Senior Environmental Health Officer

When you join Hackney Council, you will experience a truly innovative working environment in which our people have the scope to make a tangible impact on the wellbeing of our residents and the success of local businesses. We are determined to create and maintain an exceptional place in which to live and work, and as such, we embrace a forward-thinking approach to the services that we deliver, and the measures we put in place to handle every eventuality.

Our Environmental Health team is central to this challenge. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need to be both proactive and flexible in the way we handle infectious diseases, and as such, we have created a brand-new role that will be vital to the way we limit the future spread of this disease, plus other infections. 

As a key member of the team, you will help us work collaboratively with Public Health colleagues to control infectious disease transmission risks, and minimise – and ideally erase – local outbreaks. Central to this challenge will be the need to educate the public and businesses on transmission risks and relevant legislation, offering advice and guidance in order to improve local standards.

Specifically, you will be tasked with contact tracing and visiting local businesses to educate and to enact control measures. There may also be a requirement to undertake door step interviews at residential homes.  If you receive concerns about businesses and individuals not complying with the relevant rules and legislation, you will conduct investigations, draw up insightful reports on your findings and work with law enforcement to clamp down on high-risk situations. Working flexibly to respond to fast-changing situations such as spikes and clusters in infections, emerging variations and new diseases, you will bring a can-do approach to all that you do.

To make the most of this immensely important role, you will have a background as an Environmental Health Officer in an infectious diseases, public health or environmental health organisation, with an Environmental Health Registration Board approved academic qualification. It is possible (though is not essential) that you will have experience in providing a COVID-19 response, and you will have the ability to prepare reports and statements for legal proceedings.

This is a great opportunity to make your mark on a progressive council. You will therefore thrive in our team if you are a self-starter who is capable of managing your own diary and assigning tasks to colleagues. As such, you will need to be meticulously organised, with the capacity to conduct investigations, interpret intelligence, perform trend analyses and use knowledge to make effective decisions. With the capacity to be both influential and assertive, you will be highly resilient with exceptional communication skills.

At Hackney, we have shaped an exceptional benefits package that is highly competitive. With the flexibility to find a great work/life balance, we can be accommodating with the hours that you are working, and we will provide you with 27 days of annual leave (plus bank holidays). You can also ‘purchase’ up to 10 days of additional annual leave, and you will find a range of health and wellbeing initiatives such as subsidised gym and pool memberships, staff-only exercise classes, cycle schemes (including discounted bikes and cycling lessons) and a range of other rewards and savings – meaning that your salary will go that much further. You will also benefit from an on-call allowance (one in every 4 weeks), plus you will have access to an excellent Local Government Pension Scheme. So join us in this career-defining opportunity, and explore a truly interesting role.

Hackney is one of the UK’s highest performing local authorities, serving one of London’s best places to live and work. We have achieved a huge amount: our services, our schools, our public spaces are all amongst the very best. We have changed the reputation, not just of the Council, but of Hackney itself. Bringing jobs and investment into the borough, securing the legacy from the 2012 Games, and making this a place of which we can all be proud.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

When applying, it is essential that you include a supporting statement, addressing how your skills, knowledge and experience meet all aspects of the post, as indicated in the job description and person specification.

The recruitment process is anonymous. Please ensure that you do not include your name on any of your supporting documents or on the file attachments.

Closing date for applications: 11 April 2021

Interview date: W/c 26 April 2021 (Remote interviews)

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and maternity, age and marital status. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available hackneyworksjobs@hackney.gov.uk