Fire Safety Manager
Location: Ipswich
Salary: 51,536 - £53,460 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent / Full Time
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Fire Safety Manager to lead and manage fire safety compliance across a large residential property portfolio. This is a senior role responsible for ensuring that all fire safety legislation, regulatory requirements, and best practice standards are effectively implemented and maintained.
The successful candidate will act as the organisation’s lead specialist for fire safety, providing expert advice, managing fire safety programmes, overseeing risk assessments, developing fire strategies, and ensuring continuous improvement across housing and communal properties.
You will play a key role in managing fire safety risks, supporting compliance with the Fire Safety Act, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Building Safety Act requirements, and wider health and safety legislation.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as the organisation’s lead fire safety specialist and delegated Responsible Person/Duty Holder for fire safety matters.
- Provide expert advice and guidance on fire safety legislation, compliance requirements, and risk management.
- Manage and support a team of Fire Safety Surveyors, including workload allocation, supervision, training, performance monitoring, and development.
- Develop and maintain building-specific fire strategies based on property type, occupancy, and identified risks.
- Complete and oversee Fire Risk Assessments, ensuring actions are recorded, prioritised, completed, and monitored effectively.
- Maintain accurate fire safety information and ensure a clear “Golden Thread” of building safety information is maintained in line with Building Safety Act requirements.
- Lead fire safety improvement programmes, managing significant budgets, contractors, and delivery plans.
- Manage external fire safety consultants and contractors, ensuring quality, compliance, and value for money.
- Act as the main point of contact for fire and rescue services, supporting audits, inspections, information requests, and enforcement action responses.
- Develop and implement corporate fire safety policies, procedures, and site-specific fire strategies.
- Support resident engagement and communication strategies, ensuring customers are informed and involved in fire safety matters.
- Monitor and maintain ongoing compliance through effective fire safety management systems.
- Manage permit-to-work processes for works affecting communal areas, fire compartmentation, and safety-critical systems.
- Ensure fire safety compliance activities are completed, including:
- Fire door inspections
- Fire alarm testing
- Emergency lighting checks
- Fire escape inspections
- Firefighting equipment maintenance
- Sprinkler system checks
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs)
- Resident fire safety engagement
- Provide training, guidance, and support to colleagues to improve fire safety awareness and competency.
- Lead project teams and service improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to improve processes and customer outcomes.
- Manage complaints and investigations relating to fire safety services, ensuring issues are resolved effectively.
- Support planned maintenance, improvement programmes, and responsive repair strategies.
- Prepare specifications, estimates, reports, and technical documentation for fire safety works.
- Manage contractors, procurement processes, tenders, contracts, budgets, quality standards, and delivery performance.
- Provide professional fire safety advice and reports to senior management.
Skills and Experience Required
The ideal candidate will have:
- Significant experience managing fire safety within residential properties, housing, or a complex built environment.
- Strong knowledge of fire safety legislation, including the Fire Safety Act and Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- Proven experience undertaking and reviewing Fire Risk Assessments.
- Experience developing fire strategies and managing fire safety improvement programmes.
- Experience managing fire safety teams, consultants, contractors, and multiple projects.
- Strong understanding of Building Safety Act requirements and maintaining building safety information.
- Experience managing budgets, contracts, and supplier performance.
- Ability to analyse risk and make informed decisions based on safety priorities.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage with residents, contractors, senior leaders, and external organisations.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
- Experience delivering presentations, reports, and technical advice to senior stakeholders.
- Ability to identify improvements and introduce effective processes and procedures.
Qualifications
Essential:
- Degree level qualification or equivalent professional building-related qualification with relevant post-qualification experience.
- Strong practical experience in fire safety management.
Desirable:
- IFE Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety.
- NEBOSH Fire Safety Certificate.
- Membership or working towards membership of a recognised fire safety professional body.
Personal Attributes
- Professional and proactive approach to fire safety management.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to compliance.
- Ability to influence and build effective working relationships.
- Confident communicator with excellent negotiation skills.
- Ability to manage complex projects and deliver results within agreed timescales.
- Customer-focused approach with a commitment to improving safety standards.
Pay: £51,536.00-£53,460.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Application question(s):
- Do you have level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety
- When are you Available to Start
- Do you have a drivng licence
Work Location: In person
