Food & Safety Officer

Are you committed to safeguarding public health, promoting safe working environments, and ensuring businesses operate to the highest standards? We are seeking a dedicated Food & Saftey Officer to join our dynamic team.

Duties for the role include:

• Undertaking Interventions: Conducting inspections, investigations, and assessments across Swale, and Maidstone. 
• Offering Guidance: Providing clear, actionable advice to businesses to help them meet regulatory requirements and taking decisive actions.
• Collaborating on Projects: Partnering with local authorities and organisations to drive initiatives, tackle public health challenges, and achieve robust corporate and service outcomes.
• Handling Complaints and Incidents: Investigating public health and safety complaints.
• Supporting Business Continuity: Stepping in across departments when needed, especially during business disruptions, to ensure critical functions of the Council continue without compromise.
• Enhancing Service Delivery: Actively contributing to the continuous improvement of service standards within the Food & Safety Team, implementing best practice strategies as directed by your Team Leader.
• Maintaining Professional Development: Ensuring you stay at the cutting edge of environmental health through ongoing training and development, while fully upholding the Council’s Equal Opportunity Policy and personal responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• Emergency Planning Participation: Engaging in local emergency control operations and training exercises across Maidstone, Swale, and Tunbridge Wells Borough Councils.

We are seeking a proactive professional who possesses:

• Expertise & Experience: Demonstrable experience in environmental health with a focus on food hygiene, health and safety at work, and infectious disease control. Experience with inspection programmes and regulatory compliance is essential.
• Excellent Communication Skills: The ability to provide clear advice and guidance, while effectively managing sensitive issues relating to non-compliance and public health concerns.
• Interpersonal and Collaborative Skills: A team player ready to engage with diverse stakeholders, partner organisations, and cross-functional teams, especially during critical incidents and emergency planning exercises.
• Analytical & Organisational Abilities: A keen eye for detail with strong record-keeping and documentation skills, ensuring all inspections and interventions meet rigorous service protocols.
• Commitment to Professional Growth: A dedication to continuous learning, improvement, and the application of best practices in delivering superior public health outcomes.

This job is subject to a satisfactory basic DBS check with the Disclosure Barring Service. 

In return we offer you:

• 24 Days Annual Leave, plus bank holidays. Increasing to 27 days with 5 years' continuous service
• Membership to Local Government Pension Scheme with 19.7% employer contribution
• Career development and training opportunities
• Access to eye care vouchers and VDU Glasses
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Access to EAP Services 24/7
• This role is based at our Sittingbourne, with the opportunity to work on a hybrid basis. 

If you would like to have an informal chat about this role, please contact Annmarie Goodwin on 01622 602878 or at annmarie.goodwin@midkent.gov.uk

Closing date: 21 April 2025 

Interview date: 6 May 2025