Whether you are newly qualified or already have years of experience behind you West Sussex is looking for you to be a part of our Trading Standards Service and play a vital role in upholding a wide range of consumer, business, and environmental protection legislation.Positions within the Trading Standards Service are career graded so there is a clear route for progression and advancement from a Trainee TSO right through to becoming a Senior TSO. You will be encouraged and supported to expand your professional skills and knowledge accordingly. If you are the successful applicant, you will be appointed within the career grade scale, dependent on your experience.Located in West Sussex, London's exceptional neighbour, the area features rolling hills and picturesque villages, conveniently close to charming seaside towns and stunning coastal scenery.If you have exceptional attention to detail, strong communication skills, and can confidently make justified and well-informed decisions, we would like to hear from you!The OpportunitySalary: £36,363 to £39,152 per annum to £39,862 to £42,839 per annum, plus £8,000 Relocation Package Working Pattern: Full-time, 37 hours per week, flexible working patterns and part-time opportunities available Location: Based at County Hall North, Chart Way, Horsham and hybrid working from home Interview Date: 17 and 18 September 2025About The JobAs a Trading Standards Professional, you will engage with businesses to evaluate regulatory compliance and serve as an investigating officer on matters relevant to your level of expertise.While not mandatory, as a qualified officer, you are encouraged to enhance your professional knowledge and experience.Our work in the Trading Standards Service is dynamic, and each day presents its own unique challenges and rewards! There will be some key responsibilities likely to feature in this role, including:
Carrying out investigations, inspections, testing, sampling, licensing and other duties predominately on trade, business or farming premises as may be necessary.
Providing comprehensive advice and guidance to customers and businesses, you will negotiate or influence others to adopt a specific course of action to ensure compliance with legal requirements.
Producing investigation reports and interview records, as well as handling and processing data and information. Ensuring the careful use of specialized testing equipment.
Assessing compliance with regulations, issuing improvement notices, gathering evidence, coordinating with test laboratories, identifying witnesses, and conducting formal interviews.
Apply now and embark on a rewarding career that values your skills offers opportunities for development!What are we looking for?
Experience working within a Trading Standards Service and the ability to comprehend the Service's broader aims and objectives.
CTSI Trading Standards Practitioner Diploma, or Passed the End Point Assessment for L6 Trading Standards Professional Apprenticeship or FCATS plus 40 points under previous qualification framework or Diploma in Trading Standards.
Demonstrable evidence of providing a comprehensive, effective, and efficient trading standards service to a diverse range of customers.
Strong communication skills, with the capacity to confidently influence, advise and explain information effectively to a diverse range of people as well as negotiate and persuade others to adopt a specific course of action.
Skills to prioritise and organise your own work in a logical way to meet agreed deadlines.
If you have exceptional attention to detail, strong communication skills, and can confidently make justified and well-informed decisions, we would like to hear from you!
For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.Rewards and BenefitsAs well as adding real value to our service users and our communities, as an employer we recognise our employees are central in being able to achieve this.To recognise this we want to help support your development and provide a great place to work ensuring you can fulfil your full potential, have access to a range of benefits including:
an excellent local government pension scheme
generous holiday entitlement of 27 days (plus opportunity to buy additional leave)
a range of flexible working options, depending on your job role
maternity, paternity, dependency and adoption leave
volunteering opportunities
training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring
a range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel,
cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform (see our Staff discounts page if you are a business looking to offer a discount)
health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and Voluntary Health Cash Plans.
For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.Further InformationThe reference number for this role is EIE01392.For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Philip Lipscomb at Philip.Lipscomb@westsussex.gov.uk. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact hrrecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk.To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and Cover Letter. In your cover letter please outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV.Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to 3 years referencing and a health check.Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve.We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.CCAvailable documents
