Area Manager

Service: Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

Role: Area Manager

Salary: AM Competent B £72,054 plus 20% FDS supplement. In addition, a 10% local allowance (of basic salary) is also payable for additional duties

Our Service is much more than a fire and rescue service. Not only are we committed to keeping the communities we serve safe by responding quickly and professionally, but it is also our vision to invest in future generations by improving well-being, supporting businesses and operating as a well-respected and trusted Service. We are currently seeking Area Managers to support us in delivering our vision.

To be a successful Area Manager you will require exceptional judgement, be self-aware and innovative in your thinking. You will be a competent Group Manager who has a successful track record of leading, managing, motivating and developing teams to ensure high quality service delivery.

You will be focused on continuous improvement, embracing the principles of a learning organisation, delivering change and transformation to meet current and future demands effectively and efficiently. You will lead others with an open and inclusive style, demonstrating resilience, integrity and respect in all you do.

To protect the communities we serve, Area Managers support the strategic leadership team in delivering the Service’s Community Safety Plan, translating strategic aims and national fire service strategy into effective, and legislatively compliant, working practices and procedures.

The postholders will perform operational command at Incident Command level 3 and attend other emergency operational incidents as required. Successfully appointed Area Managers will be expected to work towards obtaining Incident Command level 4 whilst in role.

Key Responsibilities

1. Leadership: Be a visible and inclusive leader, empowering and directing your teams to deliver to our communities trusted, high quality and value for money services.
2. People Focused: Keep people at the centre of everything you do, motivating and developing your teams to continually support high standards of service delivery whilst creating an inclusive environment which fosters good employee relations.
3. Financial management: Take a strategic approach to financial issues whilst effectively managing resources and budgets.
4. Cultural development: Actively inspire, lead and drive cultural change initiatives, role modelling and promoting behaviours that reflect our commitment to public service, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
5. Operational excellence: Ensure high standards of operational effectiveness, safety, and responsiveness.
6. Stakeholder engagement: Foster positive and trusting relationships with a wide range of key stakeholders, including local and national government bodies, community groups, and emergency services partners.
7. Innovation and development: Champion new technologies and ways of working that enhance service delivery and workforce capability.

For informal discussions about this role prior to application please contact ACFO Darren Langdown on 01722 691 456 or darren.langdown@dwfire.org.uk

How to Apply

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service have engaged RealWorldHR to operate as a recruitment partner and actively manage this recruitment campaign on behalf of the Service.

To apply please complete the application form linked within the here. Please read the recruitment pack carefully before submitting an application. Completed application forms should be submitted to RealWorldHR, details of how to do this are included within the candidate recruitment pack.

Key Dates

Closing date: 18th May 2025 at 23:59

Applicants will be contacted by: W/C 02nd June 2025

Selection process: W/C 30th June 2025

We welcome the use of AI responsibly and ethically to demonstrate your skills in your application, but please don’t allow it to overshadow your own unique voice.

While we appreciate innovative approaches, we also value authenticity. Our assessment considers both the content of the application and how it was created, ensuring fairness and inclusivity for all applicants. At the end of the day – we want YOU to work for us!

You should ensure you include satisfactory evidence in your application to demonstrate all of the areas stated as being measured at the Application Stage on the Person Specification. This will ensure you have the best opportunity of progressing to the next stage of the selection process.

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 to which they are applying. 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.

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, so if you request a Statement of Compatibility, you will be required to pay for it as we are unable to reimburse you.