Port Health Team Leader

Port Health Team Leader

£50,716 - £57,387 per annum + 7% shift allowance and £6,951 car allowance (DDC grade E)

Come and join us in White Cliffs Country on the glorious Kent Coast! 

This is your opportunity to work within a seaside location bursting with heritage, with several towns and villages within easy reach of the coast and excellent transportation links to London and across the continent via High-Speed trains or Cross Channel ferries.  

Dover District Council has an exciting agenda to deliver first class public services, putting our residents at the heart of everything we do. From building new, affordable homes to exciting regeneration schemes. A career with Dover District Council offers you the opportunity to excel.   

As an employer, Dover District Council is proud to provide a supportive, friendly, diverse and flexible working environment in which our employees can thrive. We have a team of enthusiastic employees, delivery services they are passionate about. 

Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) is the statutory Port Heath Authority for imported food, infectious diseases and public health controls at the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel.  We protect and secure the border through the critical delivery of national biosecurity, food safety, infectious disease, and public health controls. 

And you could play a key role in helping us to continue to shape this expanded operation!     

The role and responsibilities 

We are looking for an experienced Team Leader who will manage and develop a team of multidisciplinary Port Heath colleagues to deliver control checks. Reporting into the Port Health Manager and working alongside other team leaders, veterinarians and partner organisations including Border Force you will be responsible for ensuring the service is effective and efficient.  

Your key responsibilities will be working with your team to deliver bio-security checks at the borders, ensuring operational performance meets or exceeds key performance indicators and that the service meets the organisational requirements for quality management, customer service, health and safety and legal/regulatory requirements.  

In addition, you will oversee database and administrative checks including the operation of Information Management Systems (such as the use of PHILIS and IPAFFS) and produce reports to guide the service provision. Along with the usual people management skills required to manage a shift-based team, strong IT skills are essential.  

This role will work a 2-week rolling shift pattern including Saturday mornings and bank holidays. 

Who We Are Looking For 

We are looking for candidates with experience of working in Environmental Health or Port Health with a demonstrable level of technical knowledge and management experience. 

Knowledge of food safety, health and safety, port health and law and enforcement functions are essential along with previous shift working experience. 

You should have a BSc or MSc degree in Environmental Health or equivalent degree approved by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) with the relevant certificate of registration, or a Batchelor of Science or Master of Science degree in Veterinary Medicine and be a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS). 

Along with strong IT skills, experience of IPAFSS and PHILIS would be an advantage. 

What Can We Offer? 

We can provide a friendly and supportive environment for you to excel in. We also offer several employee benefits, such as: 

• Relocation assistance  Benenden Healthcare Membership and Employee Assistance Program 

• Opt-in Local government pension scheme with the opportunity for staff to make advanced, voluntary contributions (AVCs) to top up their pension 
• Generous annual leave provision 
• Discount scheme including reduced membership rates at the local leisure centre 
• On-site parking 
• Cycle2Work scheme  

• Generous Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme  

Due to the nature of this role, the successful applicant will be required to undertake a DBS check as part of their pre-employment clearances.  

What Next? 

If you would like a further discussion about the post then please contact the Port Health team via email at porthealthrecruitment@dover.gov.uk