Fire Safety Manager

Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Swindon

Job Summary

The Government Property Agency is the largest property holder in government, with more than £2.1 billion in property assets and over 55% of the government’s office estate.

We are transforming the way the Civil Service works by creating great places to work, leading the largest commercial office programme in the UK, working towards halving carbon emissions from government offices, and achieving greater value for taxpayers. And we are looking for innovative, solutions-focused people to join our team.

Representing the best covenant in the UK – His Majesty’s Government – we are leading transformational programmes such as the Government Hubs Programme, Whitehall Campus Programme and Net Zero Programme, as well as delivering modern, cost-effective real estate service solutions.

Innovation and progress are at the heart of our behaviours. We foster a culture of lifelong learning, where curiosity and self-improvement are encouraged. And we’re dedicated to becoming a leading, inclusive employer both in the external market and throughout the Civil Service. Our strong emphasis on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is not just about driving inclusion across our organisation, it is also about ensuring our services meet the needs of government departments and the civil servants who use our spaces.

Join our dynamic and diverse team that leads with purpose, improving sustainability, nurturing social value, driving inclusivity and flexibility, and kickstarting economic growth. We are driven by purpose, and you can be part of it too: where you make a meaningful impact; where you influence; where your voice really matters; where you help to shape our future direction.

The GPA is committed to representing the communities we serve by making Diversity, Equality and Inclusion part of everything we do.

To ensure that we are always recruiting and retaining a diverse mix of talent, we are particularly inviting applications from candidates who are disabled, ethnically or gender diverse, and people who identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Job Description

The key purpose of the Assurance Team’s Fire Manager role is to ensure effective management arrangements for GPA clients in respect of Fire Safety Management. The post holder will be part of an initially small team of discipline-specific managers and will report to the Assurance Team, Head of Fire Safety.

The Fire Safety Manager Will:

• Ensure that the GPA successfully discharges its statutory obligations, enabling safe working environments for GPA clients and occupiers.
• Assist in the development of robust, safe systems of work across all GPA activities, acting as a specialist for Fire Safety.
• Ensure the successful delivery of fire safety services.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver and maintain the fire safety policy to ensure that latest developments in legislation and performance based solutions, as supported by issued codes of practice, are implemented.
• Ensure complete consultation with key GPA on-boarded stakeholders.
• Work with the Head of Fire Safety to monitor and assess proposed legislation and codes of practice for relevance to GPA policy and governance of fire safety.
• In collaboration with GPA on-boarded stakeholders, undertake joint engagement with Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate (CPFSI) inspections of governance of fire safety across the GPA Estate.
• Ensure integration of fire safety standards and participate in cross government forums for the benefit of all. Report on the delivery of the fire safety strategy, taking any necessary corrective measures to ensure delivery to meet overall requirements.
• Engage with the Project Delivery Team (PDT) to ensure that business-specific operational fire safety requirements are properly identified, defined and adopted in compliance with all necessary standards, in projects and maintenance activities delivered by PDT and contractors.
• The provision of advice and guidance on fire safety policy, technical standards and operational issues to all GPA on-boarded clients.
• Provide proactive technical advice, working with business areas to understand and identify their need for any support/advice.
• Provide reactive technical advice through the provision of general and specific advice on request, including; review of policy & projects programmed by the Project Delivery Team from a fire safety perspective. Development of additional guidance to meet customer needs and deliver training as required.
• Deliver a risk-based fire safety management assurance programme.
• Undertake any other reasonable tasks in consultation with the Fire Safety Officer.

External Influence:

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with key supplier contacts, managing the relationship at a tactical and operational level.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with clients across all relevant clusters.
• Represent GPA at any relevant external pan-Government groups.
• Ensure structured regular liaison takes place with all on-boarded stakeholders and Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate (CPFSI) and attend corporate forums, committees and meetings in relation to fire safety.
• Work with others to identify areas for improvement and simplify processes to use fewer resources. Use technology where possible to increase efficiency.

Risk Management:

• Ensure that discipline-specific risk registers are maintained.
• Support the facilities and project managers to resolve key risks, taking ownership for risk mitigation where appropriate.
• Ensure that the need for expert advice is identified appropriately.

Leadership:

• Deliver best in class Fire Safety Assurance services to GPA clients.
• Involve and consult with the team members to ensure that best practice and procedures are in place.
• Contribute to full team activities such as development days, team meetings etc.
• Lead relevant team training sessions.
• Deputise for the Head of Fire Safety when required.

Key Contacts:

• Operations Directorate contacts
• Programme Directorate, particularly Hubs colleagues
• Account Managers
• Senior client contacts
• Senior contractor contacts
• Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate, Local Fire Services and any other enforcing bodies.

Authority

• Decision making - Yes.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

Experience and Technical Skills

• Experience of managing fire safety.
• Have experience of conducting fire audits.
• Ability to engage with stakeholders at senior level.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Client Focus – ability to interpret and understand business needs of clients in order to build positive relationships.
• Communication & Influence – ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing to gain support for initiatives and to enable solution implementation.
• Ability to work autonomously, prioritising tasks effectively in order to meet deadlines (both internal and external) and communicating progress wherever necessary.
• Conversant and competent in management of clients and contractors.
• Commitment to continuous improvement.
• Conversant with IT systems and the ability to analyse Management Information to inform decision-making.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of client handling/client management.
• Experience of Risk Management.
• Experience dealing with issues arising from the Equality Act from a property perspective.
• Ability to demonstrate exceptional service delivery in a similar working environment.
• Team working – working collaboratively in a positive manner to build trust and rapport across the GPA.
• Experience of dealing with contractors, supply chain, FM providers and client side relationships in a multi-client environment.
• Practical experience in negotiation skills that have achieved positive outcomes.

Qualifications And Accreditations

Essential criteria:

• Level 3 Fire Safety Certificate or equivalent.
• Membership of a relevant professional body e.g. IFE and IFSM.

Desirable Criteria:

• Level 4 Fire Safety Certificate or equivalent.
• Track record of maintaining continuous learning through CPD.

Behaviours

• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

• Customer Perspective
• Commercial Acumen
• Property Market Knowledge
• Innovation

Alongside your salary of £41,055, Government Property Agency contributes £11,893 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• Generous annual leave.
• GPA is also committed to recognising and rewarding where our staff hold the “Gold Standard’ accreditation relevant to their Specialism and offer a £5000 non-pensionable allowance to staff who have achieved this.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities and wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and well-being and aim to create a sense of belonging in a workplace where everyone feels valued. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme (RIS) to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction.

Sift

The sift is due to take place week commencing 5th May 2025.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a CV and a 500 word personal statement. The personal statement should then align with the person specification.

Interview

GPA policy is for interviews to be held face to face, with virtual interviews only by absolute exception. The date and location will be confirmed if you are invited to interview. If you feel this will be a problem for you, please contact recruitment@gpa.gov.uk to discuss prior to submitting your application.

At interview, applicants will be scored against 5 behaviours - Working Together, Making Effective Decisions, Changing and Improving, Communicating and Influencing and Delivering at Pace.

Interview questions will be a blend of Behaviour, Experience and Technical (core skill) questions.

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to GPA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via gparecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.