Lead Fire Engineer in Stafford

Do you want to make a difference in your community? Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service prides itself on the high standard of service it provides and every role has an important part to play in helping keep Staffordshire safe. Every role in Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, including those in the shared service, exists to support the overall aim of achieving a safer and more sustainable community. This can take many forms, including conducting Home Fire Risk Checks, marketing the service to the community, coordinating training, or taking calls in our contact centre. As you can imagine, achieving our overall aim depends on a variety of people with a range of skills, backgrounds, and experiences.

About the Opportunity

A vacancy exists for the position of Lead Fire Engineer.

Location: Fire Service Headquarters, Pirehill, Stone, Staffs, ST15 0BS

Responsible to: Protection Lead

Salary: Green Book - £41,511 - £44,711 Grey Book = £50,041

Hours: Green book 37 hours per week, flexible working hours in operation / Grey book 42 hours per week

About the role: This is an exciting opportunity to support the Protection Lead to deliver the Protection Strategy for the Service, having responsibility for the Central Protection Team in delivering building regulation and licensing applications, as well as leading on the prosecution function for the Service. The postholder will also be the authoritative resource in relation to fire safety engineered solutions and associated matters, working with stakeholders and partners to ensure all new buildings and major refurbishments within Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire are designed and built to:

• Prevent fire deaths, injuries and loss
• Be more sustainable
• Reduce the economic and environmental impact from fire

Duties Include:

• Ensure compliance with all appropriate/approved documents of any major planning project design
• Lead on the Community Sprinkler Project, ensuring relevant directorates and boards are updated at timely intervals
• Ensure that all major refurbishments and new build projects consider design freedoms offered through early inclusion of fire suppression systems and any future fire safety innovations
• Support the development of a countywide media campaign regarding fire suppression systems and future fire safety innovations
• Support Fire Safety Enforcement Officers in monitoring all local activities in order to prevent duplication, share information, and maintain consistency in this subject area
• Support the Continual Professional Development of Fire Safety Enforcement Officers regarding fire suppression systems and future fire safety innovations
• To maintain operational competence in line with the Services Operational Competency Framework and to provide resilience to the response arrangements within the organisation during periods of high demand i.e. spate conditions. (If Grey Book)

Person Specification:

Essential Criteria:

• Education and Training: BEng (Hons) Fire Engineering or a related subject (related subjects could include other engineering disciplines or straight physics or chemistry) of equivalent ability, supported by mathematical qualification to A level standard.
• Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal), in order to interact effectively with internal and external stakeholders and partners
• Good IT skills and use of Microsoft Office and CAD programs
• Able to work effectively alone, and as a part of a team. Able to process new information quickly. Good time management
• Effective presentation skills in order to deliver to large and small audiences of all levels of ability and seniority
• Experience of line managing others
• Experience in financial and budget management
• 3 years fire safety experience (minimum), and a good understanding of fire safety principles and fire safety laws. External applicants should be able to demonstrate experience of designing and managing successful fire engineered projects
• Knowledge of approved documents related to fire engineering BB 100, BS 7974, BS9999, BSEN12845 etc.; laws and regulations (Building regulations, RR(FS)O, ADB); CFD programs
• Experience in planning section work, or an appreciation of the mechanisms and constraints within which building control bodies have to operate

This post is subject to a DBS Check.

Desirable Criteria:

• Masters Degree and Chartered Engineer status, or a willingness to commit to achieving Chartered Engineer status
• Full range of Fire Service College fire safety modules or appropriate/equivalent CPD qualifications.
• ILM Level 3 Management qualification;
• Knowledge of Fire and Rescue Authority/Service organisational structures
• A knowledge of the County of Staffordshire;
• Possess computer programming skills or a willingness to learn this. Practical experience of fire dynamics and firefighting operations

Additional Information: This vacancy is open to internal and external applicants. Further details of the key tasks, responsibilities can be found within the role profile.

Closing date: Wednesday April 2nd (midday)

Interview date: TBC

In addition to your salary, you will have access to a range of benefits including:

• Enhanced Annual Leave Entitlement
• Generous Pension Scheme
• Access to Gyms & Fitness Advisor
• Free Parking at Most Sites
• Enhanced Maternity Package
• Occupational Health
• Well-being Champions
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Eye Tests
• Flexible Working Scheme
• The Firefighter Charity
• Cycle Scheme
• Blue Light Card
• Flamesavers
• Rewards for rescue
• Say So
• Development Programme
• Trade Unions
• Career Breaks
• Physiotherapy
• TRiM
• Employment Network
• Fostering Friendly

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Services 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.