Emergency & Business Continuity Officer

London Borough of Hillingdon; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours

36‑hour week

Holiday entitlement

Pension scheme

Travel support

Cycle to work

Perkbox benefits

Mental health support

Job summary

The London Borough of Hillingdon is seeking an enthusiastic Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Officer to join the Council's Emergency Management and Response Service. You will play a key role in protecting residents, staff and essential services by ensuring the Council can respond to and recover from disruptive incidents.

Lead the business continuity programme, develop and test plans, advise during live incidents, and collaborate with internal teams and external partners to strengthen

Qualifications

• Experience in emergency planning or business continuity is beneficial.
• Ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.
• Comfortable engaging with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Interested in public safety and organisational resilience.
• Willingness to adapt in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of the council's business continuity programme.
• Support development and maintenance of emergency response arrangements.
• Plan and deliver training sessions and exercises.
• Provide advice during live incidents and support response and recovery.
• Collaborate across council departments and with external agencies.

Skills

Highly organised

Detail-oriented

Independent worker

Stakeholder engagement

Public safety

Resilience mindset

Job description

About the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Officer to join our Emergency Management and Response Service at the London Borough of Hillingdon. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in protecting our residents, staff, and essential services by ensuring the Council is well-prepared to respond to and recover from disruptive incidents.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of the Council’s business continuity programme, supporting services to develop, review, and test continuity plans that meet statutory and organisational requirements.
• Support the development and maintenance of emergency response arrangements for a range of major incident scenarios.
• Contribute to the planning and delivery of training sessions and exercises to strengthen organisational resilience.
• Provide advice and guidance during live incidents, supporting the Council’s emergency response and recovery efforts.
• Work collaboratively across Council departments, with external agencies, and as part of the wider London resilience network.

About You

This role would suit someone who is:

• Highly organised and detail-oriented
• Confident working independently and in cross-functional teams
• Comfortable engaging with a wide range of stakeholders
• Passionate about public safety and organisational resilience
• Adaptable and able to respond effectively in fast-paced, high-pressure environments

Experience in emergency planning, business continuity, or a related discipline would be beneficial, but we also welcome applications from those looking to grow their expertise in this field.

Why Join Us?

This is a varied and rewarding position where no two days are the same. You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful work that helps safeguard our borough while building your skills in a high-profile and evolving area of public service.

Benefits

• Flexible Working Hours – We recognise the importance of flexibility in managing your work and personal life.
• 36 Hour Week – Enjoy a standard 36-hour workweek for all full time staff.
• Generous Holiday Entitlement – increasing with length of service (for non-casual roles).
• Hillingdon Sports & Leisure – Stay active and healthy with discounts at council owned leisure centres and swimming pools across the borough.
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – option to join schemes for cycle purchase, electric vehicle leasing and additional voluntary pension contributions (subject to scheme rules).
• Cycle to Work – Eco-friendly commuting with our cycle purchase scheme. We also provide bicycle parking, lockers, and showers at the Civic Centre.
• Local Government Pension Scheme – access to Local Government Pension Scheme and membership to the Credit Union.
• Perkbox Benefits – Access a variety of offers and discounts through our Perkbox Benefits.
• Mental Health Support and Counselling Services – Our mental health first aiders are trained to identify, understand, and help employees experiencing mental health issues. Access free 24-hour confidential advice and counselling as well as a legal advice service for you and your immediate family.
• Travel Support – Make your daily commute easier with our season ticket loans and free car parking.
• Trade Union Membership – The Council recognises UNISON, Unite, AEP and GMB and supports employees’ freedom of choice in relation to trade union membership.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This commitment means that all employees, job applicants and others who work for us will be treated fairly.

The aim is for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society and Hillingdon residents so we welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is free from discrimination and bias, and we are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants with disabilities.

Join us in building a workplace where everyone feels respected, able to give their best and be themselves at work, whilst contributing meaningfully to our organisation's success.

Recruitment Information

Hillingdon Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities that meet the essential criteria for the role and wish to be considered under this scheme. We believe in the option to choose, so candidates declaring a disability have the choice to opt in for consideration under this scheme, on a 'per application' basis.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Some posts are subject to The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2019 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

In addition to verifying Right to Work in the UK and a new starter health questionnaire, the post is subject tothe following pre‑employment screening:

• 2 years of Referencing

Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Hillingdon Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.