Licensing Officer – Luton Council

Job number: LBC02963
Contract Type: Permanent
Posting End Date: 4 September 2024
Job Area: Community, Public Services and Enforcement

About us

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

About the job

Salary: £23,893 - £24,702 a year (entry level of Progression scheme)
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent

Do you have demonstrable experience of working within an office environment and dealing with members of the public? If yes, we want to hear from you.

We have an exciting role within the Licensing Service where you will assist with the provision of clerical and administrative support in the Licensing Service and act as the first point of contact for enquiries from the public on licensing matters. You will be verifying applications and dealing with licensing enquiries. In addition, deaingl with email and telephone enquiries from licence applicants and the general public.

In this vital role, you will also advise on enquiries and progress and or refer matters as appropriate without close supervision. Maintain manual and computerised records including the operation of the Licensing data base, inputting, retrieving and manipulating data to provide accurate information as directed. It is a varied and interesting role as the service deals with over 65 different licence types, plus Town Centre Events and supports a range of civic and special events. The Licensing Service which is part of Public Protection works alongside other teams within Neighbourhood Services dealing with enforcement and compliance.

The post is part of a progression scheme to support staff development and this is an ideal opportunity for someone wanting to gain access to a career in Regulatory Services and Public Protection

About you

This is a public facing role so you’ll need to show off your fluency in speaking and writing English.

Our ideal candidate to have some knowledge/ awareness of Licensing law and demonstrable knowledge of Licensing functions. Excellent communication skills are vital for this role, as you will have to deal politely and tactfully with a wide range of people, in person and by telephone.

If you think you could become an asset to the team, then please do not hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to receiving your application.

Benefits

We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:

• From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
• Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
• Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
• Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
• Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
• Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
• Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel

How to apply

We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!

Our ‘How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: https://jobs.luton.gov.uk/how-to-apply/

Licensing Team Leader – Tewkesbury Borough Council

• Grade H £44,428 - £48,474 per annum
• 37 hours per week
• Permanent

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced licensing professional to lead and develop our licensing service. This is an important role for the Council and you will play a key role in shaping the future direction of the service.

Key responsibilities of this post include:

• Operational management of a small team of licensing officers and administrative staff
• Maintaining a high quality service for customers and stakeholders
• Delivery of continuous service improvements and digital transformation
• Provision of specialist advice to licensing committee, elected members and chief officers.

The successful candidate will hold a recognised licensing qualification and demonstrate significant relevant professional experience, together with excellent knowledge of regulatory licensing policies and practice. In terms of personal qualities you will be expected to have strong communication skills and an ability to motivate and organise a team of officers.

In return we can offer you a friendly and supportive team environment with a commitment to staff development and career progression.

For an informal discussion about this opportunity please contact Alastair Low, Head of Environmental Health Service on 01684 272195 or ehenquiries@tewkesbury.gov.uk

Closing Date: Monday, 16th September 2024

Find out more about this vacancy and how to apply here

Licensing Support Officer – South Oxfordshire District Council

• 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.
• Salary and grade: £30,797 – £36,032 FTE (£18,472 - £21,619 actual per annum) Grade 4
• Duration of role: Permanent
• Hours per week: Part time, 22.2 hours (3 days)
• Closing Date: 01/09/2024

About the role and what we’re looking for

The post is dedicated to supporting the licensing team by providing administrative support to the licensing team leader and licensing enforcement officers. The team has responsibility for licensing and regulation of hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, drivers and operators, Licensing Act 2003, Gambling Act 2005, street trading, pavement licences and charitable collections.

Main duties and responsibilities

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

• assisting in the delivery of the objectives set out in the service plan
• to receive and process all licence and related applications received through the post, electronically and in person
• to prepare licences for approval by licensing officers
• to process incoming mail including cheques 
• scanning and photocopying of documents
• document management in respect of the team’s electronic filing systems etc
• to take payments over the telephone in respect of applications and annual fees and to ensure the correct fees and charges are levied
• to keep up to date with legislation, legislative changes and council policies relating to the processing of licensing applications
• to advise applicants and the public on all basic queries relating to licensing matters
• to maintain licensing records using the licensing databases ensuring accuracy at all times
• to ensure the public and statutory registers are maintained
• to assist the licensing officers with the compilation of reports and collation of data as required
• to maintain confidentiality in respect of all licence applications and other related matters at all times
• to maintain a high quality service to clients and customers of the licensing team
• to conduct one to one appointments with applicants as required

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.

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
• competent user of Microsoft Office, e.g. Word, Excel
• ability to learn and use bespoke IT systems
• excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• attention to detail 
• confidence dealing with difficult conversations
• able to effectively prioritise workload
• proven team working skills
• 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

• 5 GCSEs grades A-C or equivalent level of qualification

If you have the following experience or qualifications – it’s a bonus

• Experience in Licensing within Local Government

About us

Our vision and values are important to the councils, and we expect you to support them and embed them in the way we work.

The benefits we offer

• A basic 25 day annual leave per annum, rising to 30 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.

Find out more about this vacancy and how to apply here