Authorised Officers - Port Health - East Suffolk Council : Job Details

Job Title: Authorised Officers

Location: Based at Felixstowe Port Health and Harwich Border Control Point Offices, Harwich international Port, Parkeston Quay, Harwich, Essex CO12 4SR

Salary: £27,711 - £33,366 per annum (subject to qualifications, experience and competency)

Job Type: Full time, Permanent

Working Hours: 37 hours per week, Rotational shift pattern between 06:30 - 22:00, including weekends, attracting 14% shift allowance*

Closing date: 1.00 pm, 17 January 2025

It is an exciting time to be joining our Port health team as we expand our services in response to the UK’s departure from the European Union.

Our mission is the protection of public and animal health, carrying out a range of checks to ensure imported goods are safe for all of us in the UK.

Your role:

As an Authorised Officer, you will protect public and animal health at the border by supporting Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA) in the undertaking and delivery of a range of statutory and discretionary services at Border Control Points (BCPs) where SCPHA have responsibility or contractual obligations.

The role can offer you a mix of both office-based administrative functions such as the checking and processing of import documentation, as well as out of office functions such as examination and sampling of foodstuffs (including allergens) and assisting with vessel inspections. The out of office functions will include a degree of lifting, working in temperature-controlled environments and working at a height. No experience is required in the out of office functions, as full support and training will be provided. You will have the opportunity to work under your own initiative but also with others as a team.

* After the completion of the initial training program (Based at Felixstowe), you will be moved onto our 7-day rotational shift pattern. This covers the hours of 06:30-22:00 Monday to Friday with weekend working rota’d in. Upon starting the shift pattern, you will attract 14% shift allowance on top of the base salary. The shift pattern will be kept under regular review to ensure it meets operational needs, which may lead to a 24/7 service.

Please note as we’re offering both Felixstowe and Harwich base locations, express which location is preferred in your supporting statement.

What you will need:

• Educated to A level standard (or with equivalent Level 3 qualifications)
• It is essential that you have good computer and communication skills, the ability to organise and prioritise your own workload, and to work in a systematic manner and solve problems.
• You should also be mobile with the flexibility to work across locations for which SCPHA has responsibilities - including Felixstowe and Harwich.
• Ideally, you will have previous experience of working in industries associated with food or import / export, with previous experience of office administration procedures.

If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this role, even if you don’t meet all of the essential requirements, please apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Why work for us?

East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council, take a look at our video on Youtube and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work.

Here are some of the main benefits:

• Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 25 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays)
• Local government pension scheme
• Flexible working arrangements
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A wide variety of staff support networks including access to health and wellbeing initiatives and programmes
• Discounts on mobile phones, computers, holiday and travel, fashion and clothing, health and beauty and many other products and services

Please click on the APPLY button and you will be redirected to the Council’s careers page.

Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of; ; Environmental Health Officer, Food Safety Officer, Port Health Officer, Principal Port Health Officer, Food manufacturing inspector, Food Quality Control Inspector may also be considered for this role.