Deputy Chief Fire Officer
Greater Manchester, Salary: £153k - £170k
Contract: Permanent
About us:
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is an organisation with its sights set on the future an organisation that has firmly set itself on a new course for a better future. Our improvement journey is well underway. We are building at pace, with serious intent and enormous drive, and in doing so we are defining a new era for our Service, for the communities we serve and our workforce.
We are the most improved Fire and Rescue Service in England and one of the best performing. We are proud of our most recent HMICFRS report awarded ‘Good’ in 10 of the 11 areas whilst also being recognised in four areas for Positive Practice and two areas for Innovative Practice.
We are currently out to public consultation on our new four year Fire Plan (Community Risk Management Plan) for the period 2025/2029 it’s a really exciting time to join GMFRS as we finalise our Fire Plan which will serve as the next chapter in our improvement journey to become an outstanding Fire and Rescue Service.
We are one of the largest Fire and Rescue Services outside London, covering an area of approximately 500 square miles and a culturally diverse population of 2.8 million people. Greater Manchester is a wonderfully vibrant, dynamic and growing city-region and an incredibly exciting and rewarding place to work.
Improving organisational culture remains a top priority for us we have taken a ‘culture first’ approach and under the leadership of our CFO, GMFRS has an unrelenting commitment to fostering cultural change. We have been recognised by Stonewall as the 50th LGBTQ+ inclusive employer in their Top 100 list. Our Rainbow Staff Network also won Stonewall’s Network Group of the Year.
The Role:
We are now looking for our next Deputy Chief Fire Officer to join our team and support us on our journey to become an outstanding Fire and Rescue Service.
As the Deputy Chief Fire Officer, you will be an essential member of GMFRS Executive Leadership Team and Service Leadership Team, supporting the Chief Fire Officer in driving forward a shared vision to make “Greater Manchester one of the best places in the world to grow up, get on and grow old”. With the Chief Fire Officer working closely with the Deputy Mayor and Group Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the foundations have been laid for the future of our Service, a Service which is now building at pace, delivering a new era and capable of meeting the challenges of the future and we want you to be part of this journey.
As our next Deputy Chief Fire Officer, you will bring outstanding leadership to our organisation - leadership that encourages new ways of thinking, collaborative working and an inclusive approach to everything we do. As an organisation, we have been on a journey of change and you will play a major role in continuing that cultural transformation and doing things differently - whilst understanding our history and heritage.
The Deputy Chief Fire Officer will play a key role as advisor to the GMCA, the Chief Fire Officer and the Deputy Mayor. This role is pivotal in creating a positive, safe and supportive organisational climate ensuring that the values of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service remain fully embedded and visible in everything we do.
You will influence the future plans and direction for the organisation and will ensure the continued development of GMFRS.
The Person:
We are looking for a confident person who can operate successfully in a corporate environment across organisational boundaries, enhancing our close working relationships with councils, other emergency services and wider partners.
We welcome applications from candidates with substantive experience of organisational transformation and strategic management. To be successful you will be forward thinking, innovative and creative with proven ability to provide top level coaching and mentoring to senior management team members to ensure their development and success. With well-developed communication skills, you will establish and maintain effective partnerships with the GMCA, all relevant agencies and our communities. The successful postholder will be able to demonstrate an ability to embrace and direct change and to deliver an inclusive leadership style across the service.
You will have extensive experience within a Fire and Rescue Service working at Principal Officer level.
If you think you can successfully deliver in this role, we would love to hear from you. Click apply now to start the process with the submission of a CV and supporting statement outlining your interest and suitability for the role against the role profile attached at the bottom of this page.
For an informal discussion about the role please contact Dave Russel, Chief Fire Officer. Please arrange the informal discussion via Sue Ashton (email: AshtonS@manchesterfire.gov.uk ; mobile: 07581 336 187).
The closing date for completed applications is Friday 7th February 2025
About the GMCA:
As an employer, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is made up of a number of key Greater Manchester strategic functions and service providers including; Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS); Waste and Resources; Environment; Work and Skills; Research; Public Sector Reform; Police, Crime and Criminal Justice; Homelessness; the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub and the Commissioning Hub.
We value the diversity of our employees, and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across Greater Manchester. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people's age, disability, Trans status and Non-binary identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.
To find out more about working for us please click here:
Our offer:
In return for your hard work, we offer our employees a competitive package as part of our offer that you can find out more about here: Greater Manchester Combined Authority - Home | greater.jobs
Mandatory Information:
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We embrace AI to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. However, we value human talent and are looking for passionate individuals to join our organisation. Please ensure you personally complete your application and read all the instructions carefully to maximise your chances of success.
Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting, however we understand that AI may be used as a reasonable adjustment, if using AI to support your application, please give a brief explanation why to help ensure fair selection process.
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For this opportunity, you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK - if in doubt please visit the following link Employers' right to work checklist - GOV.UK ( Please note we are not a licenced sponsor.
Vetting checks
This role is subject to a national Security Check (SC).
In addition, this post involves working with children, young people or vulnerable adults and is therefore exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Failure to disclose information when asked within this application could result in dismissal but will not necessarily be a bar to employment with us. The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provides that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.
Key documents/reading (links provided):
* GMFRS Fire Plan 2025-2029 consultation: Fire Plan 2025-29 - Greater Manchester Fire Rescue Service
* GMFRS Website: About Us - Greater Manchester Fire Rescue Service
* HMICFRS reports: Greater Manchester - His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
* Greater Manchester Strategy: Greater Manchester Strategy - Greater Manchester Combined Authority
DCFO Role profile (January 2025)
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