Senior Building Safety Team Manager in Bedford

Position: Senior Building Safety Team Manager

Salary: £55,000 – £65,000 per annum, dependent on qualifications, competence and experience, plus annual performance bonus

Location: Office: Bedford - Client sites primarily across London

Working pattern: H ybrid – 3 days in the Bedford office, 2 days working from home, with travel to client sites when necessary.

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Experience: Minimum 5 years in building safety and fire safety in Highrise residential buildings

Safety Consulting Partnership Limited (SafeConsult) is a fire safety and building safety compliance consultancy based in Bedford. We work primarily with residential high-rise and Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs) across England, helping Accountable Persons, Principal Accountable Persons, developers and managing agents meet their duties under the Building Safety Act 2022, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and associated regulations.

Our services include fire risk assessments, compartmentation audits, Building Safety Case Reports, Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 submissions, CDM and Building Regulations Principal Designer services, smoke control and passive fire protection work, and the compliance documentation that sits behind them.

Responsibilities

We are looking for a suitably qualified, competent and experienced Senior Building Safety Team Manager to lead and develop our team of building safety consultants. You will take technical and operational ownership of the building safety services we deliver to clients with HRBs registered with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), ensuring that every report, strategy and submission we issue is accurate, defensible and practical for the people who have to use it.

This is a hands-on leadership role. Alongside managing the team, you will carry your own caseload, attend client sites to undertake inspections and surveys, and gather the information needed to produce high-quality reports.

Team leadership

• Lead, manage and develop a team of building safety consultants, allocating work, setting priorities and monitoring delivery against programme.
• Provide technical review, quality assurance and sign-off of reports, strategies and regulatory submissions produced by the team.
• Mentor and coach consultants, identify training needs and support their competence development and CPD.
• Prepare and review Safety Case Reports for occupied HRBs.
• Prepare Retrospective Fire Strategies for buildings in occupation, including older, heritage and non-standard buildings.
• Develop Residents’ Engagement Strategies and Residents’ Information Packs.
• Establish and support client Mandatory Occurrence Reporting systems and resident complaints systems.
• Advise on and support Golden Thread information management.

Design, construction and regulatory submissions

• Support our project management team by acting as Principal Designer, or Principal Designer advisor, under the CDM Regulations 2015 and the Building Regulations dutyholder regime.
• Prepare and coordinate Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 submissions to the Building Safety Regulator.
• Conduct compliance reviews of designs, documentation and existing buildings, and provide coordination support to clients and project teams.
• Advise clients clearly on their statutory duties under the Building Safety Act 2022 and related legislation, and on proportionate corrective actions.

Knowledge

• Legislation and guidance: a thorough understanding of current UK fire and building safety legislation, including the Building Safety Act 2022, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Fire Safety Act 2021, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the Building Regulations and Approved Document B, BS 9991, BS 9999 and other relevant British Standards.
• Fire safety: a comprehensive understanding of fire behaviour and how fire safety is integrated into building design, including compartmentation, means of escape, smoke control and passive fire protection.
• Structural awareness: proficiency in assessing structural risks, identifying hazards and understanding structural design principles.
• Construction and materials: familiarity with older and heritage buildings as well as modern methods of construction, sustainability practices, and material testing for new and existing structures.
• Project frameworks: awareness and understanding of the RIBA Plan of Work stages.

Qualifications and Experience

• A relevant qualification at Level 5 or above as a minimum, such as the CIOB Level 6 Building Safety Diploma, or a qualification in Building Surveying, Building Control or equivalent.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in building safety and fire safety, including work on HRBs, Safety Case Reports and fire strategies.
• Experience of leading and developing a team of technical professionals.

Skills and Attributes

• Highly organised, with excellent attention to detail.
• The ability to produce clear, accurate and well-structured reports for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Confident communicator, able to work with clients, residents, designers, contractors and regulators.
• Able to manage competing priorities across multiple projects while maintaining high standards.
• Willingness to travel, including occasional overnight stays where required.

Working Arrangements and Travel

This is a hybrid role, normally three days in our Bedford office and two days working from home. You will also need to visit client sites to undertake inspections and surveys, and to attend the Bedford office when required.

Travel to client sites is paid for by the company, normally by train and Underground, and a daily subsistence allowance is provided when attending sites.

What We Offer

• Salary: £55,000 – £65,000 per annum, dependent on qualifications, competence and experience.
• Healthcare: BUPA health and dental cover for you and your immediate family (spouse and children).
• Professional development: company-funded relevant training and ongoing CPD, plus professional membership reimbursement.
• Equipment: all technology, equipment and PPE required for the role, including laptop, mobile phone and survey equipment.
• Team: company events and an annual Christmas party.

Note to agencies: We prefer to hire directly and do not accept unsolicited or speculative CVs or candidate details from agencies. Any CV submitted without our prior written agreement will be treated as a direct application, and no fee will be payable.