Fire Safety Manager
- Reading
- £72,000 per year
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Develop and deliver a fire safety strategy aligned with Thames Water's “Zero harm” vision and broader HSW Strategy.
- Ensure compliance with statutory fire safety legislation. (Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, BS standards, local authority requirements)
- Maintain and enhance fire risk registers across operational sites, integrating into the Asset Lifecycle Management System.
- Design and implement a comprehensive Fire Safety Management System: policy, standards, procedures, assurance tools, and KPIs.
- Lead periodic and risk-based audits & site inspections to assess and validate fire safety controls.
- Champion Incident Investigation driven by HOP: focus on systemic contributors, normal work systems, recurring challenges, and learnings-not just blame.
- Apply HOP mindset to fire incidents-describe normal variations, explore why processes usually succeed, and identify organisational factors that contribute to incidents.
- Drive Safety II thinking: shift from "what went wrong?" to "what goes right?" in fire safety performance. Embed principles of Learning from Work-as-Done, Error Wisdom, and Local Rationality.
- Facilitate robust post-incident / near-miss reviews using HOP language: “Who made sense of the work?”, “How did the system influence decisions?”.
- Build strong collaborative relationships with operational leaders, contractors, site HSW teams, and regulators. Communicate fire risk and assurance outcomes clearly.
- Support cross-functional teams (e.g., engineering, maintenance, design) to integrate fire safety early in capital and operational planning.
- Develop fire safety awareness, competence and training programs. (e.g. fire marshal training, evacuation drills)
- Promote a Just Culture-one where issues are openly discussed and reported without fear, and workers are trusted to contribute to safety decisions.
- Establish fire safety KRIs/KPIs and dashboards to track performance and gaps.
- Monitor industry trends, learn from incidents across utilities/infrastructure, and update Thames Water standards accordingly.
- Lead or support fire-related projects, roll out fire detection/maintenance upgrades, and embed HOP-informed initiatives.
- NEBOSH Fire Certificate or Diploma. (or equivalent fire-specific qualification)
- Proven Fire Risk Assessment and Safety Management experience in complex, multi-site environments.
- Strong operational understanding of utilities, water or similar critical infrastructure.
- HOP-certified practitioner or demonstrable knowledge of HOP principles and application in safety investigations.
- Bachelor's degree in Fire Science, Fire Engineering, Occupational Safety, Fire Protection, or equivalent.
- NEBOSH Fire Certificate or Diploma, or equivalent fire safety-specific qualification.
- Professional certification. (e.g. CFPS, NFPA Fire Inspector, IFE Graduate/Member grade)
- In-depth knowledge of UK fire regulations: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, BS standards, Local Authority requirements.
- Competent with fire risk management systems, compliance dashboards, and inspection/audit reporting tools.
- Proficiency in planning evacuation strategies, conducting drills, and delivering fire safety training.
- Clear communication, report writing (inc. executive reports), and stakeholder presentation skills.
- Competitive salary offering up to £72,000 per annum, depending on experience.
- Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
- Private Medical Health Care.
- Car Allowance.
- Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
- Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
- Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family's health and wellbeing, and your finances - from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.