), immediate life cover and ill-health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family-friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays.

We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities. Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success. We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us. We want you to be your best at work, we create the conditions to help you thrive and we mirror this in our recruitment process.

Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies. It is Council policy not to re-appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances. Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date. We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications. Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed. All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page. The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now. We do not accept applications or CV’s from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.

How to apply: Please apply online by clicking the link below.