The Opportunity
Salary: Station Manager B development £50,135 – competent £55,301
Working Pattern: Full time, average of 42 hours per week.
Location: Your primary office location will be our Training Centre in Horsham, and you will also have the flexibility to work from other stations throughout West Sussex. Additionally, there will be opportunities for you to work remotely from home, as deemed appropriate for your work responsibilities.
Assessments and Interview: Incident Command assessments are scheduled for w/c 29 June 2026 and interviews from w/c 6 July 2026
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is on a journey of continuous improvement, strengthening our ability to deliver services that make a real difference to our communities. We are proud to have opened our new Horsham Fire Station and Training Centre – a state-of-the-art facility designed to support the highest standards of operational training and professional development.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to building a positive, inclusive culture where our people feel empowered and supported to be at their best. This enables us to deliver outstanding service to our communities while upholding the core values of our fire and rescue service.
As Station Manager – Firefighting & Rescue Training, you will lead and inspire a team of instructors to deliver high-quality, compliant operational training in line with National Operational Guidance and Occupational Standards. You will play a critical role in ensuring our teams are competent, confident, and ready to respond safely and effectively.
You will champion excellence in training, ensuring that all learning is engaging, relevant, and supports the ongoing development, safety, and wellbeing of our operational staff.
This role is conditioned to the Day Duty System. A Flexi Duty rota line may be offered in the future, subject to business needs and statutory requirements, but this is not immediately applicable. If a Flexi Duty rota line is offered, a 20% allowance will be payable. Internal candidates who currently hold a substantive Flexi Duty line will retain this.
We encourage you to read our Community Risk Management Plan 2026 to 2030 to learn more about our strategic priorities and the direction of the service.
What we are looking for
We are seeking a forward-thinking and inclusive leader who:
- Creates a positive, motivating, and supportive working environment where people feel valued and able to thrive
- Builds strong, trusting relationships and actively supports the development of others
- Recognises and celebrates achievement while confidently addressing underperformance
- Communicates effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, adapting style to influence, engage, and inspire
- Has experience in identifying learning needs and designing innovative training solutions that drive performance and development
Please see the attached job description for the specific Key Skills, Qualifications and Experience required for this role.
How to apply
To be eligible to apply you must currently be a substantive and competent Watch Manager (or higher grade) who has demonstrated and maintained competence against the requirements of the NJC Watch Manager role map.
To apply click the Apply Online button at the bottom of this page and upload the following documents.
1. Current CV
Your CV should demonstrate how you meet the qualifications section of the job description, provide a full employment and education history, including reasons for any gaps.
2. Covering Letter
Using evidence-based examples your covering letter should explain how you demonstrate the required key skills and experience in the job description. Your letter should be no more than three sides of A4 long, use font style Verdana, size 11, with normal margins and single line spacing.
3. Incident Command certificate
Upload your Incident Command certificate and if the qualification was attained more than two years ago, also upload evidence of your most recent re-validation.
Selection process overview
Stage 1 - Application submission
Once the advert has closed, our shortlisting panel will review applications. Candidates who have demonstrated they meet the criteria will be invited to the next stage.
Stage 2 – Incident Command Assessment
The incident command assessment will be held in person. Candidates who meet the criteria will be invited to the next stage.
If a candidate is successful at Stage 1 and already holds an in date Level 4 Award in Intermediate Incident Command, they will not need to attend Stage 2 and will be invited to the next stage.
Stage 3 – Presentation and Interview
The presentation and interview will be held in person. Appointments will be subject to a security clearance check, satisfactory references, full medical and fitness assessment.
Please note alternative dates for in person assessments cannot be offered.
Further information
The reference number for this role is CPP01347.
Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to this advert as you will not have the opportunity to download it again once the advert has closed.
We understand that some people may use artificial intelligence (AI) to help them when applying for roles. However, it is important the submitted application is your own work. While AI can be useful for things like checking spelling, grammar, or helping to structure answers, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism is identified (presenting ideas and experiences of others, or ideas generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn.
We are committed to fair, inclusive and merit‑based recruitment. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to removing barriers that may prevent people from progressing. Our processes are transparent, consistent and designed to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their strengths. We value the diversity of our workforce and believe it enhances our Service, our culture and our performance.
We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants who have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver and meet the essential criteria for the role. More information can be found on our application help page.
We are immensely proud you are considering joining us as a Station Manager and are here to support you. If you need any support throughout the process, would like to speak to someone about the role or selection process, please email us at [email protected] and a member of the team will be in contact.
Together we will make West Sussex a safer place and have an everlasting impact on our community. We look forward to receiving your application.
Safeguarding Statement
WSFRS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and all employees must share this commitment.
Fire & Rescue Service roles are listed in Schedule 1 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order and as such it is our policy to require all applicants to disclose any criminal convictions (both spent and unspent held in the UK or overseas) including driving offences, cautions and/or reprimands. As part of the application process, you will be required to list the dates and details of any sentences if applicable. The information you provide will be treated as strictly confidential and will be considered only in relation to the appointment for which you are applying (please refer to the Guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for more information).
Legislation enables Fire & Rescue Services to be eligible for a Standard level Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for employees of their Service, including volunteers. You are also required to inform us of any pending or incomplete investigations of a safeguarding nature that are ongoing, or that arise during this period of application and pre-employment. A table of rehabilitation periods for the most common sentences and disposals, and example scenarios can be found here Rehabilitation Periods - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
