Principal Licensing Officer

Principal Licensing Officer

📍 Location: Herefordshire
💷 Pay Rate: £28.94 per hour
🕒 Contract: Full-Time | Agency

Lead Licensing Excellence. Protect Your Community.

Are you an experienced Licensing Officer with a strong background in premises and taxi licensing? Do you have the technical expertise to manage complex cases, advise on legislation, and support high-quality decision-making?

We're recruiting for a Principal Licensing Officer to join a busy Local Authority in Herefordshire. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced licensing professional to take the lead on complex licensing matters while supporting colleagues, elected Members and partner agencies to deliver a fair, consistent and effective licensing service.

The Role

As Principal Licensing Officer, you'll provide technical leadership across both Premises Licensing and Taxi & Private Hire Licensing, ensuring all decisions are legally compliant, evidence-based and focused on protecting the public.

You'll play a key role in managing complex applications, advising on policy and legislation, preparing committee reports and supporting enforcement activity, while helping to maintain high standards across the Licensing Service.

Key Responsibilities

* Lead on complex and high-profile premises and taxi licensing cases.

* Provide expert advice on the Licensing Act 2003, Section 182 Guidance, Town Police Clauses Act 1847, and Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

* Assess and determine licence applications, reviews, representations and appeals.

* Draft licence conditions and provide recommendations to Licensing Committees.

* Prepare detailed reports and present cases to Members where required.

* Support proportionate enforcement action and compliance activities.

* Oversee driver, vehicle and operator licensing, including complex safeguarding cases.

* Chair officer panels considering the suitability of taxi and private hire driver applicants.

* Contribute to the development and review of licensing policies and procedures.

* Work closely with police, safeguarding partners, responsible authorities and the licensed trade.

* Provide technical guidance and support to colleagues to ensure consistent decision-making and service delivery.

About You

To be successful in this role, you'll have:

* Significant experience within a Local Authority Licensing Service.

* Excellent knowledge of licensing legislation, including:

* Licensing Act 2003

* Section 182 Guidance

* Town Police Clauses Act 1847

* Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976

* Experience managing complex licensing cases and providing technical advice.

* Knowledge of licensing enforcement, safeguarding and regulatory compliance.

* Experience preparing reports and presenting information to Licensing Committees.

* Strong analytical, organisational and decision-making skills.

* Excellent communication skills with the ability to work confidently with Members, colleagues and external stakeholders.

* A proactive and collaborative approach with the ability to support service improvement.

What's on Offer?

* £28.94 per hour

* Full-time agency contract.

* Opportunity to work on varied and challenging licensing matters.

* Supportive and experienced Local Authority team.

* A role combining operational casework with technical leadership.

* Immediate interviews and quick start available.

Apply Today

If you're an experienced Licensing professional looking for your next challenge, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now to join a dedicated Licensing Team in Herefordshire and play a key role in protecting the public, supporting local businesses and ensuring fair, consistent licensing decisions.

For more information, contact Natasha Haddon
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed