Senior Liaison & Enforcement Officer

Job title: Senior Liaison & Enforcement Officer

Salary: SO1 £ 34,434 - £36,363

Hours: 37 per week

Contract: Permanent

This is an all-inclusive grade. There is no enhancement for evening, weekend, and bank holiday working.

Annual Leave: 27 days minimum (pro‑rata) plus 5 days following 5 years’ service and 8 statutory holidays.

Location: The post‑holder will be required to work at various Leeds City Council sites within the Leeds district. This role also provides an opportunity for home working.

Employer: Leeds City Council, one of the largest licensing authorities in the country.

• Law enforcement experience within the last 18 months
• Knowledge of Licensing Act 2003, Gambling Act 2005, Street and House to House Collections, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000, Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984
• Experience preparing witness statements, evidence gathering and preparing criminal prosecution packages
• Experience digesting, interpreting, and working to governing legislation or procedures
• Have a full driving licence

The Entertainment Licensing Section is a very busy service dealing with the administration and enforcement of various licensing regimes. Primarily these are the Licensing Act 2003, Gambling Act 2005, Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, plus other regulations, licences, and registrations including sex establishments, charity collections, places of marriage, and hypnotism. As a Senior Liaison & Enforcement Officer in a small team, you will play a pivotal role in the effective and timely delivery of the service’s licensing and enforcement functions;

ensuring licensable operations are being carried out in accordance with the respective licensing regulations.

In addition to the primary compliance and enforcement functions of the role, you will also play a key part as a member of the Leeds Safety Advisory Group working with, and offering guidance to, event organisers planning events, from small and medium‑sized events to large‑scale events, such as Leeds Festival, Leeds Carnival, etc. It is therefore essential that you have strong interpersonal skills.

You will be responsible for a busy and challenging workload; therefore, you will need to be organised, self‑motivated, with a strong customer focus, and an effective team player.

You will also represent the service at a range of meetings and forums, committee hearings and provide evidence before the courts and committees.

• Carry out daytime office/home‑based tasks combined with daytime, evening, weekend, and bank holiday duties conducting visits, enquiries, and compliance inspections, and contribute to multi‑agency operations.
• Act as case officer for a number of allocated complaints, investigations, licence reviews and prosecutions.
• Attend court and licensing committee hearings, either in the capacity as case officer and/or as a witness to give testimony.
• Work under the direction of the Principal Liaison & Enforcement Officer, but at the same time work to their own initiative in this busy team, and in partnership with other enforcement services internal and external to the Council.
• Liaise with and provide specialist licensing advice and guidance to businesses, residents, elected members and MPs. Represent the service at trade, public and partnership forums.
• Develop personal knowledge in relation to relevant legislation.
• Carry out compliance checks of licensed premises and contribute to multi‑agency partnership operations.
• Record, investigate and monitor complaints and alleged offences. Gather evidence, prepare witness statements and prosecution files in accordance with RIPA, PACE, and other legislative requirements.
• Prepare and submit applications for licence reviews, support licence reviews made by other parties, as appropriate and present evidence before the Licensing Committee/Sub‑Committee.
• Contribute to the Leeds Safety Advisory Group (SAG) for Outdoor Events, review event documentation and conduct onsite compliance checks.
• Provide clear and concise correspondence.
• Update, maintain and interrogate records using the service’s specialist database software.
• Carry out such other duties as may be reasonably required…