Senior Trading Standards Officer

Number of Vacancies

1

Time Type

Full time

Worker Type

Regular

Proposed Interview Date

Friday, September 25, 2026

Hours of Work

37

Hiring Manager

Geoffrey Riley

Contact Number

01482 615425

Job Description Summary

This is a Full Time, Permanent Position. (up to £48,226 market supplement)

Recognising the workforce demand these posts are enhanced with a market rate pay supplement in excess of the top of the substantive grade. An annual review will take place which could reduce, increase or remove the enhancement subject to market conditions.

Make a Difference. Protect Consumers. Support Business. Shape the Future.

Are you an experienced Trading Standards professional looking for your next challenge?

We are seeking a highly motivated and qualified Trading Standards Officer to join our dynamic team as a Senior Trading Standards Officer. This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in protecting consumers, supporting legitimate businesses, and helping to develop the next generation of Trading Standards professionals.

As a Senior Trading Standards Officer, you will lead and undertake a wide range of enforcement, advisory, and investigative activities across the full spectrum of Trading Standards functions.

About the Role
You will be based in the Business Support team. Whilst primarily responsible for enforcing food and feed standards legislation you will also be required to deliver high-quality regulatory enforcement in product safety, counterfeit goods fair trading and consumer protection, business advice and regulatory compliance and weights and measures enforcement.

You will investigate criminal offences, prepare case files, gather and present evidence, conduct inspections, execute warrants where appropriate, and represent the authority in court proceedings.

In addition to operational duties, you will play a key role in supporting and developing colleagues, including mentoring colleagues and supporting apprentices, helping them to achieve professional qualifications and develop their enforcement skills.

What We’re Looking For
The successful candidate will hold:

• The Diploma in Consumer Protection and Trading Standards (or equivalent recognised qualification)
• The Weights and Measures Qualification Section 73, enabling the holder to exercise powers under Weights and Measures legislation
• Authorisation and competency to undertake enforcement activities across Trading Standards functions
• A full UK driving licence and access to transport suitable for business use.

Essential Experience
You will have:

• Significant experience working within a Trading Standards Service
• Proven experience investigating and enforcing legislation relating to all aspects of trading standards work
• Experience preparing prosecution files and presenting evidence
• Strong partnership-working skills with local, regional, and national agencies
• Experience providing advice and guidance to businesses and consumers
• Experience supervising, coaching, mentoring, or supporting apprentices and trainees.

Personal Attributes
We are looking for someone who:

• Demonstrates sound professional judgement and integrity
• Has excellent investigative and analytical skills
• Can communicate confidently with businesses, consumers, legal professionals, and partner agencies
• Is organised, self-motivated, and capable of managing competing priorities
• Is passionate about developing others and promoting professional standards within the service.

What We Offer

• A varied and rewarding role protecting the public and supporting fair markets
• Opportunities to lead complex investigations and projects
• Ongoing professional development and training
• Flexible working arrangements
• A supportive and collaborative team environment
• The opportunity to mentor and shape future Trading Standards professionals.

If you are a qualified and experienced Trading Standards professional who is ready to take the next step in your career, we would love to hear from you.

Apply today and help make a real difference to consumers, businesses, and communities.

ROLE AND PURPOSE

To supervise and participate in the work of the Trading Standards team, organising and supervising specialist professional officers in discharging the City Council’s statutory functions in relation to weights and measures, product safety, counterfeiting, food and feed standards, tobacco control, animal health, explosives enforcement, scams, doorstep crime, property law and fair trading (which fall within local authority control for enforcement). The work will involve taking a lead role in the inspection and regulation of trade premises, responding to service requests and tackling unfair practices and the sale of unsafe goods through targeted interventions.

To take a lead role in an area of specialist subject areas covered by the team, for example, product safety, motor trade compliance, intellectual property infringement, doorstep crime and service sector controls.

To safeguard the health, safety and economic wellbeing of persons living, working or visiting the city, by ensuring a fair and safe trading environment, through the inspection of a wide range of retail, wholesale and manufacturing premises. Activities will include the enforcement of legislation, investigation of complaints; inspection of trade premises; sampling of goods; the inspection of equipment under metrological control; the issuing of statutory notices; the seizure of non-compliant goods; submission of intelligence reports; prosecution of offenders and the provision of technical advice.

A significant part of this role will involve the day-to-day management of electronic records, and the coordination and allocation of work in the above specialist subject areas.

To provide a high level of knowledge and expertise in the areas covered by the team, especially in most complex enforcement and allied functions, and assist in the management of highly interactive client focused services.

To contribute to and assist in policy formulation for the Service, including the annual Trading Standards Service Plan.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Strategy – To assist the City Trading Standards Manager by implementing and monitoring policies and work programmes to enable the performance of the Section to be managed against objectives. To take a lead role in the day-to-day coordination of areas of specialisation, a role which may also involve the management of contractors.

2. To determine the need for, and to arrange for product safety samples to be taken and submitted, to interpret and evaluate the analytical results, to suspend and seize non-compliant goods and to use statutory powers to safeguard public safety and secure continuous improvements in standards.

3. To be responsible for, and have the discretion to, initiate investigations to detect and rectify serious breaches of a wide range of legislation.  To interview witnesses, take statements, collect, prepare and collate evidence correctly, thoroughly, professionally and in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and departmental procedures, to prepare prosecution reports and to act as a witness in court on behalf of the Council.

4. Customer Focus - To conduct detailed inspections and audits at the highest risk business premises, to determine standards, secure improvements and ensure compliance with legal requirements, to ensure a fair and safe trading environment, to safeguard consumers from economic and safety risks.  Investigate the most complex service requests, officer identified contraventions, to identify breaches of legislation, non-compliance with safety standards, and risks to health.

5. To produce accurate and timely correspondence, records, files and data, including the use of IT and the production of technical reports, to ensure the delivery of quality assured highly focused customer service. To inculcate practices and processes throughout