About the role:
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is seeking an exceptional leader to join our Fire Control Leadership Team as a Station Manager (Control).
This is a critical leadership role responsible for the delivery, performance and continuous improvement of the Fire Control Room function, ensuring the effective mobilisation of resources and delivery of high-quality services to our communities.
Reporting to the Group Manager Collaboration, Partnerships & Fire Control, you will lead Watch Managers and Control staff, ensuring operational readiness, performance standards and compliance with national and local guidance. You will work collaboratively across blue light services and partners to deliver the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) and support organisational priorities.
This role offers an opportunity to influence service delivery, partnership working and innovation within Fire Control, while developing people and shaping future capability.
Eligibility to apply:
This position is open only to existing Fire Control employees
Applications are sought from:
- suitably qualified Watch Managers or above
Key Responsibilities
You will:
Leadership and People Management
- Provide leadership and direction to Fire Control teams, including direct line management of Watch Managers
- Build a positive, inclusive and high-performing culture aligned to the Core Code of Ethics
- Manage performance, attendance, wellbeing and conduct in line with Service policy
- Develop staff capability through coaching, training and performance development
Operational & Service Delivery
- Lead the delivery of Fire Control operations, ensuring effective mobilisation and response
- Provide tactical leadership within Fire Control and attend incidents when required
- Ensure compliance with Local and National Operational Guidance
- Support business continuity and resilience arrangements
Organisational Delivery & Improvement
- Deliver and contribute to the CRMP and Fire Control functional plans
- Drive continuous improvement through performance monitoring, data analysis and learning
- Lead and support change initiatives, embedding new policies and ways of working
- Ensure operational assurance, quality standards and HMICFRS readiness
Partnerships and Collaboration
- Work with blue light partners, including Police and Ambulance Services
- Act as a key liaison within partnership arrangements, including national and cross-service working
- Represent the Service at meetings, networks and national groups where required
Governance, Risk and Resources
- Manage Fire Control resources, budgets and assets effectively
- Ensure compliance with health & safety, data protection and governance requirements
- Support policy development, risk management and service assurance
What We Are Looking For
We are seeking a candidate who can demonstrate strong leadership aligned to the NFCC Leadership Framework – Leading the Function :
Personal Impact
- Acts with integrity, professionalism and credibility
- Promotes inclusion, wellbeing and a positive culture
- Challenges inappropriate behaviour and role models standards
Outstanding Leadership
- Leads high-performing teams aligned to organisational priorities
- Develops others and supports succession planning
- Builds strong working relationships internally and externally
Organisational Effectiveness
- Uses data, insight and learning to inform decisions
- Manages risk, performance and resources effectively
- Drives continuous improvement and innovation
Service Delivery
- Aligns activity to CRMP and organisational strategy
- Delivers efficient, high-quality services
- Supports collaboration and long-term organisational resilience
Essential Criteria
- Experience of leadership and management at a supervisory/managerial level within a Fire Control room (WM or above)
- Strong understanding of Fire Control operations and working arrangements
- Evidence of continuous professional development
- Ability to manage people, performance and change effectively
- Competent Vision mobilising system user (or equivalent)
- Understanding of partnership working and multi-agency environments
Desirable Criteria
- Experience managing budgets and resources
- Airwave competence (Tactical Advisor desirable)
- Experience of working at a strategic or cross-functional level
- Involvement in national or regional groups
- NCLO qualification – or willingness to work towards
Additional Requirements
- Subject to Standard DBS check and Police Vetting Level 2
- Ability to support operational activity as required
- Commitment to ongoing development and organisational learning
Our Values
This recruitment process aims to support the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service objective to ensure we have the right people with the right skills, behaviours and values are in the right roles at the right time. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is committed to the ethical principles laid out in the Core Code of Ethics: Putting our communities first
- Integrity
- Dignity and respect
- Leadership
Equality, diversity and inclusion
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Why Join Us?
- Opportunity to influence and lead a critical emergency service function
- Work within a collaborative, forward-thinking Fire Control environment
Play a key role in shaping service delivery and future capability
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Application Process
Please provide a personal statement as part of your application. Your personal statement should be broken down into the four elements of the NFCC leadership framework under Leading the Function. You should provide evidence under each heading , ensure you provide clear examples linked to the framework which illustrate what you have done and the effect it had.
Please note, the application will state that the maximum character count is 8000 characters. Disregard this, the maximum word count is 4000 words.
Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, so please contact [email protected] if you have any queries or require assistance with your application.
Existing employees must apply using their Cornwall Council email address through the Opportunity Marketplace on Oracle.
The application form will be evaluated in order to progress to Stage 2.
Selection Process
The assessment and selection process will be based on
- [NFCC Leadership Framework]
Details will be sent to candidates who progress to selection stage, but the assessment will include:
Operational Competence assessment
Group Discussion
Presentation
Formal Interview
Feedback
- All applicants can request feedback whether successful or not.
- Feedback will be available from panel members.
- Applicants are asked to book an appointment, following completion of the process, with a panel member during the dates advertised in the schedule below.
Process Schedule
Interview and Selection Process Dates: 9 th July 2026
Supporting information:
Please contact Katie Rollason if you have any specific questions about the process.
Reasonable Adjustments:
Please inform the hiring manager and People Team of any reasonable adjustments you require to support you with this process. This must be done at least two days prior to the interview date.
About Us
Cornwall Council deliver services to more than half a million local people and over five million visitors a year. Working here - Cornwall Council
We are happy to talk about flexible working options such as part-time or compressed hours. More examples of our flexible working opportunities can be found here - flexible working options .
Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall. In order to best serve our communities, we are striving to achieve a diverse workforce that is inclusive of all backgrounds, cultures and identities; e.g., race, disability, sex, gender reassignment status, age, religion and sexual orientation. We are an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, and we will assess applicants on their merits.
Cornwall Council is committed to safeguarding and following safer recruitment principles to help make sure our staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children, young people and adults at risk. It’s a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keeping all service users safe from harm.
