At Cambridgeshire Trading Standards we play an important role in protecting consumers, upholding public safety and ensuring legal compliance, fairness and a level playing field within our local economy. We enforce over 100 pieces of legislation, covering numerous sectors, meaning no two days are ever the same.

This is an excellent opportunity for experienced Trading Standards professionals seeking a varied role with significant autonomy, exposure to a wide range of subject areas and the chance to develop additional specialisms within a supportive team environment.

We are a highly skilled team of 10 operational officers delivering Trading Standards services across the county including Food and Feed Standards, Animal Health and welfare, Product Safety, Fair Trading, Licensing (petrol and explosives), Safety at Sports Grounds and Metrology. Officers typically work across two or more specialist areas while also supporting wider service priorities, providing variety and opportunities for professional development. Our officers are mutually supportive of one another, sharing knowledge and skills readily.

We are seeking two experienced Officers to join our team, totalling 1.4FTE, being flexible with regards to how the hours are split between the posts (i.e. full time and part-time applications welcome)(please indicate your preferred hours in your application). The team you’ll be joining is incredibly hard working and knowledgeable, with a positive work ethic, demonstrating great flexibility, tenacity and support for one another. It has a proven track record of both working closely with business to support compliance and taking swift and effective enforcement action where appropriate to stop illegal and unsafe activity.

Hybrid working is the norm, with a mix of working from home, working out in the field, and office-based working.

Please read the Job Description and Person Specification carefully before applying. These roles require relevant qualifications and professional experience, as successful candidates will be expected to manage their own caseload and investigations.

If you think this might be the job for you but would like an informal chat before applying, please email peter.gell@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, Head of Service for the team, or Catherine Pawson, Principal Trading Standards Officer at catherineM.pawson@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Interviews will take place 11th – 13th November and will be in person at New Shire Hall in Alconbury.

What will you be doing?

You will manage your own caseload across at least two Trading Standards subject areas, using your professional knowledge and experience to deliver positive outcomes for consumers, businesses and local communities. Depending on your areas of expertise, this may include investigations, providing business advice and taking enforcement action where necessary.

The specific focus of your work will reflect the skills and experience you bring to the team. This could include leading investigations in areas such as Fair Trading or Product Safety, delivering statutory inspection programmes for Food Standards, Feed, Animal Health, Petrol Licensing, or Regulated Sports Grounds. You may also be asked to support Safety Advisory Group meetings depending on experience.

You will be trusted to work autonomously while also benefiting from the support of a knowledgeable and collaborative team. Officers are encouraged to share expertise, contribute to wider service priorities and develop their skills across multiple areas of Trading Standards activity.

For posts of more than 0.6 FTE, you will also participate in the team’s Duty rota, responding to complaints and enquiries across a broad range of Trading Standards subjects. In addition, you will have opportunities to support wider service initiatives and projects, including activities such as underage sales operations, fireworks inspections and other proactive enforcement work.

About you

You will have experience of conducting inspections and investigations, gathering and evaluating evidence, preparing prosecution files and presenting evidence in court. You will be confident in using a range of regulatory and enforcement tools, alongside advice and support, to secure business compliance and protect consumers.

People skills are as important as technical knowledge. You will be confident in dealing with a wide range of businesses and individuals, including those who are challenging or confrontational, as well as senior representatives of larger organisations. Equally, you will be able to build trust and confidence with businesses seeking to comply with the law, providing clear, practical advice and support where appropriate.

Working with partners is fundamental to successful Trading Standards delivery, and you will have experience of building positive and productive relationships with colleagues, regulators, enforcement agencies and other external partners.

You will have strong attention to detail and be meticulous in your record keeping. With an inquisitive and analytical approach, you will be able to identify key issues, ask probing questions and pursue lines of enquiry effectively. You will also be capable of making rational, evidence-based decisions, even when working under pressure.

Our benefits

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage…

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes

Take a look at our Employment Benefits Brochure attached to this advert to find out more.