Senior Trading Standards Officer

Job description

Are you an experienced Trading Standards professional looking for a role where your expertise will be valued, your development will be supported, and your work will make a visible difference to local communities?

Pembrokeshire County Council is seeking a motivated and qualified Senior Trading Standards Officer to join our Public Protection Service. This is an exciting opportunity to take on a senior specialist role within a dedicated Trading Standards team, helping to protect consumers, support legitimate businesses and contribute to the safety, wellbeing and economic confidence of our communities.

Our Trading Standards work helps protect people from harm, financial loss and unfair trading, while supporting legitimate businesses and maintaining confidence in the local economy.

Pembrokeshire also offers a unique working environment. The county is renowned for its natural beauty, stunning coastline and beaches, much of which forms part of the UK's only coastal National Park. For those seeking a high-quality work-life balance, this role offers the opportunity to develop your career while living and working in one of the most attractive areas of the country.
About the Team

Our Trading Standards team forms part of Pembrokeshire County Council's wider Public Protection Service.

We are a dedicated and professionally focused team, committed to making a positive difference for the people, communities and businesses of Pembrokeshire. The team deals with a broad and varied range of Trading Standards responsibilities, including:

• metrology;
• product safety;
• used car sales;
• illicit tobacco and vapes;
• underage sales;
• counterfeiting and intellectual property crime;
• safeguarding against scams;
• doorstep crime;
• unfair trading;
• tourism-related issues;
• estate and letting agents;
• e-commerce;
• consumer and contract law.

We are also investing in the future of the service. Through our workforce strategy, we are supporting officers at different stages of their professional development and building the skills, confidence and resilience needed to meet both current and future regulatory challenges.

This includes investment in training and development that extends beyond immediate operational delivery, supporting future progression and succession planning within the service.

As a Senior Trading Standards Officer, you will play an important role in that journey by providing technical expertise, supporting colleagues, contributing to service improvement and helping strengthen the professional capacity of the team.
About the Role

This is an excellent opportunity to combine your technical expertise with leadership responsibilities in a varied and rewarding role.

You will take a lead role for an assigned portfolio while also contributing across the full range of functions enforced by the Trading Standards team. You will work closely with the Lead Officer (Trading Standards) to help shape priorities, coordinate activity and ensure effective service delivery.

You will also provide technical advice, supervise enforcement activity, support colleagues and contribute to the development of procedures, work plans and staff training.
Key Responsibilities

• Ensuring the effective delivery of Trading Standards services across Pembrokeshire, in accordance with relevant legislation, guidance and service priorities.
• Working with the Lead Officer (Trading Standards) to shape priorities, coordinate activities and ensure objectives are met.
• Taking responsibility for an assigned specialist portfolio.
• Providing technical advice and guidance to colleagues.
• Supporting, mentoring and developing officers within the team.
• Supervising enforcement activities and supporting high-quality, consistent service delivery.
• Undertaking inspections, investigations and follow-up visits.
• Investigating complaints and incidents, ensuring appropriate action and legal review.
• Preparing and supporting formal enforcement action, including investigation files.
• Building effective partnerships with government bodies, enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.
• Receiving and responding to referrals from other enforcement authorities.
• Contributing to Primary Authority Partnership activity.
• Responding to applications made under the Licensing Act 2003 as a responsible authority.
• Maintaining expertise in relevant legislation and policy.
• Contributing to procedure development, service planning, staff training and continuous improvement.
• Acting as Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures where the assigned portfolio includes metrology responsibilities. This includes responsibility for the calibration and maintenance of the Authority's weights and measures standards and equipment, and supporting the inspection, testing, verification and/or certification of weighing and measuring equipment used for trade.

Please refer to the job description for full details of the role.
About You

We are looking for a qualified and experienced Trading Standards professional who is ready to take on a senior specialist role.

You will bring strong technical knowledge, sound judgement and the confidence to apply legislation effectively and proportionately. You will be comfortable undertaking formal investigations, working with businesses and partner agencies, and supporting colleagues through technical advice and professional leadership.

You will also understand the importance of a modern Trading Standards service in protecting consumers, supporting compliant businesses and responding to emerging risks.
Essential Qualifications

• CTSI Trading Standards Practitioner Diploma; Trading Standards Advanced Practitioner and Chartered Status desirable;
• Diploma in Trading Standards, or equivalent;
• Degree in Trading Standards, or equivalent, including Metrology;
• Diploma in Consumer Affairs and Trading Standards, including Metrology.

Essential Experience and Skills

• Significant experience working in a Trading Standards regulatory role.
• Experience of using a range of formal enforcement tools.
• Experience of formal investigations and preparing files of evidence in support of prosecution.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Good IT skills.
• The ability to interpret and apply legislation confidently and proportionately.
• The confidence to enforce legal standards tactfully and professionally.
• The ability to work effectively with colleagues, businesses, partner agencies and members of the public.
• A full valid driving licence and access to a vehicle for business purposes.

Welsh language skills are desirable.
Working Environment

The role will involve working in a variety of locations, including site visits to businesses across Pembrokeshire and, occasionally, outside the county.

An element of work may be undertaken from home, in accordance with the Council's hybrid working arrangements.

You may occasionally be required to work outside regular office hours to ensure the effective fulfilment of the Authority's responsibilities and to deliver a high standard of service to customers.

The role may involve working in challenging environments, including cold, noisy or dirty settings, or locations where animals are present. You may also occasionally need to manage confrontational situations with professionalism.
Employee Benefits

As well as offering the opportunity to live, work and enjoy a beautiful part of the country, we offer a comprehensive range of employee benefits, including:

• Competitive salary.
• Fair and transparent pay structure.
• Nationally agreed annual pay awards.
• Additional Gateway Payment of £2,000, as outlined in the Pay Structure Maintenance Policy.
• Golden Hello payment of £8,000.
• Generous annual leave entitlement of 26 working days per year, rising to 31 days after five years' continuous service, pro rata.
• Eight additional public holidays, pro rata.
• Additional Annual Leave Purchase Scheme.
• Employee Volunteering Scheme, with up to three days' paid time off to volunteer.
• Excellent Local Government Pension Scheme membership.
• Wide and supportive range of Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing resources, including a professional in-house Occupational Health service.
• Extensive learning resources to support career development.
• Career growth pathways.
• Generous occupational maternity and paternity pay plans, in excess of statutory benefits.
• Salary sacrifice car and cycle schemes.
• Access to a wide range of discounts and offers.
• Occupational Sick Pay, dependent on length of service.
• Flexible working and smarter working opportunities.
• Generous relocation package for eligible candidates.

Why Join Us?

This is more than a technical enforcement role. It is an opportunity to help shape the future of Trading Standards in Pembrokeshire.

You will join a service that values professional expertise, supports development and recognises the importance of building resilience in a specialist regulatory workforce. As a senior officer, you will have the opportunity to influence how services are delivered, support the development of colleagues and contribute to the long-term strength of the Trading Standards function.

You will also enjoy the benefits of working in Pembrokeshire - a county known for its outstanding coastline, beaches, countryside, communities and quality of life.

If you are looking for a varied, meaningful and rewarding Trading Standards role, where your experience can make a real difference, we would welcome your application.

Are you ready to take the next step in your Trading Standards career?

Apply today.

Employment Checks

Where it is appropriate for your role and responsibility, the personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by visiting https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn.

Applicants should ensure they have the right to work in the UK before applying for a vacancy.

Please note that at this point, Pembrokeshire County Council is not accepting applicants who require a Skilled Worker visa as a prerequisite to a right to work in the UK. Applicants should ensure they have the right to work in the UK before applying for a vacancy.

Guidance Note: Use of AI and Accuracy of Information:

• We understand that applicants may choose to use tools such as generative AI to support the preparation of their application. While the use of such tools is permitted, it remains the applicant's full responsibility to ensure that all information submitted is factually accurate, truthful, and representative of their own skills, experiences and qualifications.
• Providing information that is false, misleading, or exaggerated, regardless of whether it was generated by AI or not, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process or dismissal if discovered after appointment.
• By submitting this application, you confirm that all content provided is accurate and submitted in good faith.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding and protecting children and adults at risk is a high priority for Pembrokeshire County Council. We aim to support vulnerable children and adults at risk to ensure they are as safe as they can possibly be. We are committed to ensuring their safety and will take action to safeguard their well-being. The Council's Corporate Safeguarding Policy provides a framework for every member of staff and Service within the Council, setting out responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and protecting children and adults at risk as well as the methods by which the Council will be assured that it is fulfilling its duties.

This policy applies to all Council employees and workforce, councillors, volunteers and also service providers that are commissioned by the Council. Safeguarding is everyone's business whether they work for, or on behalf of, the Council.

Support & Additional Info

• Please contact the HR Systems Team as early as possible if you're unable to apply online by emailing [email protected] .
• Please contact the Recruitment Team if you have any queries relating to this vacancy by emailing [email protected] .
• Local Government Employees on National Joint Council (NJC) terms are subject to national pay bargaining; all salaries currently stated in our adverts are as 01/04/2025.
• Please note, we have a legal obligation to consider employees for suitable alternative employment if their posts are at risk; therefore prior consideration will be given to existing employees who meet the person specification and are registered on our redeployment pool.

Welsh language skills are desirable. Applications may be submitted in Welsh and will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.