Head of Estates, Facilities and Stores

Networking Women in the Fire Service; Winsford; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent fire service organization in Winsford seeks a new Head for Estates, Facilities and Stores to lead their strategic development. This integral role involves transitioning to an in-house function while ensuring high-quality service delivery. The ideal candidate will possess significant leadership skills and a strong professional background in estate management. This position encourages a diverse pool of applicants, particularly women, to apply for this senior role.

Qualifications

• Significant professional expertise in estates and facilities management.
• Experience in leading strategic development and transition to in-house functions.
• Ability to develop and implement relevant strategies and policies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic development of estates and facilities function.
• Review service provisions and determine future operating models.
• Manage transition to business as usual for the in-house function.

Skills

Professional expertise

Strong leadership skills

Positive attitude

Job description

Based at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Winsford, Cheshire.

Salary – £64,594 to £69,020

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) is a high-performing, innovative and progressive organisation focused on delivering outstanding prevention, protection and response services to achieve its overall vision – a Cheshire where there are no deaths, injuries or damage from fires and other emergencies.

This is an exciting opportunity for an outstanding individual to join the Senior Leadership Team, as the new Head for Estates, Facilities and Stores; an integral role aiding delivery of strategic objectives and the Community Risk Management Plan.

The Service is in the process of re-establishing its own Estates, Facilities and Stores functions after some time being provided externally. The post holder will lead the strategic development of the department as an in-house function, reviewing service provisions, appraising options, determining the future operating model, and managing the transition to business as usual.

Possessing significant professional expertise, strong leadership skills and a positive attitude, the postholder will develop, implement and maintain relevant strategies, policies and plans to meet the changing needs of the operating environment, in order to offer high quality services to the organisation and its staff.

CFRS has already invested significantly in its estate and will continue to do so over the coming years, under the postholders leadership.

Our estate comprises of 49 service houses and 28 fire stations across the county, a safety centre in Lymm, three community safety and fire protection hubs (Warrington, Crewe and Chester), an operational training centre and workshops, along with a central stores and Headquarters in Winsford.

We are dedicated to advancing gender diversity at all levels of our organisation and strongly encourage applications from women, particularly for senior leadership roles where female representation remains limited across the fire and rescue service. We recognise that talent and potential are not defined solely by traditional career paths or checklists of experience, and we welcome applicants who can bring strategic vision, leadership, and a fresh perspective to this position. Please note, all applications will be assessed purely on merit.

Full details about the post are available on the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service website.

To apply candidates are required to submit a CV accompanied by a supporting statement of up to 2,000 words, that demonstrates suitability and provides relevant examples against the job description and person specification. These should be emailed to recruitment@ cheshirefire.gov.uk quoting job reference number 19/25/HODEFS.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact the Executive Support team on 01606 868816 to arrange a telephone call with Katie Whitehead, Head of Service Improvement.

Closing Date: 17:00hrs on Wednesday 15th October 2025