Chief Fire Officer

Cumbria Fire; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 121,000 - 148,000; Full time

Job summary

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service invites a senior leader to become Chief Fire Officer in Penrith. You will lead CFRS, shape strategy, and drive transformation across a diverse workforce to serve the public.

The role requires resilience, integrity, and the ability to inspire trust while maintaining open, transparent communication and high performance.

Qualifications

• Senior Leadership experience required.

Responsibilities

• Lead the transformation of CFRS and drive performance across the service.
• Inspire and develop a mixed workforce while ensuring a safe and legal service to Cumbria’s communities.

Job description

The right person, in the right role, at the right time

At Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, we are passionate about the communities we serve; we are committed to treating all with dignity and respect; and we are always looking for positive role models to join our leadership team.

If you're looking to progress in an inclusive, supportive, and dynamic service, we would like to hear from you!

Cumbria Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority is seeking to appoint a senior strategic leader who will focus on making Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service an outstanding service for the public of Cumbria.

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is looking for an exceptional individual with resilience who can lead the Service and continue to build and motivate a mixed workforce whilst providing a safe and legal service to the communities across the county. At a time of ongoing reform of public services and a challenging financial environment, the Chief Fire Officer will champion the transformation of CFRS, engaging, inspiring, and empowering others, building on our existing open and inclusive culture to seek continual improvement in performance across the Service and the wider strategic footprint of the county. As the Chief Fire Officer, you must be able to lead, manage and inspire all Fire staff, ensuring their wellbeing, acting with integrity and transparency whilst fostering a culture based on trust, both internally within the organisation and with the public. Ensuring public confidence in the Fire and Rescue Service within Cumbria is a key objective.

To succeed in this role, you will need to be an ambitious, dynamic and visionary leader. I seek an individual who can take the opportunity to develop a strategic plan with me which effectively addresses current challenges and aspires to make CFRS an outstanding service; and to continually develop Blue Light Collaboration across the county.

If you believe you can offer this to Cumbria and are ready for this challenging, yet incredibly rewarding role, then I would genuinely welcome your application. Applicants must have Senior Leadership experience. Cumbria Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner is committed to Equal Opportunities and all applicants will be assessed on an equal basis that determines their suitability to the post applied for.

Key Information

Pay: £134,291 + a 10% Operational Allowance for operational staff.

Location: Penrith HQ

Shortlisting: Tuesday 6th October 2026

Candidate Familiarisation day: Friday 9th October 2026 (Penrith HQ)

Our Vision and Values

Our Vision

A community-focussed, professional, and trusted Fire and Rescue Service that makes Cumbria a safer place for all.

Our Values

We believe passionately in the delivery of excellent public services to make Cumbria a safer place for all. To do that we need to be clear about the values and behaviours that we need to drive change and achieve our high standards.