Application and shortlisting
You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.
Technical: You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role.
- A qualification or training in auditing e.g. Quality Assurance Management, ISO Lead Assessor course or HACCP auditing, IRCA Registration.
And at least one of the following qualifications:
A Certificate of Registration of the Environmental Health Registration Board; the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Diploma in Environmental Health or equivalent qualification
Or
A Diploma in Trading Standards or its antecedents; or the full Diploma in Consumer Affairs including the Food and Agriculture paper.
Or
A member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS) who holds Official Controls Qualification (Veterinary).
If you cannot answer yes to this question you will not be able to proceed further with your application.
You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.
Essential criteria
Experience
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Lead criteria: Proven experience in leading the planning, delivery and monitoring of official controls in relation to food hygiene and / or food standards / and or animal feed / welfare, in accordance with national guidance and legislation.
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Experience of writing and presenting management reports or updates to a variety of stakeholders. The ability to effectively communicate complex and challenging concepts to both internal and external audiences, both verbally and in writing.
- Experience of undertaking the delivery of audits to recognised standards within the field of regulatory enforcement.
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Experience and/or knowledge of working or frequently liaising with local government departments and services.
Technical
-
A qualification or training in auditing e.g. Quality Assurance Management, ISO Lead Assessor course or HACCP auditing, IRCA Registration.
And at least one of the following qualifications;
-
A Certificate of Registration of the Environmental Health Registration Board; the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Diploma in Environmental Health or equivalent qualification.
Or
-
A Diploma in Trading Standards or its antecedents; or the full Diploma in Consumer Affairs including the Food and Agriculture paper.
Or
-
A member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS) who holds Official Controls Qualification (Veterinary).
Lead Criteria An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.
Interview
If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Experience requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours:
Behaviours
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Working Together
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Making Effective Decisions
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Communicating and Influencing
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Delivering at Pace
Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Job Description.
Assessment exercise
As part of the interview process, you will be asked to prepare a seen presentation. Further information will be provided to you in the invitation to interview email. The presentation will assess you on the following Experience Criteria of the job role: Experience of writing and presenting management reports or updates to a variety of stakeholders. The ability to effectively communicate complex and challenging concepts to both internal and external audiences, both verbally and in writing.
Expected Timeline
Advert closes: 02 August 2026
Sift: Expected to take place week commencing 03 August 2026
Final panel interview: Expected to take place week commencing 17 or 24 August 2026
Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).
Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to the Food Standards Agency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.
Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Reserve List
A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
Visa Sponsorship
Please note that the FSA does not offer visa sponsorship and cannot provide advice on visa applications.
Making a complaint
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated fairly in accordance with the principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSAs Director of People at [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
