Principal Officer - Noise and Nuisance WCC619540

Job Details:

Salary range: £54,684 - £64,032 per annum 
Work location: Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, Westminster, SW1E 6QP
Hours per week: 36 
Contract type: Permanent 
Closing date: 19 January 2025
Interview date:  Week commencing 10 February 2025
Contact details for Informal discussion: Martin Tuohy, Team Leader (Noise), 07790 980195 or via email: MTUOHY@WESTMINSTER.GOV.UK

About Us:

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE POWER OF EMPOWERMENT

Environmental Health at Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories, where passionate and expert professionals go above and beyond for their communities every day. 

Natasha started her career in the NHS. She came to Westminster to do more for vulnerable people. When a family in her community reached out to her after their heating was cut off, Natasha took their situation seriously. Living in terrible conditions, and reaching desperation, they had nowhere else to turn. Natasha stepped in, holding the landlord to account and getting them to improve conditions for the family. These are the moments that make her the proudest. Now, she uses her expertise and experience to empower others.

The Role:

As a Principal Noise Officer, you can make your own powerful contribution to ensuring Westminster residents, communities, businesses and visitors thrive in a clean, safe, and quiet city. Our team proactively manages Noise and Nuisance issues within the City. We take a case management approach to the managing of Noise and Nuisance complaints, working with internal and external partners to resolve complaints. You will support the Noise officers sitting within the Proactive Noise Team and also provide support and expertise to our City Inspectors who respond to noise complaints that require an immediate response. The City Inspector Teams work 24/7. 

With expert knowledge in Local Authorities role in the management and response to Noise and Nuisance complaints you will ensure all officers that respond to these complaints are supported and understand the legislation and regulations involved. 

As Principal Noise Officer you will provide training to the officers delivering the Noise Service.

The council has invested in a number of noise monitoring devices. The Principal Noise officer will be the expert in the best situations to use these, ensuring that they are fully utilised. They will also ensure that Noise Officers have the knowledge and training required to install, interpret the data and report on the data gathered.

The Principal Noise Officer will also hold their own caseload, where they will utilise their expertise to manage some of the more complex cases.

Please refer to the Job Description and our Environmental Health site for more information. 

About You:

You’re likely to have a background in Environmental Health and will be capable of explaining and applying relevant legislation and regulations. You will also likely have a background in acoustics and the use of noise monitoring equipment, interpretation of the results and the writing of relevant reports.

You will also likely have strong customer service skills and have experience of delivering for residents at a high level.

Experience of contributing to planning and policy would be a bonus. You’ll be an exceptional communicator, able to build productive partnerships and working relationships. You’ll also have a strong customer focus.  

The Council is committed to achieving diverse shortlists to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce. We especially encourage applications from a Global Majority (GM), people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or have been racialised as 'ethnic minorities' (formally known as B.A.M.E , Black, Asian and multiple ethnic) background and, while the role is open to all applicants, we will utilise the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to appoint a candidate from a global majority background where there is a choice between two candidates of equal merit. If you are from a Global Majority background you can self-declare this to the hiring manager as part of our positive action commitments.

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.   
 
At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit  https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health-strategy-policies-and-reports/equality-duties  
 
As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.  
 
The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.