Employer The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Freeman Hospital Town 317 01 Freeman Hospital Salary £64,455 - £74,896 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 07/12/2025 23:59 Interview date 16/01/2026
Head of Fire Safety
Band 8b
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.
With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, w e’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.
As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job overview
The Estates and Facilities Directorate is seeking to recruit a diligent, skilled and highly motivated Trust Head of Fire Safety.
The successful candidate will provide senior leadership for the strategic management of fire safety across the Trust Estate including the management of relationships with strategic external partner organisations such as the local Fire and Rescue Service, the Local Authority, Newcastle University and other NHS organisations.
As the Trust's 'competent person' on all matters relating to Fire Safety, the post holder will ensure that that the Trust complies with Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) legislation, HTM guidance and the Building Safety Act to ensure the provision of a fire safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.
* Interview Date: 16 January 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 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.
Working for our organisation
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.
Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:
* Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
* Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)
* Newcastle Dental Hospital
* 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’.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
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 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 a job. Experience must be demonstrated during the interview.
Job Purpose
* The post holder will support the Trust Fire Safety Manager in the development and authoring of the Trust Fire Safety Policy, Fire Safety Management Plan and all other associated Fire Safety Documentation.
* Will provide senior managerial leadership for the strategic development of fire safety across the Organisations Estate including the management of relationships with strategic partner organisations such as the local Fire and Rescue Service, the Local Authority, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne University and other NHS organisations.
* The post holder will work with landlords to ensure that properties meet the required standards where the organisation delivers a service.
* The post holder will provide expert technical advice to the Fire Safety Manager on the management of fire safety across the organisation.
* The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that a process of audit exists to ensure that fire safety is being managed in line with best practice across the organisation and that the findings of these audits are suitably reported to senior management.
* The post holder will support the organisations capital and revenue projects through the provision of expert fire safety advice.
* Work to Trust standing financial orders and estates financial procedures
* Attend/chair meetings; liaise with colleagues and other senior managers from across the organisation.
* Provide senior leadership to, and line management of, the Fire Safety Team.
* Deputise for the Trust Fire Safety Manager as required.
* To work with senior leaders within the Engineering and Building teams to ensure that the Estate complies with all fire safety best practice.
* Responsible to ensure all appropriate standards and specifications are adhered to and managed effectively
* The post holder will ensure that a suitable programme of training is delivered to all Trust staff.
* Will instruct and manage external specialists as required.
* Regularly undertakes audits and equipment testing
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Person specification
Qualifications & Education
o Educated to graduate level.
o Membership of professional body.
o Management certificate.
Knowledge & Experience
o Extensive post qualification experience/specialist knowledge of fire safety management and fire safety engineering
o In-depth understanding of fire related legislation and recognised best practice
o Operational fire safety or Fire Engineering background.
o Significant senior management experience gained in a complex environment
o Theoretical knowledge of other healthcare Estates guidance i.e. NHS Alerts,, hospital technical memorandums, health building notes, health facilities notes, planning permission, building control, transport etc.
Skills & Abilities
Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Name Jeff Stephenson
Job title Estates Associate Director
Email address jeffrey.stephenson@nhs.net
Telephone number 0191 2231008
Additional information
Jeff Stephenson
Estates Associate Director - Estates Specialist Services
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