Trading Standards Officer – WMF1317e

Westmorland and Furness Council

Salary: £42,403 - £43,421

The advertised salary includes a supplement (JWC) to the base grade of the post. JWC supplements are conditional on the physical demands and /or working conditions of the role.

Hours: 37 hours per week

Location(s): Barrow, Kendal or Penrith however flexible and/or home working is available

Contract: Permanent

About this opportunity

Would you like to be part of a dedicated and hard-working Trading Standards team, and contribute to making Westmorland and Furness the best place to live, work and thrive?

We are seeking an experienced and dedicated Trading Standards Officer to join our small but busy Trading Standards team within Public Protection, part of the Thriving Communities Directorate.

This role will involve:

• Investigating consumer complaints.
• Responding to requests for advice from local businesses.
• Conducting risked based programmed and reactive inspections, sampling and testing across all trading standards disciplines.
• Acting as a subject lead and maintaining a high level of knowledge in your specialist fields, guiding other officers, and keeping up to date with legislative changes, as well as monitoring developments, opportunities, and threats in the field.
• Delivering intelligence-led projects.

The right candidate will have:

• Diploma in Trading Standards, or Diploma in Consumer Affairs including Animal Health module, DCATS with 60 points (to include food and metrology) or Trading Standards Practitioner Diploma (Food Standards unit as desirable) or equivalent professional qualification.
• At least 3 years’ experience in Trading Standards and/or Animal Health, and evidence of continuous professional development.
• Proven experience and competence to undertake and lead complex investigations into criminal offences or unfair trading practices.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to a variety of different audiences.
• Ability to plan and prioritise workloads.

For further details and an informal discussion about the role please contact Catherine Hornby, Trading Standards Manager on 07966 111881 or e mail catherine.hornby@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk

What can we offer you!

• Excellent training and development offers
• Flexible working opportunities
• Opportunity to join the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Boost your pension with Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributions (facilitated by AVC Wise)
• Various perks and discounts schemes, including money off your phone contract and local gyms
• Competitive rates of pay
• A 12-month digital trial (from 1 June 2024) of a new scheme that allows free workplace car parking for employees in all Westmorland and Furness Council owned car parks between Monday to Friday.

DBS

This role requires a basic DBS check.

Application and Interview information

Closing date: 22 September 2024

Interview date: To be confirmed

We are currently operating both in-person and virtual interviews. Options will be discussed with candidates once they have been invited to the interview stage of the process for this specific position, and if you have any concerns or adjustments are needed, we are happy to discuss.

If you are invited to a virtual interview, this will preferably be undertaken using the Microsoft Teams software, which is currently free for new users, however if there are any issues with accessing this technology, we are happy to discuss alternative arrangements prior to the interviews.

Safer Recruitment

At Westmorland and Furness Council we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and expects all employees, volunteers, and the Externally Provided Workforce (EPWs) to share this commitment.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and work to promote an inclusive, supportive culture that values and celebrates our differences.

As a Disability Confident Employer, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.

Please read the Supporting Information:

Post Specification

Role Profile