Why Southwark?

Following movement in the team, an exciting opportunity has arisen for us to appoint a full time and permanent food safety officer. As a knowledgeable and enthusiastic field officer, you will be an important part of this very busy team which is responsible for regulating food business undertakings in the borough and deliver appropriate infectious disease control functions.

The role involves the provision of expert advice, guidance and support to both new and existing food businesses, enforcing a variety of food legislation and taking prosecutions to secure high standards of food hygiene and food law compliance.

Southwark is a large, ambitious and progressive council with a ‘can do’ attitude and enviable reputation. As a Council, we are successful, passionate and forward-thinking.

We are committed to our ‘Fairer Futures for All’ promise which ensures that our residents and businesses are central to everything we do.

If you want to make a difference at a local level, apply to Southwark Council today.

What You'll Be Doing

Regulate food business undertakings across the borough, ensuring compliance with food hygiene and food safety legislation.

Deliver infectious disease control functions and support public health protection activities.
Provide expert advice, guidance and support to new and existing food businesses.
Conduct inspections, investigations and interventions in accordance with relevant food legislation.
Enforce a wide range of food safety and food standards regulations.
Investigate complaints, incidents and food-related issues as required.
Prepare legal documentation and undertake prosecutions where necessary to secure compliance.
Work closely with businesses, partners and stakeholders to promote high standards of food hygiene and food safety.
Contribute to a busy and supportive team committed to protecting consumers and maintaining public confidence in local food businesses.

Benefits and more information:

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.

Key Benefits:

- Competitive Salary & Pension: Rewarding your hard work with a great package.

- Growth Opportunities: Access extensive training and development, both internally and externally to progress to a grade 12.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for an experienced, ambitious and motivated Environmental Health Officer or Food Safety Officer with current or recent experience in food law regulation. To be successful in this role, you will have:

Experience of carrying out a full range of food safety, food hygiene and food standards enforcement activities.
A strong knowledge of food safety principles and food law regulation.
The qualifications and competencies required to undertake official food controls.
Registration with the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB), or an equivalent/successor professional body (desirable).
Proven food safety enforcement experience, with a track record of delivering high-quality regulatory work.
A commitment to continuous professional development and maintaining technical expertise.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
The ability to prepare legal documents, reports and case files to a high standard.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the confidence to use your professional judgement.
The ability to handle sensitive and contentious issues with tact, professionalism and integrity.
A proactive, enthusiastic and results-focused approach to service delivery.

Contact Information:

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Earl Legister , earl.legister@southwark.gov.uk

IMPORTANT: If you choose to apply, please complete your Supporting Statement in the ‘Relevant Knowledge, Experience & Skills’ section of the application form focusing on the criteria contained within the Job Description’s Person Specification that is marked as ‘S’ for ‘Shortlisting. 

Additional Information

Recruitment Timetable

Closing Date: 01/11/2026

Shortlisting Date: 07/11/2026

Interview Date: 16/11/2026

Hours of Work: Monday to Friday (36hrs per week) Flexible working pattern

Location:160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH

Type of Contract: Permanent

DBS: A Standard DBS is Required for this role

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Southwark Council will only contact candidates through official Council recruitment channels. We will not ask you to provide passport details, proof of address, National Insurance number, bank details or payment at application stage. These checks are only requested at the onboarding process – once an offer of employment has been made. If you’re unsure whether a communication you’ve received is genuine, please contact the Resourcing team directly on recruitment@southwark.gov.uk before sharing any personal information.

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

Be a part of something bigger and more rewarding! apply now to transform lives in your community. Click the 'apply now' button to start your journey with Southwark Council.

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Southwark Council

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Environmental Health Officer (Food Safety)/ Food Safety Officer