Senior Trading Standards Officer

Overview

Senior Trading Standards Officer role within the Trading Standards team. Lead enforcement, advisory, and investigative activities across the full spectrum of Trading Standards functions, primarily focusing on product safety, counterfeit goods, and fair trading, with responsibilities extending to food and feed standards, business advice, regulatory compliance, and weights and measures enforcement. The post involves supervising and developing colleagues, mentoring apprentices and trainee officers, and presenting evidence in court where required.

Responsibilities

• Lead and undertake enforcement, advisory, and investigative activities across Trading Standards functions.
• Enforce product safety, counterfeit goods, fair trading, food standards, and weights and measures requirements; deliver regulatory enforcement and business guidance.
• Investigate criminal offences, prepare case files, gather and present evidence, conduct inspections, and execute warrants; represent the authority in court where appropriate.
• Support and develop colleagues, including mentoring apprentices and trainee officers, helping them achieve professional qualifications and enforcement skills.
• Lead inspections of trade premises, respond to service requests, tackle unfair practices, and enforce safe trading standards.
• Develop and deliver educational packages, guidance, and presentations for the public, businesses, and educational bodies to raise awareness of trading standards issues.
• Respond to public requests for advice and concerns, providing an evidence trail for interventions.
• Contribute to policy formulation and annual Service Plan; participate in performance management and digital/enhanced data approaches.
• Mentor, train, guide, and support less experienced officers and trainees; participate in career development and competency progression.
• Lead, guide, and support staff in applications for warrants, their execution, and seizure of illegal and unsafe goods; act as a professional lead during complex contraventions.
• Interpret legislation with professional judgement; provide advice, guidance, and reports; prepare for legal proceedings; maintain knowledge of GDPR.

Qualifications and Essentials

• Diploma in Consumer Protection and Trading Standards (or equivalent) and Weights and Measures Qualification Section 73.
• Authorisation and competency to undertake enforcement across trading standards functions, including weights and measures, feed, fair trading, product safety, food standards, and intellectual property.
• Full UK driving licence and access to transport for business use.

Experience

• Significant experience within a Trading Standards Service.
• Experience investigating and enforcing legislation related to trading standards; experience preparing prosecution files and presenting evidence.
• Strong partnership-working skills with local, regional, and national agencies.
• Experience advising businesses and consumers; experience supervising, coaching, mentoring, or supporting apprentices and trainees.

Personal Attributes

• Sound professional judgement and integrity; excellent investigative and analytical skills.
• Strong communication with businesses, consumers, legal professionals, and partner agencies.
• Organised, self-motivated, and able to manage competing priorities; committed to developing others and promoting professional standards.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and LGPS pension.
• Initial annual leave of 23 days, plus eight public holidays and three additional days off.
• Career development and access to training; supportive and collaborative team environment.
• Flexible working arrangements and opportunities to lead complex investigations and projects.

Role and Purpose (Summary)

To supervise and participate in the work of the Trading Standards team, organising and supervising specialist officers in discharging statutory functions related to weights and measures, product safety, counterfeiting, food and feed standards, tobacco control, animal health, explosives enforcement, scams, doorstep crime, property law, and fair trading. Lead inspection and regulation of trade premises, respond to service requests, and address unfair practices and unsafe goods through targeted interventions. Lead areas of specialist subject areas, such as product safety and doorstep crime; safeguard public safety and promote fair trading. Manage electronic records, coordinate workload, and contribute to policy formulation and service plans.

How to Apply

Submit an application demonstrating how essential criteria are met against the person specification. The Council is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and encourages applicants from all backgrounds. The organisation maintains a name-blind shortlisting process and safeguards candidate information until shortlisting decisions are made.