Chief Inspector of Crown Premises Fire Safety

Chief Inspector of Crown Premises Fire Safety – Job Description

The Chief Inspector of Crown Premises Fire Safety reports to the Fire Director in MHCLG and is responsible for implementing the legal requirements set out in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 with respect to the inspection of Crown and public premises in England.

• Lead the Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate (CPFSI) team of 12 and manage the budget of £1.12m.
• Provide strategic engagement with the National Fire Chiefs' Council (NFCC) and other bodies conducting similar work to CPFSI, such as the Defence Safety Authority based at the Ministry of Defence.
• Act as the strategic lead for CPFSI in its interactions relating to inspection and enforcement with senior stakeholders, including prison governors and senior managers in HM Prisons and Probation.
• Advise ministers and senior officials in MHCLG and other relevant Government Departments and their agencies on key emerging issues and recommendations from the programme of inspection of fire safety in Crown and public premises.
• Take an active role in the overall leadership and governance of the Fire Directorate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Accompany team members on inspections and ensure the continuous professional development of the team of Crown Inspectors.
• Travel regularly across England to take part in inspections and maintain contact with the team located across the country.

• Level 4 fire safety diploma or equivalent.
• Extensive experience and a proven track record as a confident and collaborative leader in fire safety enforcement.
• Strong influencing skills with the ability to build, nurture and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Sound judgement and the ability to use evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice.
• Experience of delivering challenging service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency.

• Highly effective and adaptive communicator comfortable at the very senior levels within government, the wider public sector and with private companies.
• Experienced, qualified expert in fire safety enforcement who can deploy personal skills and experience and ensure the continuous professional development of the team.
• Strong track record as a confident and collaborative leader, showing pride and passion for public service, creating and engaging others in a shared vision, valuing diversity and inclusion.
• Desirable:
  Wide knowledge, understanding and/or experience of fire policy and operational matters.

In addition to the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), all Senior Civil Service staff are required to have at least Security Clearance (SC) prior to starting the role. For more details of vetting levels and requirements please refer to the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We welcome applications from all individuals, including those with disabilities, under the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and the Redeployment Interview Scheme.

This role is suitable for a job share and is permanent and full‑time. MHCLG encourages flexible working and offers the opportunity to work from one of the following locations, with a location preference expressed during the application process:
Bristol, Cambridge, Darlington, London, Manchester and Wolverhampton.

The Civil Service is an equal opportunity employer. All applications are assessed without regard to gender, age, colour, nationality, religion, belief or personal preference, or abuse of a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.