At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead life safety systems management and ensure compliance across complex scientific environments.
- Company: Join Defra, a key player in protecting the UK's environment and public safety.
- Benefits: Earn £500 per day, enjoy remote work, and contribute to vital national infrastructure.
- Other info: Home-based role with opportunities for professional growth and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on safety and compliance in high-risk scientific facilities.
- Qualifications: Experience in life safety systems and strong stakeholder management skills required.
Location: North West (Home-Based – travel to offices as required)
Contract: 6 Months
Rate: £500 per day (Inside IR35)
Security Clearance: Active SC Clearance Required
Charlton Recruitment is recruiting on behalf of Defra for an experienced Life Safety Systems Manager to join a specialist team on an initial 6-month contract. This is an excellent opportunity to play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety, compliance, and operational resilience of life safety systems across one of the UK's most complex scientific estates. Working remotely from the North West, you will provide technical leadership and governance across high-risk environments where safety, compliance, and operational excellence are paramount.
About Defra
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for protecting and enhancing the environment, supporting the UK's world-leading food and farming industries, and sustaining thriving rural communities. Defra's work impacts millions of people every day—from the air we breathe and the water we drink to the food on our tables.
The Role
As the Life Safety Systems Manager, you will be the recognised Subject Matter Expert (SME) for life safety systems, providing technical leadership, governance, assurance, and compliance across the science estate - Specialist Laboratories and Campuses, Research Hubs, Environment and Plant Health Facilities. You will ensure critical systems remain safe, compliant, reliable, and operational while supporting maintenance programmes, capital projects, and continuous improvement initiatives. This role is ideally suited to someone with extensive experience managing life safety systems within complex, highly regulated, or high-risk environments.
Key Responsibilities:
- Act as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all life safety systems across the Weybridge site and wider science estate.
- Lead governance, assurance, and statutory compliance for life safety systems in accordance with legislative requirements, industry standards, and Defra policies.
- Take ownership of the full lifecycle of critical life safety systems, including:
- Fire detection and alarm systems
- Fire suppression systems (gas suppression and sprinklers)
- Emergency and escape lighting
- Smoke control and pressurisation systems
- Confined space safety systems, including oxygen depletion monitoring and man-trapped alarms
- Emergency egress and protected building infrastructure
- Ensure all life safety systems are maintained, tested, validated, and fit for operational use.
- Develop, implement, and maintain technical standards, policies, procedures, and best practice guidance.
- Undertake technical assurance reviews, compliance audits, and risk assessments, ensuring risks are identified, recorded, and appropriately mitigated.
- Lead and support technical investigations following incidents, producing detailed reports and recommendations.
- Act as the Intelligent Client Function (ICF), providing technical oversight of Facilities Management service providers.
- Review and approve engineering designs, modifications, and new installations to ensure compliance with statutory requirements and engineering best practice.
- Support capital projects through design reviews, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), commissioning, and technical assurance.
- Maintain accurate asset data, technical documentation, and compliance records.
- Develop competency frameworks and deliver technical guidance and training for engineers, contractors, and end users.
- Monitor system performance, identifying opportunities to improve reliability, resilience, and operational efficiency.
- Build strong relationships with APHA stakeholders, project teams, contractors, and service providers to ensure effective collaboration.
- Support financial planning, lifecycle management, and prioritisation of maintenance and capital investment programmes.
About You
You will have substantial experience managing life safety systems within complex engineering or highly regulated environments and possess a strong understanding of engineering governance, statutory compliance, and risk management. You'll also demonstrate:
- Significant experience working in a high-risk environment as a safety or engineering professional.
- Proven experience managing the full lifecycle of life safety systems, including specification, installation, commissioning, maintenance, and replacement.
- Experience delivering or supporting engineering projects involving life safety systems.
- Experience working with safe systems of work, including developing and reviewing risk assessments and method statements, particularly relating to engineering and decontamination systems.
- Experience managing contractors and ensuring safe working practices on site.
- Strong knowledge of life safety systems and their application within complex buildings and infrastructure.
- The ability to undertake technical compliance audits and provide expert engineering guidance.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and build effective working relationships at all levels.
- Experience using a variety of complex IT systems to manage contractors, suppliers, people, properties, and assets.
- Strong investigation skills, including engineering analysis and root cause investigation methodologies.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Essential Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor's Degree in Safety, Engineering, Construction, or a related discipline, or an equivalent qualification such as the NEBOSH Diploma. Membership of a recognised professional body such as IOSH, IET, or another relevant engineering or safety institution. Professional registration or membership such as CMIOSH, IEng, or CEng is desirable; candidates who are actively working towards professional registration will also be considered. Applicants should demonstrate substantial experience managing life safety systems within complex, high-risk, or highly regulated environments, together with the technical expertise and stakeholder management skills required to lead governance, assurance, and compliance activities. This role is suited to an experienced life safety or engineering professional who can provide expert technical leadership, ensure statutory compliance, and work collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver safe, resilient, and compliant engineering systems.
What's on Offer
£500 per day (Inside IR35)
Initial 6-month contract
Home-based role covering the North West
Opportunity to work with one of the UK's leading Government departments on nationally significant infrastructure.
Play a key role in protecting critical scientific facilities and ensuring compliance across a complex estate.
Work alongside experienced engineering and facilities professionals on high-profile programmes.
Please note: Applicants must hold active SC (Security Clearance) to be considered for this opportunity.
Life Safety Systems Manager in Warrington employer: Charlton Recruitment
High Speed Two Ltd is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in North Acton, London, where you can play a pivotal role in one of the UK's most ambitious infrastructure projects. With a strong focus on employee growth, competitive benefits including a generous pension scheme, healthcare, and 25 days of holiday, you will have the opportunity to advance your career towards Senior Project Manager while working collaboratively with industry leaders on complex MEP systems. Join us to be part of a culture that values innovation, teamwork, and meaningful contributions to the future of British transport.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Life Safety Systems Manager in Warrington
✨Get Hands-On with Temporary Projects
Temporary roles are all about flexibility and quick results. Look for short-term engineering projects or gigs that local companies might need help with. You can find these on job boards like Indeed or even niche platforms like PeoplePerHour. Don't be shy to reach out directly to firms—sometimes they have needs that aren't posted yet!
✨Tap into Engineering Meetups
Networking is key in engineering, especially for temporary positions. Check out local engineering meetups or hackathons relevant to your interests. Engaging with peers can lead to leads on temporary roles. Plus, it’s a sweet way to showcase your skills and passion in person—who knows who might be hiring at one of these events?
✨Leverage Your Connections
Let your friends and family know you're on the hunt for a temporary engineering role. Often, personal recommendations can get you in the door faster than any application. Share your goals and what you’re looking for through social media or casual conversations; you’d be surprised how many people might have the right connections!
✨Stay Sharp with Online Courses
While you're searching, keep those skills fresh! Take on some online courses related to your engineering field. Platforms like Coursera or edX can help you stay current and even get some certifications under your belt. This shows potential employers at Charlton Recruitment that you’re committed to growth, making you a more appealing candidate for temporary roles.
We think you need these skills to ace Life Safety Systems Manager in Warrington
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Versatile Engineering Skills:For a temporary engineering role like this one at Charlton Recruitment, make sure to showcase a broad range of your engineering skills. Talk about different projects you’ve undertaken, focusing on your problem-solving ability and adaptability—key traits for temporary positions that depend on quick integration into teams.
Be Clear About Your Availability:Since this is a temporary role, clarity is essential. In your cover letter, be upfront about your availability and how soon you can start. Employers like Charlton Recruitment want to know that you can hit the ground running, so don’t shy away from mentioning your flexibility!
Tailor Your CV to Showcase Relevant Experience:Make sure your CV is tailored to reflect the specific engineering projects relevant to the job. For instance, if you’ve worked on temporary contracts before or have engaged in diverse engineering processes, highlight these experiences to show how well-rounded you are.
Include References from Past Employers:Temporary positions often require trust and reliability. Adding references from previous employers can significantly boost your application. It shows that you have a strong work ethic and can adapt quickly, which is exactly what Charlton Recruitment will be looking for.
How to prepare for a job interview at Charlton Recruitment
✨Get to Grips with Your Technical Skills
Engineering roles often involve assessing your technical expertise, so be prepared to delve into your core skills. Brush up on relevant software and tools you’ve used before, as well as any engineering principles that relate to the position at Charlton Recruitment. We want you to showcase your hands-on experience and problem-solving capabilities – it could be the difference between you and another candidate!
✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Scenarios
Expect to tackle some practical scenarios during the interview. Whether it's a design challenge or a troubleshooting test, Charlton Recruitment might want to see how you approach real-world engineering problems. Think of specific examples from your past work where you had to think on your feet and be ready to walk your interviewers through your thought process.
✨Show Your Adaptability in Temporary Roles
Since this is a temporary position, it’s key to demonstrate your flexibility and ability to hit the ground running. Make sure to convey your eagerness to learn and adapt quickly to the team and the specific projects at Charlton Recruitment. We all know that temporary roles can be a bit of a whirlwind, so emphasise your quick learning skills and your approach to managing change.
✨Highlight Relevant Portfolio Projects
If you've worked on engineering projects that align with the role at Charlton Recruitment, make sure to bring them up! A portfolio can be a great way to illustrate your engineering prowess. Discuss the challenges you faced, the solutions you implemented, and the results achieved – this will give the interviewers a tangible idea of what you bring to the table.
