Senior Fire Safety Assurance Manager

Equans is looking for a Senior Fire Safety Assurance Manager to join our team covering the Southeast of England. This is a permanent, full-time role, working 40 hours per week. On offer is a competitive salary, company vehicle or allowance, bonus and benefits package.

We are looking for a highly competent Fire Safety specialist. You will be joining a dynamic and growing central engineering function, with the ability to work autonomously, and within an established group of Subject Matter Experts. Our team sets the standards and strives to deliver more centrally, to support our operational colleagues. If you are keen for progression and want to work within a competent, high-performance team, with a culture of continuous improvement, then please apply!

As the Senior Fire Safety Assurance Manager for the South East and London, you will be supporting around £150 million of contracts (turnover) per year. The purpose of this role is to develop guidance and policy documents, de-mystifying the fire disciplines, and work with our operational technical staff to implement these documents, ensuring compliance with the relevant standards. You will also provide advice to strategic leaders and Subject Matter Expert support to the Divisions Operational teams regarding all aspects of Fire Safety Compliance.

The Sustainable Facilities Management Division incorporates a broad spectrum of customer contracts including Manufacturing, Transport, Central Government, Industrial, Retail, Leisure, Healthcare, Education and Corporate. The role will support all sectors including the specific requirements of PFI.

The successful candidate will lead on the development of governance processes associated with our fire safety management systems across our South Eastern portfolio. The post holder must have significant Fire Safety experience and be proficient at drafting detailed Fire Safety technical reports and be able to support and actively lead accident or operational incident investigations that may have caused injury to personnel or an interruption to our customer's operations through Fires.

In addition, the post holder will provide Subject Matter Expertise (SME) support across the business including into bids, projects, new opportunities and day-to-day operational support, including advice and guidance on best practice standards, system and operational asset performance improvements.

What will you deliver?

• Setting the strategic direction in the management of fire safety projects and fire safety compliance standards
• Building relationships with contract client Fire representatives
• Promoting good fire safety practices to contract Fire Safety Representatives, and acting as a conduit between operations and senior operational leaders, ensuring the effective management, governance, communication and oversight
• Acting as a key member of the Fire Safety Assurance Governance Committee
• Interpreting and distributing fire safety requirements, guidance, and information, including changes, to keep our operational teams and leaders up to date with current legislation, and how this is to be adhered to by EQUANS
• Specifically, providing the interpretation and application of the provisions of legislation in The Fire Safety Order 2005 (RRO), The Building Safety Act (BSA)
• Overseeing and analysing complaints relating to issues of fire safety, looking for key trends across the Division, and formulating solutions to prevent re-occurrence
• Liaising with emergency services on behalf of EQUANS, and/or clients, ensuring that scheduled and ad-hoc visits (particularly following Fires) are managed proactively and competently
• Support in the procurement, setting to work and monitoring of Fire related PPM and Remedial projects, ensuring inspections and repairs are carried out to the correct standard
• Where required, undertaking fire safety inspections and audits on High-Risk sites, and prepare reports for EQUANS operational offices where the size and complexity would allow
• Act as EQUANS Fire expert when evaluating fire safety design submissions
• Support, and provide technical advice to allow the competent review and challenge of Fire Risk Assessments - ensuring these are accurate, adequate, and appropriate, in line with our contract scopes
• All fire disciplines including but not limited to: Fire alarm test and maintenance, Fire Door inspection, Fire/Smoke Damper maintenance, Fire detection testing and maintenance
• Support operations with the development of a Fire Safety insourcing strategy, including training, for the self-delivery of Fire activities, and monitoring the implementation of these to ensure statutory compliance
• Sourcing training and providing mentoring for staff on the upcoming release of the Fire Safety Act (2023), to ensure new regulations are understood and adhered to
• Support our PFI contracts specifically in relation to Maintenance and Lifecycle planning
• Support procurement/operations with the compliant scoping and sourcing of competent Fire contractors
• Development and delivery of Fire specific induction training
• Developing/delivering an Auditing Programme, so that issues are identified proactively and addressed by contracts, with the support of the Fire SME
• Support the review of data during mobilisation periods, and assisting operations with the prioritisation of remedial works to achieve compliance

What can we offer you?

On offer is a competitive salary, company vehicle or allowance, bonus, and benefits package, which includes:

• 25 days annual leave (+ public holidays)
• Life Cover equivalent to 2 times annual salary
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Gym membership discounts
• Cycle to work scheme
• Holiday purchase scheme
• 2 corporate social responsibility days per year
• Broad range of learning opportunities, such as professional qualifications, collective/individual training, and personalised support programmes
• Attractive Employee Referral Rewards Scheme
• Access to our growing employee networks
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app

Who are you?

• Good working knowledge in building fire safety and building engineering services
• Extensive experience within the building/fire safety industry at Management level
• Good understanding of H&S risks
• Member of recognised professional body in relation to Fire Safety Management
• Significant, detailed knowledge of Fire Safety Compliance requirements, and an ability to take these requirements and clearly articulate them to non-technical staff
• Recognised qualification in a fire safety discipline with extensive experience working in a senior Fire Safety Management role
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development
• Sound knowledge and understanding of working in the Facilities Management environment
• Experienced with IT and database skills
• Active listening skills
• Effective communication and presentation skills both verbal and non-verbal
• Technical report writing skills
• Influencing and negotiating skills
• Able to investigate and solve problems

This role includes a DBS Enhanced with Barred Lists check therefore ability to pass is essential.

Who are we?

In the UK & Ireland, Equans is a provider of sustainable facilities management and regeneration, and cutting-edge energy and digital services. Our 15,000 employees combine these activities to deliver decarbonisation across the built environment and help businesses, communities, public sector organisations and government to accelerate the transition to a low carbon, resilient world.

Globally, Equans is a world leader in the energy and services sector with operations in 20 countries, 90,000 employees working on 5 continents and a turnover of 19.2 billion euros in 2024. Equans is a subsidiary of the Bouygues group.

Our ambition

At Equans, we are driven by our ambition to be recognised for our operational excellence and as the best place to work for our employees. This commitment extends to achieving global and sustainable performance through Impact, ensuring that everything we do aligns with our core values - Accountability, Respect, Team Spirit, and Service Focus. We take ownership, act with integrity, and set high standards. We listen, support, and care for one another. We collaborate and build trust to achieve shared goals, always striving to meet our customers' needs in a proactive and pragmatic way. These values shape our culture, strengthen our community, and inspire us to deliver excellence every day.

What’s next?

If this role is of interest to you, please click below to register, apply, and track your progress! A member of our Resourcing Team will review your application and be in touch.

As part of our commitment to better reflect the markets within which we operate, we encourage applications from women, ethnically diverse individuals and people with disabilities, along with all candidates who identify with protected characteristic groups under the Equality Act 2010. At Equans we’re committed to delivering a culture where everyone’s voice is heard and supported. We know the value a diverse workforce creates, delivering better results for our people, customers, and stakeholders. Diversity and inclusion is at the core of what we do; should you join Equans you’ll find a welcoming and open workplace where you’re supported and encouraged to be your true self at work. You will also have access to our growing employee networks including AccessAbility (representing those with physical and mental disabilities), Encompass (representing the LGBTQ+ community), RISE (representing people from ethnic backgrounds), Veterans & Reservists, WOMEN Together (representing women in Equans), Working Parents, and Young Professionals.

For this role, you must have evidence of the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer a re-location package with this job role. Certain roles may require applicants to undergo a Disclosure check, as noted in the role requirements. The Equans Resourcing Team manage this requirement. Agency involvement is not required. All related enquiries should come to the resourcing team not direct to Equans Managers.