Environmental Protection Officer (Environmental Enforcement)

Kingston Advocacy Group; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council authority in the United Kingdom seeks an Environmental Enforcement team member to investigate environmental complaints such as fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles. This role requires strong investigation skills and the ability to work independently. Candidates should show good ICT abilities and organizational skills. The position offers a supportive environment with opportunities for professional development and flexible working arrangements, making it ideal for those passionate about community welfare.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Hybrid working options

Learning and development opportunities

Local Government Pension Scheme

Bicycle loan facilities

Qualifications

• Experience in investigation and enforcement activities, preferably in environmental enforcement.
• Confident in gathering evidence, taking statements, and preparing case files.
• Ability to work independently under pressure and prioritize a varied workload.

Responsibilities

• Investigating complaints about fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles.
• Identifying and enforcing unlawful mooring on the Thames.
• Keeping detailed records and determining the appropriate enforcement action.

Skills

Investigation skills

Communication

ICT skills

Organizational skills

Education

Professional qualification in a related field

Job description

About The Borough

Joining us, you get to work for not just one high‑performing London Borough, but two.

Kingston and Sutton councils share a number of services, with some teams and roles more focused on one council than the other, but the majority are shared across both. This means you gain access to a wider range of activities and two different political bodies.

We work flexibly from both the Kingston and Sutton offices, and support working at home or flexible working patterns that allow you to tailor your working and personal life. We provide the equipment and tools to enable flexible working, and in return we ask you to use that flexibility to be creative and ambitious in the services we deliver.

In Sutton we are developing the world‑leading London Cancer Hub, a research and treatment hub that brings together professionals from across different sectors to identify and test new treatments and therapies. In Kingston we are undertaking the largest housing regeneration programme ever delivered in the borough, building new energy‑efficient housing that will transform some of our oldest council‑owned homes. Both boroughs have publicly committed to tackling the climate emergency and are investing in new technologies and societal change to reduce carbon emissions and improve our climate impact.

You should choose Kingston and Sutton if you are looking for an opportunity that will challenge you to deliver more, support you to achieve personal ambitions, and expect you to put borough residents at the heart of what you do.

Kingston is a beautiful, historic borough with excellent schools and a bustling retail centre, surrounded by open green spaces such as Richmond Park and Bushy Park. The council is controlled by a Liberal Democrat administration and has a plan “Greener, Fairer, Safer, Together” that aims to create a vibrant, diverse and inclusive borough where residents are active, empowered and resilient.

Sutton is a well‑connected, attractive part of London with excellent schools, green spaces and a strong heritage culture. The council is controlled by a long‑established Liberal Democrat administration and has a corporate plan “Ambitious for Sutton” to keep it a great place to live, work and raise a family.

About The Role And Our Ideal Candidate

As a member of the Environmental Enforcement team, you will be part of a small team delivering environmental enforcement across Kingston and Sutton.

The role involves investigating complaints about fly‑tipping and other waste offences, identifying and enforcing against abandoned vehicles, tackling unlawful mooring on the Thames, and using a range of measures to resolve complaints for residents.

This is not a uniformed officer role; you will not be expected to undertake patrols or issue penalties on the spot. Instead you will keep detailed records and investigate allegations to determine the most appropriate enforcement action to secure a resolution.

You should have experience of investigation and enforcement activities, preferably in environmental enforcement, and be conversant with PACE and RIPA. You should be confident at investigating offences, gathering evidence, taking statements, preparing case files and attending court. Good ICT skills are essential.

As a good communicator you will be adaptable, organised, detail‑oriented, and able to work on your own initiative, making decisions on the appropriate approach. You may have an appropriate professional qualification or experience in a related field. You must demonstrate strong organisation skills, the ability to work independently under pressure, work accurately and diligently, prioritise a varied workload, solve problems and make reasoned judgements.

You will mainly be working out in our communities, so access to a vehicle and a full driving licence are essential. As a member of a small and busy team, you may also be called upon to support the wider Shared Environment Service where needed.

This is a challenging role that offers an ideal opportunity to be part of an innovative front‑line service.

About Us

Maintaining a healthy and safe environment is a key priority for both councils. The Environmental Enforcement team works to make the boroughs cleaner and safer by tackling environmental crime.

The team delivers a range of environmental and highway enforcement functions across both boroughs, managing a caseload, responding to urgent requests and taking part in a range of enforcement activities.

Regulatory Services offers a supportive environment to enable you to achieve your professional goals and shape how services are delivered. With offices in both Kingston and Sutton town centres and modern remote‑working technology, the service works agilely, with occasional evening and weekend work giving scope for a healthy work‑life balance.

Our Offer To You

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we are committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow your career and skills. We constantly strive to improve our ways of working so that you can freely put your ideas across, no matter how big or small. Your ideas will be fully encouraged and supported by colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to help achieve a work‑life balance, including:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 25–32 days, plus bank holidays (pro‑rata if part‑time).
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave.
• Three volunteering days per year in Kingston.
• Hybrid working (dependent on the role).
• Flexible and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks.
• Learning and development portal offering a range of courses.
• Discounts on local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres.
• Interest‑free season ticket loans.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle‑to‑work scheme.
• Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support.

Application Process

Apply online outlining the skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application and check your CV details are uploaded correctly.

We understand and recognise the benefits of using AI in the workplace and are embracing AI where appropriate, to boost productivity and streamline our council services. However, we reserve the right to reject applications where it is apparent that AI‑generated content has been used in isolation and without personalised responses.

At Kingston we value authenticity and are looking for individuals who can clearly demonstrate their own skills, experience and motivation for the role, and embrace and demonstrate our STAR values. Transparency is a core value and will be demonstrated during the application process and interview.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received, so we strongly advise you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

As part of our award‑winning Diversity Programme we anonymise all applications received to reduce conscious and unconscious bias, ensuring every application is reviewed on the knowledge, skills and experience shown. We encourage diverse interview panels and are fully committed to removing barriers and enhancing workforce diversity.

We are proud to be a diverse and welcoming borough and celebrate and respect differences. We welcome applications from under‑represented groups.

We offer a range of family‑friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums and inclusive staff networks to support your wellbeing.

We are a disability‑confident employer and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria. As an accredited London Living Wage Employer all employees are guaranteed the London Living Wage.

The UK has a points‑based immigration system affecting EU and non‑EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right‑to‑work guidance. Sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations, so we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate requests on a case‑by‑case basis.

Additional Information

We are proud of our inclusive culture and will support all staff with family‑friendly, inclusive employment policies and flexible arrangements. We guarantee a London Living Wage and a robust diversity programme.