Head of Fire Safety

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a strategic Trust Head of Fire Safety to provide expert leadership across the estate and ensure compliance with fire safety regulations and statutory duties.

The role oversees a specialist Fire Safety Team, develops policies, conducts risk assessments, and delivers staff training, with strong board-level liaison to maintain the highest safety standards across multiple sites.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in fire safety within a large organisation.
• Proven track record of achieving regulatory compliance and managing fire safety risks.
• Experience advising at board level and coordinating with regulatory bodies.

Responsibilities

• Act as Fire Safety Adviser and lead regulatory compliance across the Trust estate.
• Develop, implement and maintain the Fire Safety Management System.
• Identify vulnerabilities and drive improvements across all sites and contracts.
• Provide professional advice and deputise for the Fire Safety Manager when required.
• Deliver a comprehensive fire safety training programme for all staff and supervise the training team.

Skills

Fire safety leadership

Strategic leadership

NHS experience

Education

Fire engineering degree

Fire Safety Management qualification

Professional membership (IFE/NAHFO)

Job description

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion.

With strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, w e’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.

As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.

Job overview

The Estates and Facilities Directorate is seeking to recruit a diligent, skilled and highly motivated Trust Head of Fire Safety. This strategic role offers Board level visibility, ownership of fire safety assurance, regulatory engagement and the opportunity to lead and develop a specialist fire safety team.

The Head of Fire Safety will oversee the ongoing delivery of a comprehensive Fire Safety Management System across the Trust’s estate. As the Trust's 'competent person' on all matters relating to Fire Safety, the post holder will ensure that that the organisation complies with Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) legislation, HTM/HBN guidance and the Building Safety Act to ensure the provision of a fire safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.

The successful candidate will have significant senior-level experience managing Fire Safety in a large, complex organisation (preferably healthcare or public sector).

• Interview Date: 19 October 2026

Main duties of the job

The postholder will act as Fire Safety Adviser (Authorised Person (Fire)) and provide expert leadership, strategic direction, and professional assurance to the Director of Estates, Facilities and Strategic Partnerships, the Executive Team, and the Trust Board, to support a safe environment for patients, staff, visitors, and contractors across all Trust premises.

The post holder will lead a high-skilled, professional Fire Safety Team that forms an integral part of the Trust's Estates and Facilities Directorate.

As an autonomous lead on all matters of fire safety you will be the Trust's lead expert for fire safety, providing expert professional advice and taking responsibility for ensuring the Trust is compliant with their legal and statutory requirements and that all fire safety regulations under current statutes and codes of practice are addressed across a large complex and multi-site organisation.

By the provision of competent advice, the post holder will be able to provide assurance to the Trust Board, CEO, Director of Estates, Facilities and Strategic Partnerships and the Trust Fire Safety Manager on matters relating to Fire Safety.

The post holder will provide expert technical advice to the Trust Fire Safety Manager on the management of fire safety across the organisation and will be required to deputise for the Trust Fire Safety Manager as required.

Working for our organisation

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

With around 2 million contacts with patients every year, we deliver care from:

• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will support the organisations capital and revenue projects through the provision of expert fire safety advice and work with senior leaders within the Estates Engineering and Building teams to ensure that the Trust estate complies with all fire safety best practice to provide a safe patient environment of the highest standard.

As the expert in Fire Safety you will develop and lead on policies and strategies related to the Trusts' fire safety management programme. Developing and maintaining an open and transparent Fire Safety Management System.

You will also identify any existing and potential vulnerabilities and opportunities for improvement across all Trust sites and advise on the management of Fire Safety and Risk in the workplace.

Be responsible for the effectiveness of comprehensive fire safety training programme, for all staff at all levels in the Trust.

The successful candidate must hold the essential qualification(s) as detailed within the job description in order to be offered the job. Experience must be demonstrated during the interview.

• The post holder will support the organisations capital and revenue projects through the provision of expert fire safety advice and work with senior leaders within the Estates Engineering and Building teams to ensure that the Trust estate complies with all fire safety best practice to provide a safe patient environment of the highest standard.
• As the expert in Fire Safety you will develop and lead on policies and strategies related to the Trusts' fire safety management programme. Developing and maintaining an open and transparent Fire Safety Management System.
• You will also identify any existing and potential vulnerabilities and opportunities for improvement across all Trust sites and advise on the management of Fire Safety and Risk in the workplace.
• Be responsible for the effectiveness of comprehensive fire safety training programme, for all staff at all levels in the Trust.

Whilst Newcastle Hospitals are a forward thinking and highly innovative organisation, the use of Third-Party Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a risk to the integrity of our Recruitment & Selection processes. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual application or to the recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.

Qualifications & Education

• Fire engineering/fire safety degree or other relevant engineering/science degree (or extensive equivalent experience)
• Fire Safety Management qualification such as Fire Safety Manager (IFSM/IFE) or equivalent
• Membership of professional organisation (e.g. the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE); National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers (NAHFO), Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM))

Knowledge & Experience

• Significant senior-level experience managing Fire Safety in a large, complex organisation (preferably healthcare or public sector)
• Proven track record of achieving compliance with statutory obligations
• Experience leading investigations, audits, and risk assessments
• Experience advising at Board level and working with regulatory bodies
• Expert knowledge of UK Fire Safety legislation, NHS HTM/HBN’s, and Fire Safety Management Systems

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.