Environmental Health Officer

Southern Downs Regional Council – A Great Place to Work

What we do at SDRC is more than just a job to us. Whether it’s maintaining our clean water supply, keeping our parks and gardens beautiful, servicing our plant and vehicles, providing contemporary library services, responding to natural disasters or showcasing our region’s immense natural beauty and economic strength, every Council employee strives to make a real difference for our local community.

Few employers combine so many diverse disciplines (eg engineers, child care workers, trades such as mechanics and plumbers, safety specialists, project managers, plant operators, finance experts, IT specialists and urban planners to name a few) in one organisation. At SDRC, we work together towards the same goal. By integrating a multi-disciplined workplace with collective ideas and skillsets, we provide unique opportunities for our people to develop and grow within their chosen career.

We are passionate about aligning business, community and government to achieve social, economic and environmental outcomes. We believe this is best realised when people are invested in the long-term outcomes of where they live and work. If this sounds like you too, then working in local government at SDRC may be right for you.

Our Values

SDRC recognises our people as our strength, and our five values guide how we work with each other, our actions, our decision making and how we serve our community.  Our values bring us all together and contribute to our employees having a meaningful and rewarding career, with opportunities to grow and thrive. To learn more about Council's Values, please click on the link in the "Further Information" section of this advertisement, or visit our website.

Job Description

About the Department

The Environmental Services Department falls within the Planning and Environmental Services directorate and plays a critical role in delivering on the liveability of our region.  The Regulatory Services, Local Laws and Waste Management teams cover a diverse range of roles and responsibilities from ensuring food and public health safety, investigating environmental nuisance and pollution incidences, animal control,  pest management, environmental sustainability programs and planning and building compliance.  Furthermore, the department delivers all aspects of waste operations including roadside collections, waste facilities, investigating waste minimisation and resource recovery opportunities and the strategic management of waste in Southern Downs.   

Your Opportunity

Working in the Regulatory Services team, you're a key member of the team responsible for raising community awareness and compliance with statutory requirements in relation to environmental health matters. This role provides exposure and opportunity for the right person to experience in a variety of environmental health fields.

You will be undertaking inspections and licencing of establishments and services, investigation of food, public health and environmental nuisance complaints and undertaking programs which promote a greater understanding of and compliance with environmental health requirements.

Term:                         Full-time

Hours of Work:         72.5 hours per fortnight

Pay Level:                 $2,806.57 to $3,455.97 per fortnight (Level 3-5), plus superannuation and annual leave loading

In accordance with Council's Enterprise Agreement and the relevant Award. Pay rate dependant on relevant skills and experience. 

Employment Base:  Warwick or Stanthorpe, Queensland (will be negotiated with successful candidate)  

What You Will Do

For full details of this position, please ensure you download the Position Description below.  

(Note: For applicants viewing this job vacancy through SEEK.com, you will be able to access the Position Description by clicking on the "Apply" button, or by visiting the job advertisement on our website at www.https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/council/careers-at-council/current-job-vacancies).

The complete Key Responsibilities of this role can be found in the Position Description. These include (but are not limited to):  

• Matters associated with the development, implementation and review of environmental health programs and statutory licensing:
  • Inspection and licencing of establishments and services regulated by food, public health and environment legislation and local laws.
  • Investigation of food, public health and environmental nuisance complaints.
  • Pest and vector control.
• Provide advise on, and contribute to development of, policies, procedures and guidelines in relation to the provision of efficient and effective delivery of an environmental health service.
• Initiate and undertake programs which promote the general public’s greater understanding of and compliance with statutory requirements in relation to environmental health.
• Assess development applications relevant to environmental health.

What We Offer

At Southern Downs Regional Council, we know that that our people are our strength. With this front of mind, we provide a wide range of benefits and a holistic approach to supporting our employees, including:

• Competitive wages, conditions and allowances
• Improved work-life balance opportunities, such as a 9-day work fortnight and consideration of other flexible work options
• Generous leave provisions and annual leave loading
• Access to a wide range of health and wellness initiatives, including comprehensive, professional and free Employee Assistance Program for staff and their families (24/7 access)
• Opportunities for on and off the job personal and professional development

To view comprehensive details of our employee value offering, please click HERE. (Note: For applicants viewing this job vacancy through SEEK.com, you will be able to access this link once by clicking on the "Apply" button, or by visiting the job advertisement on our website at www.https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/council/careers-at-council/current-job-vacancies)

Desired Skills and Experience

What You Will Need

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in applying legislation and statutory regulations relevant to Environmental Health, in particular when conducting routine inspections and investigating complaints.
• Working knowledge of administrative procedures and contemporary practices relevant to all aspects of Environmental Health.
• Ability to use technical equipment specific to environmental health when conducting routine inspections and investigating complaints.
• Well-developed interpersonal and customer service skills including the ability to effectively manage interactions with a variety of stakeholders including the public and consultants.
• High level written communication skills and experience in or ability to learn local government software packages, including mapping, property database and records management programs.
• To be able to demonstrate your competence in relation to all of the Selection Criteria as detailed in the Position Description 

Further Information

For further information about this role and working for Southern Downs Regional Council, please refer to the documents below:

(Note: where viewing this advertisement on SEEK.com, the links to information below will only be available once you click on the "Apply" button. Alternatively, you can access them via the job advertisement on our website at https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/council/careers-at-council/current-job-vacancies).

• Position Description
• Join Southern Downs Regional Council (detailed employment information, including employee benefits)
• Our Values 
• Living on the Southern Downs

If you have any additional enquiries in relation to this position, please contact Andrew MacDonald, Regulatory Services Coordinator on 07 4661 0402.  

Apply Now!

At SDRC, we believe that diversity enriches our workplace, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes. We welcome applications from qualified people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and abilities, who have applicable working rights in Australia. 

To apply for this opportunity, you will be asked to complete an online application form and provide: (amend as required)

• A short written response (maximum 1-2 pages, dot points acceptable) on how your experience, abilities, knowledge and personal qualities would enable you to achieve the key responsibilities and meet the selection criteria of this role (as outlined in the Position Description); and
• Your current CV or Resume.

When you are ready to begin your application, please click on the "Apply" button below to be taken to our online application portal. Please ensure you provide all of the information requested and that your application is lodged by the closing date (as shown above). Should you have any difficulty lodging your application online, please contact our People & Culture team on ph 1300 697 372 for assistance. 

We look forward to receiving your application.

Pre-Employment Check Information

As part of our recruitment process, external preferred candidates will be required to undertake pre-employment checks in most instances, including:

• Right to work in Australia check
• National Criminal History Check
• Pathology drug and alcohol screening
• Reference Checks - we will request that preferred candidates nominate two referees who have knowledge of their capabilities, work performance and conduct within the previous two years (where possible). It is preferable to include current, immediate or past supervisors. 

Preferred candidates may also be subject to further checks prior to appointment, such as a functional capacity/fitness for work assessment, a formal qualifications check, Blue Card Working with Children Check, licence disqualification/traffic history checks and/or any other check that is reasonably required by SDRC to assess the candidate's ability to perform the inherent requirements of the role.