Fire Safety Manager

Remedial Works & Contractor Management

• Provide technical oversight of fire safety remedial works.
• Review specifications, solutions, and contractor methodologies where required.
• Work with Property Services, Asset Management, and contractors to ensure works are appropriately planned and delivered.
• Monitor contractor competence, performance, quality, and compliance.
• Undertake site inspections and quality assurance checks.
• Ensure completed works are inspected, evidenced, and recorded.
• Challenge works that do not adequately address identified fire risks.
• Support procurement of competent fire safety contractors and consultants.

Fire Doors & Compartmentation

• Undertake or oversee fire door inspections and surveys.
• Identify defects affecting fire resistance, integrity, or performance.
• Recommend repair, replacement, or further investigation.
• Monitor fire door remedial programmes and contractor performance.
• Maintain appropriate knowledge of compartmentation and passive fire protection.
• Identify when intrusive investigation or specialist fire-stopping/compartmentation surveys are required.
• Review remedial evidence and provide assurance that defects have been addressed.

Resident Fire Safety & PEEPs

• Undertake or oversee assessments for residents requiring assistance during a fire emergency.
• Develop, implement, and review PEEPs and other individual evacuation arrangements where appropriate.
• Work with Housing, Neighbourhoods, Support Services, and other teams to maintain effective arrangements.
• Provide practical fire safety advice to residents and colleagues.
• Support resident engagement and communication.
• Ensure vulnerability and evacuation considerations are reflected in fire safety arrangements.

Emergency Planning & Incident Management

• Support development and review of Fire Emergency Plans and evacuation strategies.
• Participate in investigations of fires, fire-related incidents, and significant near misses.
• Identify lessons learned and recommend improvements.
• Provide specialist fire safety advice during emergencies where required.
• Support business continuity and emergency planning.
• Monitor fire incident trends and preventative opportunities.

Governance & Assurance

• Chair the Fire Safety Working Group.
• Prepare reports, performance information, action trackers, and assurance updates.
• Provide fire safety information for senior management, committees, and Board reporting.
• Support audits, inspections, and assurance activity.
• Maintain oversight of fire safety performance indicators and compliance data.
• Support fire safety policy and procedure development.
• Provide evidence for regulatory, audit, and governance requirements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of the Fire Safety Management System.

Legislative & Regulatory Advice

• Maintain current knowledge of fire safety legislation, regulations, guidance, and standards.
• Interpret legal and technical requirements and translate them into practical requirements.
• Advise on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and associated legislation.
• Maintain awareness of the Building Safety Act 2022, Building Safety Regulations, and higher-risk building framework.
• Monitor relevant guidance, case law, and industry practice.
• Advise on regulatory changes and ensure policies remain aligned with requirements.

External Liaison

• Act as a key contact for operational fire safety matters.
• Liaise with Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and other enforcing authorities.
• Maintain effective relationships with consultants, contractors, and specialist organisations.
• Respond to regulatory enquiries and support inspections.
• Represent Soha at relevant professional meetings and forums.

Training & Competence

• Provide fire safety advice, guidance, and technical support.
• Deliver awareness sessions, briefings, and toolbox talks where required.
• Support managers in understanding their responsibilities.
• Identify fire safety competency and training requirements.
• Contribute to training materials and guidance.
• Promote a positive and proactive fire safety culture.

General Responsibilities

Essential Qualifications

• Level 4 Fire Safety qualification or equivalent recognised qualification.
• Fire Risk Assessment qualification or demonstrable competence in intermediate-level FRAs.
• Fire Door Inspection qualification such as FDIS or equivalent, or willingness to obtain.
• Evidence of ongoing fire safety CPD.

Desirable

• Membership of IFE, IFSM, or equivalent professional body.
• NEBOSH Fire Safety and Risk Management Certificate or equivalent.
• Qualification in fire engineering, building surveying, construction, or related discipline.
• Training in passive fire protection, compartmentation, or fire stopping.

Essential Technical Knowledge

Strong knowledge of:

• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Fire Safety Act 2021.
• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
• Relevant provisions of the Building Safety Act 2022.
• Relevant British Standards and recognised fire safety guidance.
• Fire Risk Assessment principles and methodology.
• Fire safety in residential accommodation.
• Means of escape and evacuation strategies.
• Fire doors and passive fire protection.
• Compartmentation.
• Fire detection and alarm systems.

Essential Experience

• Professional experience in a fire safety role.
• Experience undertaking FRAs, preferably in residential housing or a comparable environment.
• Experience assessing fire risks and determining proportionate controls.
• Experience producing technically robust FRA reports.
• Experience managing and monitoring FRA actions.
• Experience inspecting fire doors and/or passive fire protection.
• Experience managing or quality-assuring fire safety remedial works.
• Experience providing competent fire safety advice.

Essential Skills & Behaviours

• Strong technical knowledge and professional credibility.
• Excellent analytical and risk assessment skills.
• Ability to interpret legislation, guidance, and standards and apply them practically.
• Ability to undertake intermediate-level FRAs independently.
• Strong professional judgement and decision-making.
• Ability to challenge constructively where standards or proposed solutions are inadequate.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Ability to explain complex fire safety matters to non-technical audiences.

The role focuses predominantly on low-rise residential fire safety and intermediate-level FRAs. The postholder is not expected to act as a specialist fire engineer or undertake complex fire engineering assessments but must recognise when specialist fire engineering, structural, passive fire protection, or other expert input is required.