Fire Safety Advisor

idibu; England; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading utility company is seeking a Fire Safety Advisor based in Reading. This role involves developing a fire safety strategy, ensuring compliance with fire safety regulations, and managing fire risk assessments. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in fire safety roles and strong skills in evacuation planning. A competitive salary up to £60,000 is offered, alongside a generous benefits package.

Benefits

26 days annual leave, increasing to 30

Car Allowance

Performance-related pay

Generous Pension Scheme

Wellbeing and financial benefits

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in fire safety roles, especially in utilities.
• Proven stakeholder engagement and influence on senior leadership.
• Demonstrated application of HOP or Safety II methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a fire safety strategy.
• Ensure compliance with fire safety regulations.
• Implement and improve fire safety management systems.
• Lead fire-related audits and inspections.

Skills

NEBOSH Fire Certificate or Diploma (Level 4 or above)

In-depth knowledge of RRO2005 and UK regulatory requirements

Experience in fire risk assessment and audits

Strong skills in evacuation planning and training delivery

Education

Equivalent fire safety qualification

Job description

As a UK‑based Fire Safety Advisor for water infrastructure operations, you will support Thames Water and the Fire Safety Manager to embed a robust fire safety framework in line with Thames Water’s Zero Harm vision. You will apply UK fire safety expertise—with a focus on HOP (Human & Organisational Performance) principles—to reduce fire risk, build organisational resilience, and foster continuous learning and a Just Culture.

What you’ll be doing as a Fire Safety Advisor

• Develop and maintain a fire safety strategy aligned with organisational health & safety vision.
• Ensure compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, relevant British Standards (e.g., BS9990, BS5839), and local authority requirements.
• Manage and review fire risk registers and assessments across operational and office sites; integrate outcomes into asset lifecycle management.
• Implement, manage and continuously improve a Fire Safety Management System—including policies, procedures, audit tools and KPIs.
• Lead risk‑based audits and site inspections to assess control effectiveness and drive action planning.
• Facilitate incident and near‑miss investigations using HOP methodology and Safety‑II thinking.
• Use HOP mindset in incident analysis: understanding work‑as‑done, local rationality, system‑level contributors.
• Conduct post‑incident reviews that explore “what normally goes right” to learn and prevent recurrence.
• Collaborate with operational managers, contractors, site HSW teams, regulators (e.g., Fire & Rescue Service, HSE), and design/engineering colleagues.
• Present fire risk and assurance insights and influence decision‑making at all levels.
• Develop, coordinate and deliver fire safety training: fire risk assessor, marshal, and evacuation drills.
• Foster a Just Culture where issues are reported openly, and workers are empowered to contribute to safety.
• Define KPIs/KRIs and maintain dashboards tracking safety performance, control gaps, and improvement initiatives.
• Monitor industry developments and incident learnings across utilities and infrastructure; update standards accordingly.
• Lead fire‑related projects (e.g., detection upgrades, maintenance improvements), embedding HOP‑informed enhancements.

Base location: Reading – With frequent travel

Working pattern: 36 Hours

What you should bring to the role

• NEBOSH Fire Certificate or Diploma (Level4 or above), or equivalent fire safety qualification.
• Professional recognition (e.g., IFE Graduate/Member, CFPS, NFPA, or equivalent).
• In‑depth knowledge of RRO2005, relevant BS/ISO standards, and UK regulatory requirements.
• Extensive experience in fire safety roles (e.g., utilities, COMAH sites).
• Experience establishing or maturing Fire Risk Management frameworks.
• Skilled in fire risk assessment, audits, investigations, emergency planning, and capital project scoping.
• Proven stakeholder engagement: influencing senior leadership, regulatory liaison, and translating technical risk into strategic insight.
• Demonstrated application of HOP or Safety II approaches in investigations and continuous improvement.
• Competence in fire risk management systems, dashboards, and inspection/reporting tools.
• Strong skills in evacuation planning, drill coordination, and training delivery.
• Excellent verbal and written communication—including executive‑level reporting.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary offering up to £60,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• Annual Leave – 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with length of service (plus bank holidays).
• Car Allowance.
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Access to a wide range of wellbeing and financial benefits, including annual health MOTs, physiotherapy and counselling, Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.