Senior Technical Support Officer

Location: The designated office base is Abbey House, Abingdon. The councils operate in a truly flexible, and hybrid way where the focus is on outcomes not where you work.
Duration of role: Permanent
Hours per week: 37 hours per week
Salary and grade: £36,032 per year, Grade 5

Closing Date: 15 March 2024
Interview dates: Weeks commencing 25 March 2024

About the role and what we’re looking for

We are looking for a supervisor to join our team within a shared service between South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils. The post is dedicated to supervising the environmental services support team in providing administrative support to the environmental services technical team leader and the wider environmental services team, whilst also supporting best practice within the service. The team has responsibility for waste services, environmental health, food and safety and environmental crimes.

Main duties and responsibilities

To undertake general and specific administrative and supervisory duties aligned to the service area to include:

• assisting in the delivery of the objectives set out in the service plan.
• to undertake the day to day management of the environmental service technical support administrators, to include performance reviews, task and time management, training and assisting with recruitment.
• to maintain an awareness and understanding of new legislation, legislative changes, council policies and/or best practices relevant to the service area, and assist in implementing the resulting changes to policies, procedures and practices.
• to supervise the environmental services technical administration function to include responsibility for all administrative processes and procedures ensuring that the service is delivered efficiently and accurately.
• to supervise the maintenance of records using the EHOM and Waste database(s) ensuring that information is accurately recorded at all times.
• to supervise the processing of all service requests within agreed timescales, spot checking information has been correctly handled and processed in line with policy and procedure.
• to maintain relationships with internal and external customers such as other service teams and contractors
• to collect data and compile statistics relating to the technical support function and report those as necessary
• to co-ordinate and assist with the provision of training and courses for the environmental services technical support team.
• to supervise the preparation and issue of invoices and to arrange payments using the council’s financial systems in accordance with corporate targets.
• to co-ordinate and respond to requests for information as appropriate
• to ensure proper, secure and accurate filing and document management in respect of the teams electronic and manual filing systems
• to review the environmental services information on the councils’ websites to ensure it is up to date.
• to advise applicants, colleagues and the public on all basic queries relating to environmental services matters
• to maintain confidentiality in respect of all service requests and other related matters at all times
• to maintain a high quality service to customers of environmental services
• to order, control and maintain an adequate stock of equipment necessary for the work of the team.

The duties may vary from time to time without changing the nature of the post or the level of responsibility and the post holder may also be required to carry out any other duties appropriate to the grading of the post.

About you

Your essential skills, knowledge, and experience
• 2 years’ experience in administration
• 1 years’ experience of managing staff.
• competent user of Microsoft Office, e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• ability to learn and use bespoke IT systems.
• excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• able to effectively prioritise workload.
• proven team working skills.
• keen to be part of a shared service and to contribute to new ways of working and new initiatives.
• keen to work to quality standards and to achieve team performance targets.
• political awareness and the ability to escalate issues to senior managers to enable them to inform elected members.

Your essential qualifications

• Educated to A level standard or equivalent.

If you have the following experience or qualifications – it’s a bonus.
• Previous experience of Environmental Health or Waste services

The benefits we offer.

• A basic 24 day annual leave per annum, rising to 29 days after five years. You also have all the bank holidays to look forward to and time off between Christmas and New Year.
• Flexible working and annualised hours – a flexible approach to work that our employees love!
• Salary pay awards – most jobs give scope for a pay increase after six months or the following April (depending on your start date) and we also review salaries each April.
• A generous career average pension scheme which includes life insurance of three times your salary
• The opportunity to purchase a bike through Cyclescheme (cheaper than directly through a store) so that you can cycle to work!

• Various schemes to keep you healthy (reduced gym membership, free swims, free eye tests for DSE users and more)
• We give you two days per year to volunteer within the local community.
• A range of resources, support, and activities to help you maintain your wellbeing including a monthly wellbeing hour in addition to annualised hours (the ability to work flexibly as long as, over the course of the year, you complete your contracted hours) and annual leave.

We look forward to hearing from you.

You may also have experience in the following: Environmental Health Management, Waste services management, Health and Safety, Food Safely, Environmental Health advisor, Health & Safety Officer, Food Hygiene, IOSH, Environmental Health, Food Safety, Environmental Regulations, Environmental Monitoring, Administration etc

REF-212 209