Overview
Job title: Civil Contingencies Officer - Training and Exercising
Grade: G
Salary: £44,075 - £47,181 per annum (rising by annual increments to £47,181)
More information on salaries and progression can be found on our pay and policies page.
Hours: Full Time - 37 hours per week. Covering a Duty Rota will also be required, one week in six. There is an On Call allowance payable for the duty rota.
Location: The service encourages flexible working and is open to flexible working options. The role will be based at Dorchester Support Offices with the flexibility to work from home / DWFRS Stations / Support Offices. We welcome a conversation about what type of flexible working arrangement will work best. There will be a requirement to attend your base location approximately two days a month for key activities and meetings.
Appointment Type: Permanent
Contact: For a chat about this post, please contact Deborah Haynes, Head of Dorset Civil Contingencies Unit, on 07825 681087 / deborah.haynes@dwfire.org.uk or Kirstie Gooding, Training and Exercising Coordinator on 07768 701346 / Kirstie.Gooding@dwfire.org.uk
Closing and Interview date: The closing date for applications is Sunday 26 April 2026 (midnight). It is intended that interviews will take place on Friday 8 May 2026. Should you be shortlisted for interview, further details regarding the interview format / location will be provided before the interview date.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, an organisation that is passionate about changing and saving lives. Our corporate staff are absolutely vital in helping to make our communities safer and healthier. Without them, we couldn’t do it.
We offer a wide range of employee benefits and strive to ensure that staff are valued and rewarded. For example, we offer a flexi time scheme, Local Government Pension Scheme, a generous annual leave allowance, a variety of family friendly schemes including 39 weeks’ full pay during maternity leave (subject to qualifying criteria) and health & well-being services.
Responsibilities
* As a Civil Contingencies Officer - Training and Exercising, coordinate the provision of training and exercising for Category 1 (core responders), Category 2 (co-operating responders) and other bodies (MOD, Voluntary Groups) for the Dorset Local Resilience Forum (LRF) in accordance with the Regulations laid down in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, statutory and non-statutory guidance, National Resilience Standards, National Occupational Standards, and good practice (local, regional and national).
* Manage and chair the multi-agency Training & Exercising Group to deliver a schedule of Exercises and a prospectus of courses for the Dorset LRF; assist with development, implementation and delivery of key projects and exercises to further build Dorset resilience.
* Create, maintain and deliver credible and appropriate Civil Contingencies Exercises in support of the ongoing development of the CCU’s Stakeholders and the validation of emergency plans.
* Coordinate the activation of multi-agency response for major incidents, and provide advice and practical support to all agencies of the LRF during the incident.
* Chair assigned Task and Finish Groups (TFGs) across, and the Standing Groups of, the Dorset Local Resilience Forum (Dorset LRF) to further build Dorset LRF’s resilience and/or deliver internal service improvements in the Dorset CCU.
* Undertake the role of Duty Officer and coordinate the activation of multi-agency response for incidents; provide professional advice, subject matter expertise and practical support to all agencies of the LRF during the incident and recovery at either Tactical or Strategic levels of command.
Ideal Candidate
* Qualified to relevant degree level, or equivalent managerial qualification in training and exercising or emergency planning, or able to demonstrate significant level of graduate calibre experience at a senior level in a relevant sector
* Sound knowledge of legislation pertaining to emergency planning including the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and other relevant emergency preparedness guidance, statutory and non-statutory
* Excellent communication skills and a positive attitude to internal/external customer care, including excellent IT skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office
* High level of interpersonal skills including the ability to influence, direct, negotiate and manage outcomes
For full details of the role and requirements please have a look at the job description and person specification.
Other Information
* You must have a full current driving licence and be able to fulfil the significant travel requirements of the role. Use of your own vehicle will be required; however, a Service vehicle may be available. Travel requirements are variable and could include face to face planned meetings and short notice exceptional out of hours response if required in an emergency when on-call. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, we would still welcome your application and will explore any reasonable adjustments that could be put in place.
* The role involves some evening and weekend working, especially when covering Duty Week worked on a one in six-week basis.
* A Standard Disclosure & Barring Service Check (DBS) clearance will be undertaken on the successful individual prior to offer of employment.
* The successful candidate will also require a Police Baseline Vetting process due to access to Police establishments.
* Any offer of employment will be subject to full pre-employment checks which include identity checks, right to work in the UK, medical, receipt of satisfactory references, verification of employment history and an explanation of any gaps in employment in the last 3 years.
* Please click here for information relating to raising tax awareness and pension considerations when applying for a job.
How to find out more and apply
Our Candidate Charter outlines the commitments we make to you when applying for a vacancy with us. We do not accept CVs in place of application forms. We welcome the use of AI responsibly and ethically to demonstrate your skills, but do not let it overshadow your own voice. We value authenticity and consider both the content of the application and how it was created to ensure fairness and inclusivity. Ensure you include satisfactory evidence in your application to demonstrate all areas measured at the Application Stage on the Person Specification.
We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. All applications will be treated on merit and staff involved in recruitment and selection processes undertake unconscious bias training. We are committed to the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee an interview to applicants with a disclosed disability if they meet the minimum criteria for the post. Please tell us in confidence if this applies to you, or if there are any reasonable adjustments that would help you apply for this post. To find out more, please see our website.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Adults, Children and Young People. All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.
If you hold international qualifications, you will be required to provide official evidence that shows how these compare to UK Qualifications. We will accept a Statement of Comparability from a UK organisation called ENIC which can be obtained via their website. Please note that UK ENIC charge for this service; if you request a Statement of Compatibility, you will be required to pay for it as we are unable to reimburse you.
For further guidance on how to complete your application, please refer to the Job Application Guidance Notes. If you are experiencing difficulties completing your application or have a need to complete your application in an alternative format due to a disability, please contact HR Resourcing on 01722 691444 in plenty of time before the closing date.
Values & Behaviours Framework
Our recruitment, assessment and progression processes are based on our Code of Ethics that has been developed specifically for Fire and Rescue Services. When recruiting, we identify the most important behaviours for the role and these are used as part of the short-listing and selection process.
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