Senior Environmental Health Officer - #310332

About Council

With 11% of the total land area of New Zealand, including Fiordland National Park and Stewart Island, The Southland District Council has the largest land area to manage of any territorial authority. Council not only encompasses the management and improvement of physical assets such as roads, bridges, water supply, cemeteries and parks but also the Southland communities' social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing.

Our 200+ staff are diverse in their backgrounds, skillset and location, spread across three Invercargill offices (Forth Street, 20 and 42 Don Street) and seven area offices situated at Riverton, Otautau, Te Anau, Winton, Oban, Lumsden and Wyndham.

Southland District Council offers scope for a rewarding and interesting career in local government under excellent working conditions, in a part of the country which is ideally suited to family life and the pursuit of a wide variety of activities.

About the role

We have an opportunity for a Senior Environmental Health Officer to join our environmental health team. Reporting to the Manager Environmental Health and Licensing, the Senior Environmental Health Officer will be responsible for inspecting and auditing registered premises to determine compliance with legislation, and where required, educate business owners or take enforcement action where required. This role is vital in ensuring that the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors to Southland is not compromised and is a senior mentor within the team.

Your responsibilities include (but are not limited to)

• undertaking inspections, auditing and reporting of registered premises to determine compliance with relevant legislation and plans
• understand and review legislative and regulatory requirements relating to environmental health, contribute to the development of policies and bylaws as required
• proactively seek out opportunities to engage with external parties to provide up to date information on council requirements and industry best practice
• responding to complaints and request for service in a pro-active and customer centric manner
  
• coach, mentor and provide professional development opportunities for junior staff in-training

To be successful in this role you will:

• posses knowledge and application of the relevant legislation such as; Health Act 1956, Local Government Act 2002, Food Act 2014, Food Regulations Act 2015, Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012
• have a tertiary qualification in a related discipline with previous experience as an environmental health officer (EHO) or senior EHO
• possess political awareness, with the ability to assess all aspects of a situation, potential consequences and make sound decisions
• have excellent communication skills with the ability to educate a range of stakeholders in a collaborative manner
• possess high attention to detail and organizational skills with the ability to effectively plan ahead
• have a full NZ drivers licence

What's in it for you?

We offer a unique opportunity for someone interested in a varied role interacting with our community and business owners out in our beautiful district.

We recognise that staff are our most valuable asset. We believe in supporting them in their training and development, having competitive remuneration packages which are benchmarked against market rates, and an environment which enables personal growth.

We're also a flexible workplace that believes in work/life balance. We offer flexible and hybrid working models, excellent work resources and a supportive team environment.

If you're up for the challenge then please follow the link to download a job description and apply online today.

Applications will be processed as they are received, don't delay - apply today!