Trading Standards Officer

Job Introduction

About Us

Oxfordshire County Council is an ambitious and forward-thinking employer. It is proud to offer a strong flexible working culture including the flexibility on working hours and the use of technology to support agile working. 

Good regulation, appropriately monitored and enforced, helps to make Oxfordshire a greener, fairer and healthier county – directly supporting several of the Council’s priorities.

Whether food or feed is accurately described and is traceable through the food chain, whether you are being provided with the correct weight or measurement of something, or if a consumer product is safe to use, cannot be assessed by an individual consumer. Ensuring compliance with animal health and welfare laws, traceability of livestock and assisting in the prevention of diseases is vital to the food chain and our rural communities. 

 All of these require a process of inspection, examination, testing and market surveillance. In this respect, we are all vulnerable consumers. The Trading Standards Service acts to help ensure that we can all be confident consumers, and livestock is protected from harm and unfair practices.

About the Role

Are you looking for a career in Trading Standards and enjoy working with farmed animals? Oxfordshire Trading Standards are looking for an Enforcement Officer, Animal Health & Farming Standards to work in our Food and Farming Standards Team.

The role involves inspecting and enforcing legislation at business premises, including on farm, at livestock market and abattoir in relation to animal disease control, welfare and feed used and grown on farm.  This may be routine inspections, dealing with complaints, advising farmers, dealing with outbreaks of disease or investigating offences. 

The role also works with the wider Trading Standards to support the other functions of the Service, such as food, product safety, underage sales, illegal tobacco.

Don’t meet the criteria for a Trading Standards officer? If you have some of the skills, we will consider you for a trainee Trading Standards officer instead, provide the training for you and then you can progress. If appointed as a trainee, the successful candidate will be required to complete the CTSI Animal Health and Welfare Professional Qualification as a priority before undertaking the other qualification aspects of the role. The salary for this is £28,163 to £30,060.

Do you already have the qualifications to enforce 2 or more legislative areas of Trading Standards work and extensive experience, including lead auditor or equivalent? We will consider you for a Principal Trading Standards officer post. The salary for this job is £44,711 to £47,754.

The job descriptions for these can be found attached to this advert. 

Please demonstrate how you meet the shortlisting criteria and the criteria in the job description in your application and if you would prefer to be considered for a trainee or Principal role.

About you

The ideal candidate should be able to communicate assertively with both members of the public, other agencies and businesses, some of which may be in confrontational circumstances. 

You should be able to work alone and use your own initiative, but also as part of a team and flexible in your approach.  You should have an eye for detail and have good record keeping and written communication skills, but also be able to understand and interpret potentially complex legislation. The candidate will also be willing to give evidence in court.

You must be comfortable with working around farm animals, in different environments some of which may be uncomfortable.  If you have relevant experience or qualification, this ideal, but not essential, however, you must be willing to complete formal qualifications.

Rewards and benefits

The council offer some of the best learning and development opportunities to support you and your ongoing development. We offer a generous holiday allowance which rises as you remain in employment as well as giving you the option to buy additional holiday. You will also have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme; a range of local and national retail discounts; and a host of enhanced family friendly policies.

Our commitment to:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:
Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:
Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:
Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, full time and part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any technical issues with the application system, please contact us at: careers@oxfordshire.gov.uk