Senior Fire Safety Specialist

We're recruiting for an experienced Senior Fire Safety Lead to take ownership of fire and life safety compliance across a large-scale, technically complex industrial campus.

This is a strategic leadership position for someone who wants to shape fire safety standards, influence long-term compliance strategy, and act as the technical authority across a high-profile account. Rather than focusing on day-to-day maintenance, you'll provide technical oversight, manage specialist contractors, and ensure fire safety systems remain fully compliant, operational, and future-proof.

You'll be the recognized subject matter expert for all fire and life safety systems, working closely with engineering leadership, operational teams, and external contractors to deliver best‑class compliance and operational excellence. You'll play a key role in driving continuous improvement, reducing reactive maintenance, and ensuring robust governance across all fire‑related activities.

• Lead the overall fire safety strategy across the site, ensuring compliance with all relevant legislation, standards and client requirements.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance on all fire and life safety systems, acting as the primary point of expertise.
• Develop and implement preventative maintenance strategies that minimize reactive issues and improve system reliability.
• Oversee specialist fire contractors, reviewing technical proposals, validating quotations, monitoring performance, and ensuring value for money.
• Manage contractor activities on site, ensuring work is completed safely, efficiently and to the required quality standards.
• Monitor inspection reports, identify compliance gaps, and drive corrective actions through to completion with full documentation.
• Evaluate opportunities to improve service delivery, including identifying where work can be brought in‑house to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• Support engineering teams through coaching, mentoring and technical training, helping to build internal capability across fire systems.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs) and Maintenance Operating Procedures (MOPs) to ensure consistent delivery.
• Participate in integrated systems testing, commissioning activities and end‑to‑end verification of fire and life safety systems.
• Review system design, identify operational risks, provide technical recommendations and ensure issues are tracked through to resolution.
• Work closely with site leadership and engineering management to continuously improve compliance, reporting and operational performance.

We're looking for an experienced fire safety professional with a strong technical background and the ability to operate confidently in a complex engineering environment.

• Significant experience within the fire protection, fire detection or life safety industry.
• Previous experience in a senior technical, project, service or engineering management role.
• Strong knowledge of fire compliance, maintenance standards and industry best practice.
• Experience managing specialist contractors, service providers and commercial contracts.
• The ability to analyze technical information, identify risks and implement practical solutions.
• Experience using CMMS or CAFM systems (knowledge of Planon would be advantageous).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• A recognized qualification in fire engineering, fire safety or a related technical discipline.

This is an opportunity to join a highly technical environment where you'll have genuine ownership of the fire safety strategy across a major industrial campus. You'll work alongside experienced engineering professionals, influence key operational decisions, and play a critical role in ensuring the highest standards of fire and life safety compliance are maintained.