Trading Standards Officer (trainee)

Closing date: 31/05/2023

Reference: REQ104553

37 hours / Fixed-Term

34,723 - 36,298 *

Within Ceredigion

About the role

Location: Aberaeron or Aberystwyth.

We are offering an exciting and rare opportunity for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our Public Protection Trading Standards Team, to become a qualified professional Trading Standards Officer. The successful candidate will be required to commit to and undertake professional qualifications and exams delivered through the Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s Professional Competency Framework.

As this is a trainee post, ideally we are looking to appoint an individual who may already be studying for the Trading Standards Practitioner Diploma, or if you do not hold any formal trading standards qualifications, you must be educated to honours degree level. The qualification is achieved through a combination of academic study and examinations, and the completion of work-based portfolios demonstrating practical skills and knowledge.

You should also have good communication skills including verbal and written, be computer literate and able to keep accurate records.

Once you have completed elements of your training, you will be expected to work, with minimal supervision as well as being part of the team, working towards shared priorities. The role will also include enforcing legislation relating to Trading Standards matters.

This trainee post is fixed term for 4 years but on successful completion of the diploma, you will be appointed as a qualified Trading Standard Officer (Grade 11) on a permanent basis.

The Trading Standards Service carries out an important regulatory function, undertaking a range of duties to help ensure a safe and fair-trading environment, and we do this by investigating cases of unfair trading and illegal business activity taking effective appropriate action when needed.

This post requires basic Welsh language skills. As an organisation, we are committed to supporting the Welsh language and culture to ensure that our services and activities serve to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language.

The Council also offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes flexible working time arrangements. You will occasionally be required, when necessary, to work unsociable hours depending on service priorities.

For an informal discussion concerning this post please contact Anne-Louise Davies, Trading Standards and Licensing Manager on AnneLouise.Davies@ceredigion.gov.uk

Job Description and Person Specification

Note: We reserve the right to amend the application closing date.

What we offer

Work-life balance

Lifestyle savings scheme

Generous employer pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Learning and development

Where you'll work

We lead on corporate performance, corporate policy, strategic partnerships, engagement, community cohesion and civil contingencies, and also are responsible for strategic and operational responsibility for public protection: environmental health, food fraud, licencing and trading standards. Our key functions are as follows:

• Complaints, Compliments and FOI
• Corporate Performance and Policy: Corporate performance; Property gazetteer; Research
• Public Protection: Environmental health; Food fraud; Licencing; Trading standards; Pollution Control; Pest Control; Weights and Measures; Communicable Diseases; Health and Safety; Animal Health.
• Strategic Partnerships, Engagement and Research: Business continuity; Civil contingencies; Community safety partnership; Engagement; Equality; Public service board; Refugee programm