Job Description

You’ll lead our Environmental Enforcement Team, a group of dedicated officers committed to keeping Southwark’s streets clean and safe. Your role will be pivotal in tackling a variety of environmental crimes, including fly-tipping, graffiti, and illegal waste management.  As the lead for the team, you’ll be responsible for the planning and allocation of resources, setting the direction, and ensuring the team is focused on delivering high-impact, sustainable outcomes.

This is a great opportunity to develop your leadership and management portfolio as we continue to professionalise our enforcement culture.   Our overarching aim is enforcement, problem-solving, behavioural change and community engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and Strategies’: Drive the strategic direction of the team, ensuring that operational resources are used efficiently to combat enviro-crime.
• Collaboration: Work closely with Council services, local businesses, residents, and external partners like Tenant Resident Associations, the Police, and BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) such as Better Bankside and We Are Waterloo.
• Educational and Enforcement Strategy: Combine enforcement with education, aiming to change behaviours and reduce instances of enviro-crime.
• Improve Council Targets: Contribute to improving Southwark’s NI195 score, which measures visible graffiti, and support the Waste team in tackling fly-tipping hotspots.
• Income Generation: Explore opportunities for income generation while delivering critical services and reviewing the possibility of outsourcing low-level tasks.

What We’re Looking For:

• Leadership & Planning: Proven experience in leading, developing, and monitoring the performance of staff and teams, setting operational and strategic priorities, and delivering results in time-sensitive environments.
• Partnership Skills: Strong ability to build effective partnerships across Council departments, businesses, and the community.
• Knowledge & Experience: A relevant degree in an appropriate discipline or an equivalent academic or professional qualification. Current or recent experience in environmental crime.
• Problem-Solving Mindset: A focus on developing sustainable solutions to reduce enviro-crime across the borough. Expertise in applying and interpreting research methodology and advanced methods of statistical analysis, with the ability to present complex statistical information to diverse audiences.

Why Join Us?
At Southwark Council, you’ll be part of a dynamic team working to make a tangible impact on the community. We offer a supportive work environment and the chance to play a key role in shaping the future of one of London’s most diverse and vibrant boroughs. As part of our team, you’ll have the opportunity to lead innovative solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives.

Additional details

This post requires a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) DBS check at Enhanced level.

Benefits and more information:

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.