Senior Business Continuity and Emergency Planning Officer

Lancsfirerescue; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is recruiting a Senior Business Continuity and Emergency Planning Officer. You will lead business continuity, emergency planning and resilience activities, develop plans and guidance, and coordinate multi-agency exercises to strengthen readiness for disruptions and major incidents.

You will provide expert advice, produce reports, and engage across departments, stations and partners, with opportunities to influence strategy and improve response capabilities.

Qualifications

• Experience in emergency planning and business continuity
• Ability to develop plans, policies and strategies
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to coordinate multi-agency exercises
• Excellent analytical and reporting abilities

Responsibilities

• Lead and support business continuity management and emergency planning activities
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and business continuity plans
• Provide specialist advice to departments, stations and partners
• Coordinate multi-agency exercises and organisational learning
• Present recommendations to senior managers and governance groups

Skills

Emergency planning

Business continuity

Disaster management

Planning and reporting

Analytical skills

Policy development

Education

Degree in Business Continuity, Emergency Planning or Disaster Management

Job description

Location:

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Garstang Road, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 3LH

Working Arrangements:

36.25 hours per week

Closing Date:

23:59 hours, 4 October 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service as a Senior Business Continuity and Emergency Planning Officer. This is a key role within the Response and Emergency Planning department, providing professional leadership, coordination and specialist advice to support the development, implementation and continual improvement of the Service's business continuity, emergency planning and resilience arrangements.

Working closely with the Group Manager Response and Emergency Planning, you will help ensure that effective arrangements are in place to enable the Service to prepare for, respond to and recover from disruption and major incidents. The role will support compliance with relevant legislation, standards and recognised good practice, including the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the Fire and Rescue Service Act 2004, ISO 22301 and Business Continuity Institute guidance.

You will lead and support activity across business continuity management, emergency planning, exercising, assurance and organisational learning. This will include developing and maintaining policies, procedures, business impact analyses, business continuity plans and supporting guidance, as well as providing specialist advice to departments, stations, managers and partner organisations.

The successful applicant will have experience in emergency planning, business continuity and/or disaster management, with the ability to develop plans, policies and strategies and coordinate multi-agency exercises. You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong planning and organisational ability, and be confident analysing information, producing reports and presenting recommendations to senior managers and governance groups.

You will also be able to build effective working relationships at all levels, influence and work collaboratively with colleagues and partners, and lead, coach and motivate others to deliver departmental priorities. A degree, professional or academic qualification in Business Continuity, Emergency Planning or Disaster Management is essential.

Applicants must hold a current category 'B' full driving licence. On rare occasions, or during periods of major emergency planning activity, flexibility may be required, including weekend working, for which the appropriate terms and conditions would apply.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's aim is to make Lancashire safer. We are looking for someone who will demonstrate our STRIVE values, support the Core Code of Ethics, and show a clear commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Key Dates

Closing date for applications is 23:59 hours on 4 October 2026 however we reserve the right to close the advert prior to this if sufficient quality applications have been received.

We anticipate interviews to take place on the 13 and/or 14 October 2026.

Further Information

This post is subject to a Standard check with the Disclosure and Barring Service*.

Diversity Matters at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. We want to attract the broadest range of people to work with us and the more diverse the workforce, the better able we are to serve our community. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all individuals regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, social background, religion and/or belief or age. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer.

This post has been advertised internally and externally.

*With effect from 6 July 2023, Fire & Rescue Authorities have been listed in Schedule 1 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975, meaning that all LFRS roles are subject to a Standard Level Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check as a minimum. Some roles within the Service will be eligible for a higher level check depending on the duties of the role.