Watch Manager (Driver Training)

Warwickshire County Council; Kingsbury; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Warwickshire County Council is seeking an experienced Watch Manager to lead the Driver Training Team within the Fire and Rescue Service. You will plan, organise and deliver driver and vehicle training, maintaining competencies and records while providing expert guidance on vehicle operations and road risk management.

The role requires leadership, governance of training standards, and ongoing professional development.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a training team within fire or emergency services.
• Proven ability to plan, organise and deliver driver and vehicle training programmes.
• Strong knowledge of road risk management and driver development.

Responsibilities

• Lead a Driver Training Team to deliver driver and vehicle training.
• Maintain training standards, competencies and records across the fleet.
• Provide professional advice on vehicle operations and driver development.

Skills

Leadership

Driver training

Risk assessment

Education

IFE Level 3 Certificate Unit 6

NFCC Emergency Response Driving Instructor accreditation

DVSA ADI / Delegated Examiner status

Tools

DVSA qualifications

Job description

About the Role

The Training & Sustainability Team plays a key role in ensuring Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service maintains a highly skilled, competent and operationally prepared workforce. The team is responsible for delivering a wide range of training activities that support the Service's Prevention, Protection, Response and Resilience functions, helping to ensure our people have the skills, knowledge and confidence required to serve the communities of Warwickshire safely and effectively.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Watch Manager to lead our Driver Training Team. This is an important role responsible for supporting the effective delivery and management of driver and vehicle-related training across the Service. You will lead a team of Driver Trainers, ensuring training programmes are planned, organised and delivered effectively to maintain a sufficient number of competent drivers across our operational fleet. You will provide professional advice and guidance on vehicle operations, driver development and road risk management, whilst ensuring driver training standards, competencies and records are maintained. The role also supports the continuous improvement of driver training across the organisation and contributes to developing a positive learning culture. The successful candidate will be required to maintain operational competence and undertake operational duty commitments as directed, currently consisting of 24 integrated response shifts per annum.

• Be substantive and competent in their current wholetime Watch Manager role.
• In receipt of the Watch Manager IFE examination (IFE Lev 3 Certificate Unit 6 - Operations and Incident Command) or internal gateway examination.
• In receipt of the relevant Incident Command Level 1 assessment.
• Hold a full driving licence with no pending issue, including Category C manual license entitlement. Driving licence categories required: C1, C1E, D1, D.
• Current and relevant specialist driver training qualifications, including DVSA Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), DVSA Delegated Examiner status and NFCC Approved Emergency Response Driving Instructor accreditation.
• Employed by a Local Government Fire and Rescue Service.
• Be an Approved Emergency response Driving instructor with the NFCC.
• Must be a qualified Emergency Response Driver on Fire Appliances. This qualification must have been held for at least three years., Warwickshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Please be advised successful applicants will be subject to a range of pre-engagement checks, including a relevant Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). In accordance with the DBS and our own policy, should an individual have a declared criminal offence an individual assessment will be completed. Warwickshire County Council adheres to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The Fluency Duty is outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers. The Fluency Duty for this role is Required. You must be able to speak and provide advice in accurate spoken English to the public.

Working for Warwickshire

Working for Warwickshire - This is the difference you make Warwickshire County Council is a place where everyone feels valued, included, safe, supported, and welcome. Our people are at the heart of this vision, could you be one of them! At Warwickshire County Council we are committed to ensuring Warwickshire's economy is vibrant and supported by the right jobs, training, skills and infrastructure. Our people vision for Warwickshire County Council is a great place to work where diverse and talented people are enabled to be their best. Your future matters to us, if eligible, you will be opted into the which includes an employer contribution rate of typically around 37 percent, to help support your financial security during retirement. Warwickshire County Council is committed to equality of opportunity for all employees and is keen to address areas of under representation in its workforce.

2026 Gateway Exams

• 2026 Gateway exams (if required) Thursday 24th September 2026
• Print® Profile Session (Only for candidates who have never had a profile) Monday 5th October 2026
• Performance and behaviours practical assessment (Stage 2) (You will be invited to and are only required to book onto one AM or PM assessment) 7th - 9th October 2026
• Confirmation assessment (Stage 3) (You will be invited to and are only required to book onto one interview assessment) Week commencing 19th October 2026

The successful candidate must be substantive and competent within their current role and hold the required operational and professional qualifications relevant to the position. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion throughout our recruitment processes and employment practices. All employees are expected to understand and work within the Core Code of Ethics and Values of the Fire and Rescue Service.