Group Manager

Overview

• Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
• Address: Bury St Edmunds Fire Station, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 3BA
• Salary: Group Manager salary in accordance with NJC pay scales: £57,743 (dev) - £64,013 (comp) per annum + 20% flexible duty allowance
• Hours: 42 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

This is an exciting opportunity to either take the next step in your management career or transfer over to Suffolk.

At Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), we believe that when our people grow, our communities thrive. We re looking for a passionate Group Manager (GM) to join our team. Here, you ll find more than just a job - you ll discover opportunities to develop your skills, make a meaningful impact, and reimagine what s possible. Are you ready to grow with us and shape the future of Suffolk?

As a Group Manager, you will assist the Area Manager in developing and delivering a strategic approach for the Fire and Rescue Service, aligning with the National Framework, the Fire and Rescue Services Act and local priorities. Your efforts will ensure that resources, culture, systems, and procedures within your area are resilient and consistently focused on providing high-quality services to the people of Suffolk.

• Perform operational incident command at Level 3.
• Proven track record of managing complex, large-scale emergency incidents.
• Participate in the Tactical Coordinating Group (TCG) and engage in collaborative efforts with multiple agencies.
• Focus on your professional development and work towards obtaining necessary qualifications.
• Lead and manage a department to support the strategic delivery of our service plan.

The role is based in Suffolk, with a mixture of working from your base location, other sites across the county and opportunities to work from home. You must live in Suffolk or have a base that allows for quick operational response across the county. You ll be required to attend TCG meetings in Ipswich and evening commitments across the Service will be expected.

We welcome applications from:

• Group Managers (or above) serving with a UK Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service.
• Competent Station Managers with a minimum of 2 years  experience in role, serving with a UK Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service.

We re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report
.

Please contact Area Manager,
Aeneas Postlethwaite
, for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling or emailing aeneas.

Please visit our Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service webpage for further information.

External candidates, who have not previously attained an SFRS GM Assessment Centre pass, will be required to complete a VCA Assessment. This includes an initial e-learning component (to be complete before 17 February 2026), followed by an in-person assessment at Wattisham Training Centre on 18 February 2026. This will consist of an operational assessment as well as a values and behaviours assessment.

Internal candidates who meet Step2 of the Service Progression Document are eligible to apply. To check if you require an external assessment at this stage, please refer to the information in the SPD and confirm if you require an external assessment in your application.

Please note: Without a supporting…