Environmental Health Officer - Food

Overview

The Food Safety Team plays a key role in protecting public health across Thurrock. Working with local businesses, residents and partner agencies, the team ensures food is safe, legal and produced to the highest standards. The role includes food hygiene and standards inspections, complaint investigations, sampling programmes, infectious disease investigations and responses to food incidents. Based within Corporate Services, the team also delivers specialist import and export food controls, reflecting Thurrock's strategic location and proximity to major port facilities.

With a varied and interesting workload across a wide range of food safety and regulatory activities, we are a supportive and professional team committed to high‑quality service delivery, regulatory excellence and improving public health outcomes for our communities.

• Conduct food hygiene inspections and enforce food standards across a wide range of food businesses.
• Perform food sampling and investigate complaints, using scientific techniques to assess compliance.
• Respond to food incidents and manage disease investigations in collaboration with partner agencies.
• Support service improvement initiatives and participate in partnership working to strengthen public health outcomes.
• Contribute to the delivery of the Council's statutory responsibilities under food and health and safety legislation.
• Advise and support the development of less experienced officers.

• Degree or Diploma in Environmental Health.
• EHORB Registration (or equivalent recognized professional qualification).
• Current competence to carry out food hygiene inspections in accordance with the Food Standards Agency Food Law Code of Practice.
• Strong knowledge of food safety legislation and regulatory enforcement.
• Experience of undertaking food hygiene inspections, investigations and sampling programmes.
• Excellent report writing, record keeping and case preparation skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and effectively.
• Experience gathering and evaluating evidence and applying enforcement policies.
• Proactive and flexible approach to service delivery, with sound technical knowledge and the ability to balance education with appropriate enforcement action.

• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities (where applicable).
• Ongoing training and professional development.
• Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support.
• Staff discounts and local offers.
• A supportive and inclusive working environment.