Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Band 7: £43,742 - £50,056

Full-time 37.5 hours per week

Are you an experienced Fire Safety Manager, or a serving Fire Officer looking for a new challenge in a busy Acute Hospital? Do you have extensive knowledge of risk management techniques and undertaking fire risk assessments? If you answered yes, then Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust would love to hear from you!

This is a full time, permanent position that will see the successful candidate join a dynamic and skilled team, collaborating with our Estates and Facilities department, PFI partners and working with Safety Groups within our governance to provide fire safety training to colleagues, partners, and contractors.

The successful candidate will have extensive knowledge and experience in the application of Health Technical Memorandums (HTM-05 series Fire code), Health Building Notes (HBN series), Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the Building Regulations, and their practical implications and application in varied healthcare environments. The Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 also apply to a number of our premises.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify the Trust’s status regarding compliance with current fire legislation and guidance, escalate non-conformities and put in place/recommend corrective actions and forecast resources required.
• Develop, maintain and promote a Trust-wide fire safety plan and organisational procedures which influence and direct actions within the Clinical Service Centres and Corporate Functions.  Monitor the implementation of the plan and systematically audit compliance with legislation and standards across the Trust.
• To be responsible for ownership of monitoring and reporting of fire safety which can be used to demonstrate actions that are required and to ensure compliance with regulations.
• Lead the Operational Fire Safety Group ensuring meetings are regular, documented and reported quarterly to the Fire Safety Group, Estates and Facilities Group, Health and Safety Committee and any other relevant Group/Committee.
• Liaise with Trust staff and others when conducting fire safety audits and fire risk assessments, compile standardised professional management reports as necessary and incorporate within the Divisional management systems. To provide support and guidance to the Divisions on compliance with Fire Safety legislation.
• To minimise the risk of fire occurring by establishing and maintaining safe fire procedures within a complex healthcare environment through delivery of fire awareness training and liaison, specifying fire warning and firefighting systems.
• Organise fire drills and monitor their effectiveness compiling accurate records of staff training and drills.

For further information, please check the Job Description

Essential

• Fire engineering/fire safety qualification to higher Degree level or equivalent of 5 year serving fire officer or senior fire safety management experience.
• Membership of professional organisation (Institution of Fire Engineers; Institution of Occupational Safety and Health).

Desirable

• Training in healthcare fire safety

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge and experience in the application of Fire code. 
• Knowledge of risk management techniques. 
• Experience and knowledge of undertaking fire risk assessment.
• Knowledge of fire safety, fire risk management, fire legislation and codes of practice fire safety training. 
• Experience of preparing and delivering training courses.
• Ability to undertake fire safety audits.
• Ability to process highly complex information into meaningful formats appropriate for the intended audience.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. 
• Ability to make administrative/procedural decisions and judgements. 
• Ability to produce procedural documentation and protocols.
• Understanding of complex fire safety issues and risks which impacts facilities management, construction and building services.

Desirable

• Practical knowledge and interpretation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. 
• Practical knowledge and interpretation of the Building Regulations 2010.
• Skill in the use of various software, including spreadsheets, contract management systems, presentation software and databases, preferably Microsoft/Windows products.  
• Overall understanding of current health service sector issues 
• Understanding of Private Finance Initiative contracts and contract management from a client’s perspective 

Experience

Essential

• 5 years of experience of operating in a management role. 
• Awareness of fire safety and other risk issues. 
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries to improve standards. 
• Experience of working with external agencies and influencing internal change.
• Experience in working in a facilities management, construction or building services environment.
• Experience in presenting complex information to senior staff, responding to questions, and participating in decision making. 
• Awareness of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, its practical implications and application.
• Ability to assimilate, analyse and present complex problems, identify necessary action, make recommendations and ensure actions are implemented.

Desirable

• Working experience within a large public sector organisation.
• Understanding of fire modelling techniques.
• Experience in a related area in a responsible capacity. 
• Experience of Private Finance Initiative contracts and compliance management from a client’s perspective. 
   

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most. 

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.