Administrative Assistant (Fire Safety)

Are you highly organised, with great attention to detail and a passion for fire safety? We are looking for an administrator to maintain an efficient administrative system that supports the delivery of Legislative Fire Safety and provides vital support to our busy Protection Team.

This vital role supports the delivery of fire safety and regulatory compliance across our service, ensuring we meet key objectives and protect the communities we serve. This involves having a good understanding of all aspects of the department.

• Schedule audits for higher risk premises using intelligence-led, risk-based approaches to reduce the risk to our business community in line with Service objectives.
• Gather and maintain accurate risk profiles by liaising daily with Fire Safety Regulators, Station Managers and Crews in line with legal requirements.
• Undertake the preparation of Notice of Deficiencies, Prohibition and Enforcement Notices and correspondence utilising the Fire Safety Management system, ensuring all legal requirements and deadlines are adhered to for timely review and issuance by Fire Safety Inspectors.
• Responsible for ensuring all administration in relation to regulatory requirements are dealt with in a timely manner including, but not limited to, Building Regulations, Licensing, Enforcement and Building Complaints, liaising with Fire Safety team members as required and monitoring progress to ensure deadlines are met.
• Maintain accurate records of all data submitted from external parties relating to the Fire Safety (England) Regs 2022 as part of the national requirement, ensuring appropriate action is taken by the Protection Team.
• Support as required, monitoring local authority planning portals for applications and update the internal database to assist with ensuring developments are following Government guidelines, including Building Regulations 2010 and the National Guidance document on Water for Firefighting.
• Extract data from computer systems and spreadsheets to provide information and create management information reports on Protection activity data, including but not limited to Home Office statistics, inspecting officer performance, forecast, FOI requests and manipulate this data to be presented in the required format.

About you

You will be confident managing competing priorities in a busy environment, handling sensitive and confidential information with discretion. While an understanding of relevant legislation is important, full training will be provided, along with ongoing support from the Protection Planning Manager to ensure statutory requirements are met.

You will have:

• Basic literacy and numeracy skills, equivalent to GCSE Grade 4 (C) or above.
• A Level 2 Certificate in Fire Safety (or equivalent), or a willingness to obtain this in post.
• In-depth experience of administrative work including the maintenance of electronic and paper records.
• In-depth experience of using a Windows based IT system and Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to use your own initiative, prioritising workload to meet deadlines and the ability to manage a number of tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to work as part of a team and unsupervised.
• Methodical and logical approach to work including the ability to track and co-ordinate tasks assigned to others.
• Some experience working with databases and obtaining, analysing, and collating data to produce accurate reports on key performance indicators.
• Experience liaising directly with a wide range of customers, identifying their needs, and dealing with them confidently and professionally.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and work in line with data protection principles.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, adaptable to their audience with the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English.

You must be able to travel throughout the county as and when required.

If you are an experienced administrator and are ready to contribute to our team, apply now!

Why work with us

We recognise that you are looking for more than just a career. We offer the following benefits to support your career whilst maintaining a healthy work/life balance:

• Flexi-time scheme including flexible start and finish times, variable lunch breaks and flexi-leave days.
• Holiday allowance of 25 days (plus public holidays) on joining; increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service and 32 days after 10 years' service (pro rata if part time or irregular working pattern).
• Free access to onsite gym facilities.
• Free onsite parking.
• Employee-friendly policies including flexible working, enhanced maternity parental leave, special leave, and career breaks.
• Instant access to 'Lifestyle Savings' platform includes a range of discount cards from well-known and independent retailers.
• Eligible to sign up to 'Blue Light Card' with access to thousands of amazing discounts online and on the high street.

Next steps

If this role is of interest, please visit our website for further information and to make a formal application. We ask that you include your full career history and reference your skills and experience in line with the job description and person specification within your application and supporting statement.

This is a public-facing role and it is essential to have the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English.

This post will be exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2023. Therefore, applicants are not entitled to withhold information about convictions which for other purposes are 'spent' under the provision of the Act.

The appointment will be made subject to satisfactory pre-employment clearances, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance at the level required for the role.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safer recruitment, and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Adults, Children and Young People and all staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is an equal opportunities employer that welcomes applications from all sections of the community.