Senior Environmental Health Officer

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Environmental Health Officer within Bristol City Council's Responsive Repairs team, assisting with Housing Condition & legal Claims, HHSRS, and Awaab's Law Compliance. This role offers the chance to join the service at a time of significant change within the social housing sector.

About the role

You will play a key role in supporting Bristol City Council's response to the implementation of Phase 2 of Awaab's Law, reforms to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), and increasing regulatory expectations placed upon social landlords. Working closely with the Disrepair/Compliance Service Lead, Legal Services, and operational teams, you will provide specialist Environmental Health expertise across the Disrepair/Compliance Service and wider Housing & Landlord Services team.

You will help shape and develop the Council's approach to housing hazards, damp and mould, statutory nuisance investigations, and legal compliance, ensuring residents live in safe and healthy homes.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and support a team of Access Compliance Officers, providing day-to-day guidance, oversight, and professional support to ensure effective arrangements for securing access for inspections, investigations, and remedial works.
• Manage complex access cases, support the preparation of evidence and documentation required for legal access injunctions, and collaborate with Legal Services, surveyors, and operational teams to ensure necessary works are carried out where access has been unreasonably withheld.
• Contribute to service development, performance improvement, and positive customer outcomes, ensuring the Council meets its statutory, regulatory, and landlord obligations.
• Support compliance with Awaab's Law by ensuring a robust and proactive response to reports of damp, mould, and other prescribed hazards. Provide professional advice on environmental health risks, support investigations, and assist in determining appropriate remedial actions and timescales.
• Work collaboratively across Housing, Repairs, Legal Services, and contractor teams to ensure risks to residents are identified and managed effectively.
• Prepare the service for future phases of Awaab's Law and the implementation of the revised HHSRS framework, including supporting the development of policies, procedures, performance measures, and risk-based approaches to housing hazard management.
• Lead and provide professional oversight of statutory nuisance investigations relating to residential properties. Assess complaints, undertake inspections, gather and evaluate evidence, determine whether a statutory nuisance exists, and identify appropriate interventions in accordance with legislation and best practice.
• Lead on Section 82 Environmental Protection Act 1990 cases, providing specialist advice, reviewing evidence, preparing legal documentation, and supporting legal proceedings where required.
• Ensure cases are robustly managed and supported by high-quality professional evidence in collaboration with Legal Services.
• Provide wider legal and technical support across the Service, particularly in relation to housing condition claims, environmental health risks, damp and mould cases, and complex resident complaints.
• Ensure investigations are thorough, defensible, and resident-focused, supporting the Council's commitment to continuous improvement and regulatory compliance.

Requirements

• A Degree or Diploma in Environmental Health and registration with the Environmental Health Officers Registration Board (EHRB).
• Extensive experience applying housing and environmental health legislation within a local authority or social housing setting.
• Significant experience undertaking HHSRS assessments, interpreting housing hazards, and providing professional advice on risk assessment and enforcement action.
• A strong understanding of the proposed HHSRS reforms and their impact on housing providers and residents.
• Excellent knowledge of Awaab's Law, damp and mould management, and social landlord compliance obligations.
• Significant experience managing legal and enforcement casework, including preparing evidence, witness statements, legal notices, and prosecution files.
• Extensive experience investigating and managing statutory nuisance complaints and Section 82 Environmental Protection Act 1990 cases.
• Proven ability to interpret complex legislation, guidance, and case law, and apply this to individual cases in a proportionate and defensible manner.
• Experience liaising with Legal Services, external solicitors, barristers, and expert witnesses.
• Strong report-writing skills with the ability to prepare professional documentation suitable for court proceedings, Housing Ombudsman investigations, and senior management review.
• Experience supervising staff, providing technical guidance, and supporting professional development.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to confidently manage challenging, sensitive, and high-profile cases.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• A commitment to delivering excellent customer service and improving outcomes for residents.

This role is particularly suited to an experienced Environmental Health Officer with a strong background in housing enforcement, HHSRS assessments, statutory nuisance investigations, and legal case management. The role is subject to a Basic DBS Check.

Benefits

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• Flexitime scheme.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays.
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support.
• Family-friendly policies.
• The opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of Bristol residents.