Food Safety Officer

Food Safety Officer (EHORB Qualified)

Temporary – Full Time (12‑Month Contract)
£45.00 – £50.00 per hour (Umbrella)
📍 Surrey / South West England

Vivid Resourcing is recruiting on behalf of a Surrey based Local Authority for an experienced Food Safety Officer to join their Environmental Health team on a 12-month contract.

The role will require on‑site working from Council offices and inspections across the district.

The Role

We are seeking a motivated, competent and professional Food Safety Officer to deliver frontline food safety services across a diverse range of food businesses. You will play a key role in protecting public health by ensuring compliance with food hygiene and safety legislation.

This role is predominantly inspections and compliance driven, involving advisory work, enforcement action where required, and close engagement with food business operators.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out programmed and reactive food hygiene inspections of a wide range of food premises
• Assess compliance with food safety legislation and Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) requirements
• Provide clear advice and guidance to food business operators
• Take appropriate informal and formal enforcement action, including serving hygiene improvement and prohibition notices
• Investigate food poisoning notifications and alleged breaches of food safety legislation
• Respond to service requests and complaints relating to food safety matters
• Prepare detailed inspection reports, schedules of works and legal documentation
• Support sampling programmes and outbreak investigations where required
• Maintain accurate records using the council’s environmental health systems
• Liaise with internal departments, partner organisations and external agencies
• Attend court proceedings and provide witness statements when necessary
• Contribute to wider public health and service improvement initiatives
• Demonstrate flexibility, including occasional evening or weekend working when required
• Comply with Corporate Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Equality and Data Protection policies

The Experience You Will Bring

• EHORB‑accredited Environmental Health degree or equivalent qualification (essential)
• Registration with the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB) (essential)
• Proven experience undertaking food hygiene inspections within a local authority
• Strong working knowledge of UK food safety legislation and enforcement procedures
• Experience using the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
• Confidence taking proportionate enforcement action
• Strong communication, negotiation and report‑writing skills
• Ability to manage a varied caseload independently
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle (desirable)

Why This Role?

This authority is committed to maintaining high food safety standards while supporting professional development and collaborative working. Contractors are valued for their expertise and supported to deliver high‑quality services that directly benefit local communities.

If this sounds of interest, please reply to this email or contact me directly to discuss rates, availability and next steps.

Kind regards,
Henry