Vacancies

Trading Standards Officer

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

About the role

West Northamptonshire Trading Standards Service (TSS) are seeking a talented and qualified Trading Standards Authorised Officer for this post.

The TSS is a well-regarded, statutory service, strategically placed within the council with a key role of protecting local consumers and legitimate businesses, we are committed to developing services in response to community needs.

We are dedicated to the ongoing professional development of our team and will provide you with a comprehensive induction and CPD programme and regular professional supervision.

Our Trading Standards Service covers the geographical area to the south and west of Northamptonshire. Our office base is at the Guildhall in central Northampton and we encourage a balance of face to face and remote working. You will be provided with a laptop, phone and technology to support a flexible approach.

For informal discussion, please contact Andy Langford Principal Trading Standards Officer on 07734 495914 or Nick Lenton, Senior Trading Standards Officer on 07734 495915

What will you be doing?

You will be joining a team of Trading Standards Officers who are passionate about providing a safe and fair trading environment in West Northamptonshire.

You will be responsible for the enforcement of the full range of Trading Standards legislation, including:

Responding to complaints and enquiries
Undertaking proactive work
Sampling of goods and services
Inspecting businesses
Investigating alleged offences

About you

You will need to be a fully qualified and experienced Trading Standards Officer holding either the Diploma in Trading Standards (DTS),Certificate of Competence or Foundation Certificate in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards (FCATS) or Diploma in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards (DCATS) or Higher Diploma in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards (HDCATS with or including the food Standards Service Delivery Module.

Evidence of continuing professional development and have a demonstrable expert knowledge in Food Standards is essential.

This is a varied and interesting role where you will deal with consumers, businesses, and other enforcement agencies in a wide variety of situations.

Our benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
Cycle to Work scheme.
Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
Car Lease scheme
Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
Ongoing training and development opportunities.
A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

About us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential.  We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.