Fire Safety Advisor

West Sussex County Council; Haywards Heath, North Bersted, Worthing; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Laptop provided

27 days annual leave

Local government pension scheme

Discounts via West Sussex Choices

Job summary

West Sussex County Council's Fire and Rescue Protection team seeks a Fire Safety Advisor to conduct audits and inspections under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, applying risk-based assessment, and advising on compliance. You will work across West Sussex, travel to sites, support investigations, and contribute to community safety while progressing toward the Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety.

This fixed-term, full-time role offers a supportive environment with benefits and

Qualifications

• Experience in risk management and applying relevant legislation.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety (or willingness to work towards).
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Carry out fire safety audits and inspections of simple premises to assess risks and fire precautionary arrangements.
• Provide expert advice and support to business owners and responsible persons to ensure compliance with statutory fire safety obligations.
• Deliver fire safety guidance and consultancy to statutory bodies, planners, architects, building professionals and the public.
• Gather and assess compliance information, issue informal/non-statutory notices where appropriate, and support investigations with case files and witness evidence when required.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders to improve community safety across West Sussex.

Skills

Risk management

Full UK driving licence

Verbal and written communication

Education

Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety

Job description

Do you have in-depth knowledge of technical fire safety legislation and an awareness of current national issues in relation to fire safety?

Are you passionate about Fire Safety, with the ability to assess and manage risk and apply fire safety legislation in a practical and proportionate manner?

We are looking for a committed and motivated professional to help protect those who work, live, and visit the county.

As part of the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Protection team, you will be

being responsible for carrying out Fire Safety audits and inspections to assess compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) and other relevant legislation.

Your work will play a key role in promoting fire safety standards and supporting our mission to keep people and premises safe.

Salary: £33,673 to £36,581 per annum

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract until October 2028. Final start and end dates will be agreed with the successful candidate.

Working Pattern: Full-time (37 hours per week)

Location: Haywards Heath Fire Station, Mill Green Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 1XJ or Bognor Fire Station, W Meads Dr, Bognor Regis PO21 5TB or Worthing Fire Station 57 Ardsheal Rd, Worthing BN14 7RN. Base location to be agreed with the successful candidate.

Interview Date: Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 01 October 2026

This role is physically active involving daily site visits and inspections across West Sussex. The successful candidate will need to travel independently to locations across West Sussex including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport.

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

About the Job

In this varied role, no two days are the same. As a Fire Safety Advisor, you will be working towards attaining the nationally recognised Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety and you will be required to apply that knowledge to everyday situations as you carry out inspections at premises to which the RRFSO applies.

There will be some key responsibilities likely to feature in this role, including:

• Carry out fire safety audits and inspections of simple premises to assess their risks, fire precautionary arrangements.
• Provide expert advice and support to business owners and responsible persons, ensuring compliance with statutory fire safety obligations and relevant legislation.
• Deliver fire safety guidance and consultancy to statutory bodies, planners, architects, building professionals, and members of the public.
• Gather and assess compliance related information, issue informal and non-statutory enforcement notices where appropriate, and support investigations through the preparation of legal case files, providing expert witness evidence in court when required.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, contributing to a collaborative approach to improving community safety across West Sussex.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrable experience in risk management and the application of appropriate legislation, for example in a health and safety or fire-related role.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety or be willing to work towards attaining the nationally recognised Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, enabling effective interaction with diverse audiences, including individuals of different ages, abilities, cultural backgrounds, and professional disciplines.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

Rewards and Benefits

We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 27 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 5 years' service (pro rata for part time plus the opportunity to buy additional leave and an excellent local government pension scheme

A range of discounts give our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.

For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CPP01432.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, satisfactory references, and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.

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