Head of Fire SafetyNHS

Job summary

The Estates and Facilities Directorate is seeking to recruit a diligent, skilled and highly motivated Trust Head of Fire Safety. This strategic role offers Board level visibility, ownership of fire safety assurance, regulatory engagement and the opportunity to lead and develop a specialist fire safety team.

The Head of Fire Safety will oversee the ongoing delivery of a comprehensive Fire Safety Management System across the Trust's estate. As the Trust's 'competent person' on all matters relating to Fire Safety, the post holder will ensure that that the organisation complies with Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) legislation, HTM/HBN guidance and the Building Safety Act to ensure the provision of a fire safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.

The successful candidate will have significant senior-level experience managing Fire Safety in a large, complex organisation (preferably healthcare or public sector).

• Interview Date: 19 October 2026
• 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

The postholder will act as Fire Safety Adviser (Authorised Person (Fire)) and provide expert leadership, strategic direction, and professional assurance to the Director of Estates, Facilities and Strategic Partnerships, the Executive Team, and the Trust Board, to support a safe environment for patients, staff, visitors, and contractors across all Trust premises.

The post holder will lead a high-skilled, professional Fire Safety Team that forms an integral part of the Trust's Estates and Facilities Directorate.

As an autonomous lead on all matters of fire safety you will be the Trust's lead expert for fire safety, providing expert professional advice and taking responsibility for ensuring the Trust is compliant with their legal and statutory requirements and that all fire safety regulations under current statutes and codes of practice are addressed across a large complex and multi-site organisation.

By the provision of competent advice, the post holder will be able to provide assurance to the Trust Board, CEO, Director of Estates, Facilities and Strategic Partnerships and the Trust Fire Safety Manager on matters relating to Fire Safety.

The post holder will provide expert technical advice to the Trust Fire Safety Manager on the management of fire safety across the organisation and will be required to deputise for the Trust Fire Safety Manager as required.

Job description

The post holder will support the organisations capital and revenue projects through the provision of expert fire safety advice and work with senior leaders within the Estates Engineering and Building teams to ensure that the Trust estate complies with all fire safety best practice to provide a safe patient environment of the highest standard.

As the expert in Fire Safety you will develop and lead on policies and strategies related to the Trusts' fire safety management programme. Developing and maintaining an open and transparent Fire Safety Management System.

You will also identify any existing and potential vulnerabilities and opportunities for improvement across all Trust sites and advise on the management of Fire Safety and Risk in the workplace.

Be responsible for the effectiveness of comprehensive fire safety training programme, for all staff at all levels in the Trust.

The successful candidate must hold the essential qualification(s) as detailed within the job description in order to be offered the job. Experience must be demonstrated during the interview.

Previous applicants need not apply.

• The post holder will support the organisations capital and revenue projects through the provision of expert fire safety advice and work with senior leaders within the Estates Engineering and Building teams to ensure that the Trust estate complies with all fire safety best practice to provide a safe patient environment of the highest standard.
• As the expert in Fire Safety you will develop and lead on policies and strategies related to the Trusts' fire safety management programme. Developing and maintaining an open and transparent Fire Safety Management System.
• You will also identify any existing and potential vulnerabilities and opportunities for improvement across all Trust sites and advise on the management of Fire Safety and Risk in the workplace.
• Be responsible for the effectiveness of comprehensive fire safety training programme, for all staff at all levels in the Trust.

Whilst Newcastle Hospitals are a forward thinking and highly innovative organisation, the use of Third-Party Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a risk to the integrity of our Recruitment & Selection processes. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual application or to the recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.

About us

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:

• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Freeman Hospital
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Cramlington Manor Walks
• Urgent treatment centres
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under 'Documents to download' or 'Supporting documents'.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust