Water Officer - Bedford

Water Officer – Bedford

Salary: Starting salary *GBP*31,067 per annum rising to *GBP*33,366 per annumBasis: Full timePackage: 37 hours per week, Flexitime scheme, Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), Holiday allowance of 25 days (plus public holidays) on joining.Contractual Hours: 37Region: NorthJob Category: Protection

Job Description:

This is an exciting opportunity to join our protection team.

We are seeking a dedicated and proactive individual to help ensure water supplies are secured for firefighting purposes under the Fire Services Act 2004.

You will be the single point of contact for external stakeholders who need to consult the Fire Service regarding the provision of water supplies for new developments and changes to infrastructure. This includes liaising directly with water authorities and local authorities, responding to planning consultations, and implementing planning conditions where possible to ensure adequate water for firefighting.

You will also provide responses, guidance, and additional information within tight consultation timelines in accordance with current legislation. Additionally, you will be required to monitor the hydrant testing and maintenance programme to ensure existing hydrants are fit to deliver water for firefighting purposes.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and manage Hydrant Technicians, reviewing performance and identifying development needs.
• Communicate with key stakeholders regarding water supplies and firefighting access, including planning consultations, enquiries, and complaints.
• Contribute to the provision and sharing of risk information to ensure all water supplies are identified on mobile data terminals.
• Manage and maintain databases for fire hydrant provision, defect reporting, and maintenance to ensure timely installations and repairs.
• Respond to development consultations to prevent adverse impacts on existing hydrant provision.
• Liaise with local authorities and developers to reduce the financial burden of providing fire hydrants and secure planning condition approvals.
• Maximise cost recovery from testing private hydrants by liaising with owners and responsible persons.
• Represent the Service at meetings and provide advice and information based on attendance.
• Prepare, submit, and monitor budget returns, ensuring departmental resources are properly managed for continuous service delivery.

For more details about the key responsibilities and essential criteria required for the role, please see the attached job description and person specification.

About you

You will have:

• Or be willing to attain in post detailed knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation and guidance to secure water for firefighting such as, Fire Service Act 2004, BS9999, Town & Country Planning Act, Fire Safety: Approved Document B.

• English Language and Mathematics GCSEs at grade 4 or above or equivalent experience.

• In-depth experience in using Microsoft 365 applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (or similar).

• In-depth experience of working as part of a team and with minimal supervision.

• Good communication skills, both written and verbal, in order to issue written correspondence and liaise verbally with staff at all levels including representatives of external organisations.

• Good organisational skills in order to manage and prioritise workloads and ensure deadlines are met.

• Numeracy skills in order to process accounts and maintain financial records.

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. A few of our benefits include:

• Hybrid working patterns
• Flexi-time scheme including flexible start and finish times, variable lunch breaks and flexi-leave days
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• 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
• 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 is an equal opportunities employer that welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

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