Environmental Health Officer/Environmental Protection Officer

We are seeking an experienced Environmental Health Officer/Environmental Protection Officer primarily responsible for investigating environmental protection complaints relating to a range of topics including noise, bonfires, artificial light and odour. They will be joining a high performing team helping residents of South Oxfordshire/Vale of White Horse to resolve nuisance issues across the districts.

We are taking advantage of technology such as totally paperless mobile and digital ways of working including the use of tablets for inspections and enforcement visits.

You will be enthusiastic, dedicated, have a strong customer service ethos and be driven to achieve targets. You’ll also need to be able to work independently and have robust self-discipline with good time management skills as this role offers a significant amount of freedom in how you deliver your workload due to our annualised hours scheme, remote working policies and use of digital inspection tools.

As well as one of the most flexible working environments in local government we ensure that everyone in the team has opportunities to develop their career and professional skills and meet any CPD needs.

The officer will support the Senior Environmental Health Officer in the overall delivery of environmental protection work.

Position: Environmental Health Officer/Environmental Protection Officer

Location: Milton Park, Abingdon

Job Type: Full Time, Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: Grade 6 - £35,077 - £39,983 per annum (Pending grading review).

Benefits: A basic 24 day’s annual leave per annum, rising to 29 days after five years of local government service. You also have all the bank holidays to look forward to and time off between Christmas and New Year. Flexible working and annualised hours; pension scheme; Cycle scheme; Various schemes to keep you healthy.

Responsibilities:

• Investigating Environmental Protection complaints relating to noise, bonfires, artificial light, odour etc.  Duties range from initial contact with complainants, through to investigation and on to service of notices and enforcement action where necessary in accordance with Environmental Protection Act 1990.
• carrying out regulatory inspections of animal welfare establishments, LAPPC installations and mobile home parks checking their compliance with their licence conditions.
• carrying out regulatory works around contaminated land and private water supplies (as appropriate)
• respond to consultations sent to the team relating to planning applications and premises licence applications.
• keep up to date with current legislation, regulations, guidance and technical developments.  
• promote good working relationships with partners such as the Environment Agency, Thames Valley Police, other local authorities and internal departments.
• Carry out formal PACE interviews, prepare prosecution case files for approval by line manager and where appropriate attend court to give evidence.
• represent the council at meetings with internal and external partners.
• carry out other general environmental protection duties or other reasonable duties as requested by the line manager
• participation in the council’s environmental health out of hour’s noise service (Service operates Thursday-Saturday 19:00-02:00).

About you:

• ability to progress work in a timely manner
• demonstrate ability to make and implement decisions
• proven team working skills
• analytical and problem-solving skills
• political awareness and the ability to escalate issues to senior managers to enable them to inform elected members
• able to participate in the council’s environmental health out of hour’s service.
• competent user of Microsoft Office, e.g. Word, Excel, Powerpoint

Your essential qualifications

• Degree in Environmental Health or an equivalent qualification
• full driving licence and regular access to a vehicle

Your essential skills, knowledge and experience

• at least two years’ experience of investigating nuisance complaints and other environmental protection work
• experience of carrying out regulatory inspections of animal welfare establishments, LAPPC installations and mobile home sites checking their compliance with their licence conditions.
• experience of liaising with partner organisations
• experience of report writing and undertaking enforcement action

If you have the following experience or qualifications – it’s a bonus

• at least two years’ experience of working in contaminated land, local air quality and/or private water supply regulation.
• membership of professional body such as CIEH, IOA
• CIEH Certificate in Air Quality Management
• IOA Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control