West Suffolk Council Address: West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3YU Salary: Starting at £40,777 - £46,142 per annum plus excellent employee benefits package Hours: 37 hours per week Contract: Permanent Reference: 0654 West Suffolk Council are looking for an Environmental Health Officer to join their Food and Safety team. About the role This role is an opportunity to make a real difference to our community, to protect the public and help businesses comply with their legal responsibilities with food safety, health and safety and infectious disease control. We have reviewed our services to meet future challenges and are working with professionals to refresh and enhance our whole commercial service and improve our team structure. We are building the future at West Suffolk and we’d love you to be part of it! You will be working with a friendly, supportive and dedicated Food and Safety team, who genuinely value collaboration and helping each other succeed. You’ll also share your knowledge, insights and experience with the team, helping to develop and strengthen skills together. There will be the opportunity to undertake focussed projects and targeted work to meet our purpose. We welcome new approaches and different ways of thinking, and you’ll enjoy varied, interesting work that really makes a difference. You’ll use your professional judgement to provide clear, confident advice and take enforcement interventions where needed, as well as investigating complaints, outbreaks and sampling. Working closely with customers, local businesses, and partner organisations, you’ll play a key role in driving real improvements and help businesses meet their food and safety legal responsibilities and raise standards across the area. What you will need To be passionate about what environmental health can do, contribute and benefit from our team and enjoy problem solving. You will share our values and be motivated by the positive impact you can have on people, businesses and the community. The review and restructure of our services have led to a number of additional posts required to meet future demands. We are, therefore, looking for qualified and fully registered Environmental Health Officers and Food and Safety Officers, with a Higher Certificate in Food Control or equivalent. We welcome applications from outstanding Environmental Health graduates, apprentices or very soon to be registered officers for development roles, in a Career Pathway. If qualified with the higher certificate in food premises, we would support developing your competencies with the safety element of the role, which may include completing the NEBOSH qualification. Site visits are required in a large rural area and so the suitable candidate will have the ability to travel throughout the West Suffolk area. This is an exciting time to be joining West Suffolk Council which has gained a reputation for being ambitious and forward-thinking. West Suffolk residents enjoy a great quality of life, making it a fantastic place to live, work and bring up a family. The area offers both space, peace and quiet in its beautiful countryside locations, but also buzz and activity in its forward-looking towns and an innovative entrepreneurial spirit in its thriving small business sector. Bury St Edmunds, the main town, was ranked the best place to live in the East of England by the Sunday times. Please refer to the job description and person specification for full details of this exciting opportunity. Why work for us? Our benefits include: Holiday entitlement of 25 days, increasing to 29 days after 5 years (pro rata if part time) plus bank holidays (with an option to buy up to 10 extra days each year subject to approval) Generous pension scheme – contribute between 5.5% and 6.8% (depending on your salary) and the council will contribute 26% Life assurance – a payment of three times your annual salary Essential car user allowance of £846 - £1,239 per annum (depending on engine size) Flexible working options with a genuine commitment to work/life balance Agile working - ability to work in the office and from home Access to a unique employee benefits package which includes discounts and cashback on supermarkets, high street shops, holidays, mobile phones, electrical goods, savings and loan schemes and many other products and services Salary sacrifice benefits including Cycle to Work scheme, Tusker Leased Car Scheme and SmartTech (buy the latest tech products interest free and repay through your monthly salary) Rail and bus staff discounts A range of Health and Wellbeing initiatives including an employee assistance programme Discounted membership at Abbeycroft Leisure centres A culture of learning inspiring staff to focus on continuous learning Modern office accommodation. West Suffolk Council has been rated in the top 10 district councils for climate action (Climate Scorecards 2023) and as a member of UK100 has demonstrated its commitment to a rapid transition to Net Zero with Clean Air in our communities. The council has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and is committed to working towards net zero emissions by 2039. To find out more For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Laura Knight, Commercial EH Manager on 07815 016071 or email laura.knight@westsuffolk.gov.uk Job description Person specification Core values How to apply Please go to the Job profile for more details and to follow the online application process. Please note, we are unable to accept CVs, please follow the online application process to apply. Applications will be received upon receipt so please apply without delay. Closing date: 1:00 pm, 9 April 2026.